Jack O Lantern Pumpkins are the traditional Halloween style round shaped pumpkins with bright orange outer flesh that is perfect for carving out spooky faces and popping a tea-light in. The carved out inside orange flesh is great for recipes in the kitchen too, from delicious homemade Pumpkin Pies or warming Curried Pumpkin Soup - ideal after an evening trick or treating!

Pumpkins need a good long warm summer to perform at their best so to ensure they do well sow seeds early and indoors from April to May, then transplant out when the risk of frost has passed.

Pumpkins need a good long warm summer to perform well and although they can be direct sown from mid-May to June it is best to sow seeds early and indoors from April to May, then transplant out when the risk of frost has passed.

Jack O Lantern trailing vines will produce a number of smaller pumpkins but by stopping the vine when 2 pumpkins have grown will result in good-sized larger pumpkins that weigh between 4-7kg. Pumpkins are thirsty and need to be kept well watered and fertilised. These pumpkins store well for 3-4 months in frost-free conditions through winter.

Kids love Halloween and what more of a reward than to grow their own Jack O Lantern pumpkins for that spooktacular day!

Did you know...

Pumpkin seeds are super-nutritious? So don't throw them in the compost. You can simmer them in salty water for 10 minutes, toss in oil, and then roast them in the oven at 190C for 25 mins, stirring every 5 mins. Add salt. Delicious!

Pack Information

Seed Quantity:

Approx 20 seeds per pack.

When to Sow Jack O Lantern Pumpkin Vegetable Seeds

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Indoor Sowing
Outdoor Sowing

Indoor Sowing Information

Site:	Well-drained, humus-rich soil in a sheltered sunny spot out of the way of strong winds that can cause damage to the large leaves.
When to Sow:	April to May.
How to Sow:	Sow seeds vertically 1cm deep in a small pot. Place in propagator/cover with glass or polythene bag until the seedlings appear (usually 5-8 days). When the seedlings have 2/3 leaves transplant into 2L pots and grow on for a few more weeks. In mid-late May (a week before transplanting) dig a large hole 30cm square for each pumpkin plant (90-150cm apart, in rows 180-240cm apart) and fill with lots of well-rotted manure. Make a mound and cloche to warm the soil up. Harden off the pumpkin plants for 3-4 days before transplanting out into the centre of the mound. Keep covered with cloche for a week or so and water well. Can also be grown in greenhouse soil provided it is very fertile and kept moist.
Care:	As they are hungry feeders, feed them every 14 days with a potash rich fertiliser. Keep well watered but try not to wet the fruit. Once growing, lift the pumpkins off the soil onto a piece of wood or upturned terracotta pot to allow air to circulate and the pumpkin to ripen.
Harvest:	September to October. Leave a stalk of 5cm when cutting fruit off the vine. Pick any remaining fruits before the first frosts. These can be stored in frost-free conditions and can last to Christmas and beyond.

Outdoor Sowing Information

Site:	Well-drained, humus-rich soil in a sheltered sunny spot out of the way of strong winds that can cause damage to the large leaves.
When to Sow:	Mid May to June.
How to Sow:	Squashes are hungry feeders so to give them a good start outside, dig a hole 30cm square and fill with well-rotted manure and mound the soil up and cloche the area a week before direct sowing. Plant 2 seeds into the centre of each mound (2.5cm deep, spacing 90-150cm apart, in rows 180-240cm apart) and cloche again until the seedlings grow. Remove the weaker seedling, and remove cloche a couple of weeks later. The seed will not germinate until the temperature is consistently above 13C. Keep well watered.
Care:	As they are hungry feeders, feed them every 14 days with a potash rich fertiliser. Keep well watered but try not to wet the fruit. Once growing, lift the fruit onto a piece of wood or upturned terracotta pot to ripen & allow circulate.
Harvest:	September to October. Pick any remaining fruits before the first frosts. These can be stored in frost-free conditions and can last to Christmas and beyond.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Jack O Lantern Vegetable Seeds