How to Grow Pumpkins in Containers (Even in Small Spaces)

Is it too early to start thinking about pumpkin pie and Jack o’ lanterns? Never. It’s never too early.

Luckily, pumpkins are not only a beautiful plant to add variety to your standard summer vegetable garden, they’re easy to grow too. Even in containers.

Don’t be fooled by those giant leaves and long vines; anyone with space for a good sized container can successfully grow a pumpkin plant. Whether you’re most excited to roast them in the oven, carve up and stuff ‘em with a candle, bake into a pie, or simply set them out for the neighbors to enjoy - this is the year to add a pumpkin or two to your container garden!

In this video, we'll cover practical strategies for hitting your pumpkin goals, whatever they might be. You’ll learn the how and why of selecting a container, filling it with potting mix, planting seeds, watering to avoid disease, identifying male/female flowers, and how to manually pollinate. And plenty more!

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Helpful links mentioned in the video
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[tednisbeth]

you are an excellent teacher, thanks so much .

[helenharrington]

Appreciate the time you spent here, teaching a novice gardener like myself
I've gone nuts in my backyard
Growing everything I can fit in, in my season that is
Not just for my family, hoping to help my neighbours out too
I'll be watching a few of your clips as my step to step guide on the do's and don'ts
As my garden matures

[MommyBee]

Very helpful and you seem so kind! Thanks for taking the time to help me ! Second year gardening and really enjoying learning about things I haven’t planted before!

[PTLPROVO]

First off, I love this video. I've tried to grow pumpkins so many times and failed. But, I have to say that I think its hilarious how the video started out with him saying that he just threw seeds under a tree and always ended up with a full pumpkin patch without doing anything, and then proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes going through all of the specific and everything that can go wrong if things aren't done carefully. 😄 Here's hoping I can actually get a pumpkin this season!

[miacreech]

We have °110 weather right now and I have a crap ton of seeds sprouting, so happy!

[homebodyjen]

I bought little mini pumpkins during a seed sale and I had no idea where I would actually plant them… now I have confidence in planting them in containers and letting them sprawl on the ground. I need to search for this mesh trellis you keep mentioning in the videos.

[NYC_Urbanista]

Great video, thank you! Not wanting to waste them, I discarded a small variety of halloween pumpkins in a small patch of my garden for the birds to enjoy the seeds. Much to my delight they loved them, especially the cardinals. And now, even more to my surprise, I seem to have cultivated a small pumpkin patch. The spot is a bit shady but the vines seem to be thriving .. we'll see! Perhaps, I'll have my own homegrown pumpkins this year. Happy gardening!

[TheWoodlandGardener]

Great video!! I've not tried growing pumpkins in containers yet, but now I will - this coming week. Appreciate all the great info. Have a good week!

[darleneprecious]

Best video I’ve seen on growing pumpkins! Thanks so much!

[genellegarcia]

this is the best break down of growing plants thank you so much!

[renedeleon]

You literally explained EVERYTHING perfectly and answered all the questions I had. ❤

[slow-mo_moonbuggy]

I have a feeling bugs like the one you mentioned just arise from the earth because of the pumpkins. I think this creation we live in is way more interesting than we realize.

[mattcontrera]

Lots of helpful tips, I'm growing my first pumpkins this year in a raised bed and I've learned a lot about expecations for them in limited space. Now I know adding mulch and realizing the realistic number of pumpkins I should keep growing will hopefully help me though the season. I'm attempting to grow giant atlantic pumpkins and at first I tried to get them to grow vertically like squash or cucumbers and I have found through various videos that I'm being ambutious to say the least. I have two growing now about soft ball sized fruit that I'm going to try and keep alive, but theres one growing above the main plant in a trellis that I think I'll have to cut down and direct the vines toward the ground. Man, these plants are finicky, I had a lot of leaves die off because I think it wasn't getting enough water consistently so hopefully the mulch helps. I'm hoping I can get atleast three pumpkins to get big from my set up so I can give one to my niece for her first halloween (she can have the biggest one) and save the seeds to grow them more efficeintly next year. Never thought I'd learn so much or be so invested in a plant, but the challenge is so fun.

[ahtemmathehun]

Thank you for all of the comprehensive information. My daughter found a mystery seed in our laundry room and it sprouted this week. I have no idea what breed of winter squash it is, pretty sure it is a pumpkin tho. I'm pretty sure its going to be very late in the season and we may not be able to harvest from it, but we're planting anyhow. If it wasn't for this video, I would have chosen the wrong sized container. Unfortunately I'm going to have to string trellis it. Crossing fingers this works! Thanks again!

[MiWri]

The pumpkin, in my country, is a very popular vegetable. We roast, boil, steam fry and make soup. It's one of my favourites

[aprilm]

Thank you so much! You’re a wealth of knowledge about growing these pumpkins and I really needed your help! I’m in Florida, where our torrential rainstorms have killed pumpkins grown in my flower garden for two years now. I never intended to grow pumpkins; they started from seeds after Halloween! Now, I’m determined to grow one or two…or however many survive. Going to use the 30 gallon container and all of your helpful tips. Thank you!

[rosewood]

More of mine grew in straw than in dirt! I have a lot of large cannas. I cut some of those, chop them up, and put those in the bottom of my fabric pots, along with a little straw. I give it a day, then stomp on it carefully. Then I add the soil. Push the dirt in as much as you can. Wait another day, because you’re dirt level will drop. Add more dirt and your ready to plant. It works really well and uses a lot less soil. I love growing pumpkins, too!

[janicejurgensen]

I subscribed within 1 minute when you shared your story! Ty

[foodbitsninja]

omg! this is the best one to watch for potting pumpkin! thank you so much i learned so much !straight to the point! subscribed

[tompatchak]

When I had a large plot of land, I planted pumpkin seeds with corn seeds, just for the heck of it both grew very large and wide and packed that had a sea of pumpkin leaves, and trees of corn for the deer to eat. I had so many little baby pumpkins out here that my kids school that I had enough to give every child one pumpkin at mu son’s school.
That’s like 300 plus.
Now I have a smaller plot and I’ve been using containers. I tried pumpkins in the back corner, but didn’t work because there’s no airflow.
I have this idea I might grow them against the fence so they have something to climb.

I do have some volunteer growing the corners that squirrel dropped and I’m just letting them go for the heck