Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Sugar Pie Pumpkin is a rare heirloom variety dating back to New England in the 1800’s. Sugar Pie Pumpkins produce small, petite, orange pumpkins that weigh between 5 and 8 pounds. They have a sweet, fine-grained, yellow flesh which is ideal for pies, canning and carving. It will store well when in cooler temperatures, such as a root cellar. Sugar Pie Pumpkin plants need ample room to grow, as the vines can reach 10 feet easily. This variety was used traditionally as a staple for making pumpkin pies, soups, muffins, casseroles, canning and carving jack-o-lantern pumpkins. Try your hand at pumpkin zucchini muffins using this variety of pumpkin and our Black Beauty Zucchini seeds for a comforting fall flavor straight from the garden.
NAME: Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima)
VARIETY: Sugar Pie
DAYS TO MATURITY: 90 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL: Fertile, loose soil with a pH 6.5 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 24 – 30 inches
SPACING: 4 – 5 feet apart
TEMP: 55 – 85 °F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Seeds should be started indoors 2 weeks before your last local spring frost.
Sow 1 to 2 seeds, 1 inch deep in cell trays or medium sized pots with proper seed starting mix.
Provide a heated area or heat mats to keep the soil temps between 60 to 70°F which will encourage germination.
Supply fluorescent/LED grow lights 3 inches above the cell trays or pots, 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
Keep the soil moist until seedlings sprout which will occur within 10 days.
Remove all but 1 seedling per each cell or pot as soon as they are 2 inches tall.
Before transplanting outdoors, harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process).
After they have hardened off, plant them spaced 5 feet apart with 8 feet between rows in your pre-prepared bed.
Prepare a large bed, then once the soil reaches 60°F you can begin direct sowing several seeds 1 inch deep, spaced every 5 feet, with rows spaced 8 feet apart, which will allow the pumpkin vines to grow without overcrowding each other.
After the seedlings emerge, thin them so there is only one every 5 feet.
When seedlings are established, mulch with woodchips or straw around the base of the plant to prevent weeds from choking out the pumpkins.
Prep your planting beds by picking a spot that gets full sun and has loose, fertile soil with a pH of 6.5 – 7.0; remove any surrounding weeds and add ample compost.
In cool climates, Sugar Pie Pumpkins seeds should be started indoors.
Keep plants well-watered during the growing season, especially during dry spells; plants need 1 to 2 inches of rain per week during the growing season.
Water with a drip line or trickle system that delivers water at a low pressure and at the soil level; if you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before evening, to minimize disease problems.
Keep the soil moist but not saturated.
Do not move or step on vines as they are quite fragile.
If you are trying to grow extra-large pumpkins, allow only one fruit per plant to mature.
Harvest Sugar Pie Pumpkins when the skin has turned a deep orange color and the stem has dried and started to turn brown.
Use sharp garden shears or a knife to cut the pumpkin from the vine, leaving a few inches of stem attached.
Handle pumpkins carefully to avoid bruising or damage.
After harvesting, cure pumpkins in a warm, dry location for about 10 days to harden the skin and extend storage life.
