When to sow Pumpkin in the UK
Across the UK the first sowing of pumpkin falls 11 weeks apart — mid April in the mildest areas, late June in the coldest. That gap is why a single national sowing date is wrong for almost everybody.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Timings below are adjusted from the midlands and lowland wales baseline using Met Office average last and first frost dates for each area.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | mid March to late March | mid April to early May | mid April to early May | early August to mid September |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to early April | late April to early May | late April to early May | early August to late September |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid March to late March | mid April to early May | mid April to early May | early August to mid September |
| South East and Home Counties | early April to mid April | early May to late May | early May to late May | late August to early October |
| East Anglia | mid April to late April | mid May to late May | mid May to late May | late August to mid October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid April to early May | late May to early June | late May to early June | early September to late October |
| Wales and West Coast | early April to mid April | early May to late May | early May to late May | late August to early October |
| Northern England | late April to early May | late May to mid June | late May to mid June | mid September to late October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early May to mid May | early June to mid June | early June to mid June | mid September to early November |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late May to early June | late June to mid July | late June to mid July | early October to late November |
| Northern Ireland | mid April to late April | mid May to late May | mid May to late May | late August to mid October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to late March | mid April to late April | mid April to late April | late July to mid September |
Growing notes
Sow indoors mid- to late April, or direct outdoors in late May or early June, and plant out only after the last frost. Bush varieties still need 90cm of space and trailing ones 1.5m, so restrict large fruits to two or three per plant, or one for a giant.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 120 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 150 cm
- Plants per m²
- 1
- Days to maturity
- 120 days
- Yield per plant
- 8.0 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- Yes — do not plant out until after the last frost
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 45 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 40 cm
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- powdery mildew
- grey mould
- slugs
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for pumpkin.