Pumpkins are a quintessential part of autumn decor and fall recipes. But their sprawling vines require a lot of garden space to grow properly. If your yard is small, you may think you can’t grow pumpkins at home. However, with the right techniques and variety choices, you can absolutely grow pumpkins successfully even with limited space!
Choose Compatible Pumpkin Varieties
The first key is selecting a pumpkin variety suited for small spaces. Look for:
-
Mini pumpkins under 5 pounds – Require only 10-15 square feet. Varieties like Baby Boo Munchkin, Jack Be Little.
-
Bush pumpkin varieties – More compact growth habit, only need 15-20 square feet. Varieties like Bushkin Spirit Keeper.
-
Semi-bush varieties – Less sprawling vines, need 20-30 square feet. Varieties like Autumn Gold, Gold Nugget, Jackpot.
Standard large pumpkin varieties can spread over 50+ square feet. Go for smaller fruited or bush/semi-bush habits when space is limited.
Growing Pumpkins Vertically
You can make the most of small spaces by growing pumpkins vertically on a trellis or other support structure. This takes advantage of vertical airspace rather than horizontal ground space
Some options for vertical supports:
- Build a DIY trellis or arbor for vines to climb
- Use an A-frame structure to support vines on two sides
- Attach vines to fencing or walls with soft plant ties
- Create a “pumpkin tower” cage from wire fencing or hardware cloth
Make sure to use mini or small pumpkin varieties on vertical supports. The smaller fruits don’t get too heavy.
Plant in Containers
Another great small space option is to grow pumpkins in containers. This works well on patios, balconies, or anywhere you don’t have in-ground garden space.
Use large containers, at least 15-25 gallons for bush types or a kiddie pool for vining varieties. Make sure the container has good drainage. Add a trellis for vertical support. Give them at least 6 hours of sun.
Intercrop with Other Plants
You can squeeze more productivity out of limited garden space by intercropping pumpkins with compatible veggie crops.
Good pumpkin companion plants include:
- Corn – Provides structure for pumpkin vines to climb
- Radishes – Grow quickly between slow-germinating pumpkin seeds
- Green beans – Utilize vertical space above low pumpkin vines
- Marigolds – Deter pests like squash bugs
Avoid interplanting pumpkins with crops like potatoes, which require more space.
Use Raised Garden Beds
Raised beds provide an easy way to dedicate some space just for pumpkins while keeping their vines corralled. Even a 4×8 foot bed has room for 1-2 pumpkin plants if you train the vines vertically on a trellis. Or plant them around the edges of a bed to spill over the sides.
Monitor Water and Nutrients Closely
Careful watering and fertilizing is crucial when growing pumpkins in confined areas. Too much nitrogen leads to excess foliage over fruiting. Slow release organic fertilizers are ideal to provide a steady nutrient supply. And monitor soil moisture closely when growing in containers.
Time Planting Carefully
Pay attention to your seasonal growing timeframe when planting pumpkins in small spaces. Start seeds or transplant seedlings based on the number of days to maturity for your variety. This ensures you get ripe pumpkins before your first fall frost.
Don’t start too early and stunt plants by keeping them inside too long. But a late start risks immature, small fruits. Timing is key!
Control Weeds Diligently
Weeds compete heavily for water and nutrients in cramped garden spaces. Stay on top of weeding regularly so your pumpkin plants get all the resources they need. Apply mulch after weeding to suppress future growth.
Exercise Good Pest Prevention
The compact nature of small space pumpkin growing can actually assist with pest control. Being able to easily monitor plants daily makes it easier to spot issues early before they spread.
Preventative measures like row covers, companion planting, and organic sprays can keep pest damage minimal in a small patch. Don’t let vines overlap too densely, as it reduces air circulation and disease prevention.
Expect Reasonable Yields
Even with excellent care, small space gardens logically produce lower yields than larger plantings. But you can absolutely grow enough for jack-o-lanterns, fall decorations, and fresh pumpkin recipes with just a few plants!
Focus on growing the healthiest, best quality pumpkins you can, rather than maximum quantity. Record keeping helps optimize techniques each season. Enjoy the experience and the fruits of your labor!
Tips for Specific Small Space Situations
Growing pumpkins in containers? Choose at least a 15 gallon pot and use quality potting mix for proper drainage. Add bean poles or a trellis for vertical vines.
Sticking with just one pumpkin plant in a raised bed? Help it make the most of the space by training vines up both ends of the bed on a trellis.
Have an awkward unused corner or edge of your yard? Build an easy DIY A-frame structure for vertical pumpkin vines.
Limited to a balcony or fire escape? Look for “bush” pumpkin varieties than spread less. Grow in the largest container that you can manage.
The key is working with the space you have creatively. Don’t let small square footage deter you from the joys of growing homegrown pumpkins! With the right variety choices and training techniques, you can adapt and succeed.
FAQs about Growing Pumpkins in Small Spaces
How many pumpkins will I get from one plant in a small space?
You can expect 1-3 good sized pumpkins from a healthy plant. The exact yield depends on variety, space, and care. Don’t expect as many fruits as a large 50 foot patch, but you can produce enough for fall enjoyment!
What size container do I need for a patio pumpkin?
For bush or semi-bush pumpkin varieties, use at least a 15-25 gallon container. For vining plants, a half whiskey barrel, galvanized stock tank, or kiddie pool with trellis support allows more sprawling.
When should I start pumpkin seeds for a small garden?
Time your planting based on your “days to maturity” for your pumpkin variety, factoring in your typical first fall frost date. Mini pumpkins may mature in 80 days. Large types need up to 120 days. Count backwards from your average frost date to determine when to start seeds or transplant seedlings.
Can I grow large carving pumpkins vertically?
It’s best to stick with mini or small pie-type pumpkins for extensive vertical training. But you can trellis larger vines while the fruits are young, then add slings or hammocks under maturing pumpkins to take weight off vines as they enlarge.
What are good companion plants for pumpkins in raised beds?
Great options include lettuces, kale, and other greens under vines. Radishes fill space between vines early on. Pole beans and corn can grow up trellises above low sprawling pumpkin foliage. Marigolds deter pests.
How often should I fertilize container pumpkins?
Every 2-3 weeks, use a balanced organic fertilizer formulated for vegetables. You can also give them a nutrient boost with compost or worm tea. Monitor soil moisture and nutrients closely in containers since they dry out and leach nutrients faster than in-ground plantings.
Don’t let small garden size or space limitations stop you from raising pumpkins! With the right variety selections and training techniques, you can adapt and succeed. Mini pumpkins on an apartment balcony? Vertical vines against a patio fence? Container plants on the driveway? You’ve got this! Embrace the fun challenge of discovering just how productive a small space can be.
Benefits of Growing Vertically
Growing plants vertically, especially on an arch, gives them the room they need to spread out without taking up valuable floor space. You’ll have enough room to grow smaller pumpkin varieties in yards and gardens with limited space.
If you’ve ever dealt with squash bugs in your garden, you understand how ruthless they can be. This summer, I didn’t know what was going on until the squash bugs, which are also called cucumber beetles, ate my whole zucchini plant. One day it was there, and the next it was beyond help.
They would have taken out my pumpkin vines too if they weren’t growing vertically up a trellis. When you grow pumpkins vertically, most of the plants are off the ground. This makes the main stem and root of each plant easier to see. From my experience, this is the first and main area the squash bugs attack. Once that area is clean, you can find the bugs and get rid of them along with any eggs they’ve laid on the vines before things get out of hand.
Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease that can occur in both dry and humid conditions. The disease spreads more quickly in places with lots of plants and people, where air can’t flow, or where it’s shady. Powdery mildew is less likely to happen on pumpkins that are grown vertically because the vines are off the ground and up on the trellis, where they get more sunlight and air flow.
Effectively Growing Pumpkins Vertically
The following are the best practices for growing pumpkins in small spaces.
It’s best to plant your pumpkin seeds where they will get full sun (at least six hours of sunlight a day). Pumpkins love the sun and will thrive the more sunlight they have.
Pumpkins also need an area with fertile soil. You can either amend the soil in your garden area or fill your raised bed with good soil. My popular post on DIY Raised Bed Soil Mix will get you started out right. The recipe contains three ingredients: vermiculite, peat moss, and compost.
Pumpkins are heavy feeders, meaning they should be fertilized regularly throughout the growing season with a balanced fertilizer. They especially need a fertilizer high in nitrogen for their early growth.
For best results, water your small pumpkins regularly. Ensure you give your pumpkins a lot of water without oversaturating them. A lack of water, or too much water, can both cause issues for the female flowers. Female flowers are the flowers that bear fruit. Without happy females, you won’t have happy baby pumpkins.
You can maintain a moist soil easily with a drip irrigation system. Be sure to read our article on How to Install Dripline for Your Garden Boxes. We have used this method for 15 years and couldn’t water our plants as much without it during the hot summer months.
Pumpkin plants should be spaced at least 3 feet apart. We put pumpkin seeds in two separate holes that were 3 feet apart in our 3×6-foot garden beds. There was 1 1/2 feet of space between each plant and the end of the bed.
When growing pumpkins vertically on a trellis, smaller varieties are a good idea. Larger pumpkins can be 25 pounds or much heavier and will put a strain on the garden trellis. Those varieties are better left to the pumpkin patch. I have small Sugar Pie pumpkins (small variety) and medium Cinderella pumpkins growing vertically in our garden bed on the right now. Mini pumpkins like Jack-Be-Little and Baby Boo would also be an excellent choice.
You will need to train the young plants to grow up the trellis once they start to spread out and make tendrils, which look like spirals of thread. Plants will naturally stick to the wire if you weave them in and out of the cattle panel. This will also give the pumpkins extra support. As the vine grows, it will reach the top of the arch, and you will weave it down the other side. You should check on your pumpkin vines often because they grow quickly and get hard to weave through the panel when they get too big.
As I explained earlier, squash bugs have been very pesky in our garden recently. One last thing I did to get control was cut off all the leaves on the vines at the base of both pumpkin plants. For younger plants, I wouldn’t do this, but mine were already big and had lots of other leaves on their vines. Removing the leaves made it more difficult for the bugs to hide on the soil beneath them. This area is their favorite place to be.
