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Best Pumpkin Varieties to Grow in 2024 for an Amazing Pumpkin Season
PumpkinsPumpkin season starts well before summer turns into autumn. You’ll need to plant your crops in early May through June to make sure you’ve got a crop that’s worth all that pumpkin spice you crave.
Pumpkin: The Official Vegetable of Fall
There’s nothing more “autumn” than pumpkins. Pumpkin spice shows up in favorite foods, lattes, and scented candles. All sorts of beloved baked goods, from muffins to pies, feature this signature fall vegetable. Some of us love savory pumpkin soups, stews, and pasta. It’s always fun to roast some pumpkin seeds after the Jack-O-Lanterns have been carved. And, of course, a day at the local pumpkin patch is a delightful way to spend an autumn afternoon.
What Type of Pumpkin Should I Grow?
There are different types of pumpkins to grow depending on what you want the end result to be.
If you want to make pies, you will grow a different type of pumpkin than if you want a colossal jack-o-lantern.
Heirloom Pumpkin Varieties to Grow
Pumpkins come in a variety of interesting shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. They’re almost all useful for fall decorations, but they also have some other great uses.
Here are some of our favorites:
Connecticut Field Pumpkin
The most traditional of all autumn pumpkins, the cultivation of this variety goes all the way back to at least the days of the Pilgrims.
Connecticut Field pumpkins are 15-20 pounds and are a favorite for Jack O’Lanterns.
Casper Pumpkin
You can probably guess where this round, white pumpkin gets its name. It’s a great choice for carving a spooky ghost or skull.
Casper is also a good choice for painting, thanks to the white skin. Younger kids who aren’t quite ready for carving love this chance to enjoy the fun.
Small Sugar Pumpkin
If you want pumpkins to make a delicious pie, Small Sugar pumpkins are the ones to grow. This heirloom pumpkin is the standard pie pumpkin.
Small Sugar pumpkins are small and round, with sweet flesh high in sugar. They're easy to grow, and a full-grown pumpkin will weigh between 5 and 8 pounds. They're really cute, too, and can look quite adorable when carved.
Big Max Pumpkin
If you want to grow an impressively huge pumpkin, Big Max is a sure bet. This is probably the Great Pumpkin that Charlie Brown was talking about.
This prize-winning pumpkin grows to an impressive 100 pounds if given the right conditions.
Jarrahdale Pumpkin
Surprisingly delicious, most people only think of this blue-gray pumpkin as an ornamental.
Jarrahdale pumpkins grow 12 to 18 pounds and have a smooth, bright orange flesh inside that makes an excellent puree.
Galeux d'Eysines Pumpkin
Also known as “Peanut Pumpkin,” this French heirloom is super sweet and wonderful for eating. The “peanuts” on the flesh are signs of the sweetness within. These lumps and bumps are where the sugars have burst through the skin and formed a rough patch. This is also a favorite Halloween decoration, thanks to the warty texture of the skin.
Atlantic Giant Pumpkin
Do you want to grow the biggest pumpkin in the state? Atlantic Giant lives up to its name for record-breaking prizes. This variety is truly awe-inspiring. It has been known to grow between 400 and 1,000 pounds! Give this pumpkin some room to grow with 50' vines.
Cinderella Pumpkin
For a beautiful decorative pumpkin, plant Cinderella Pumpkin or Rouge Vif d'Etampes. This French heirloom has a striking, deep orange-red color and flattened shape.
Not only is it a popular pumpkin for fall decorations, but it is also superb for cooking. The rich, sweet flavor is perfect for pies, soups, and roasting.
Winter Luxury Pumpkin
Weighing around 6 pounds, Winter Luxury is a manageable size. Its beautiful frosty textured skin, as well as its size and shape, make it a striking ornamental pumpkin.
It has a smooth and sweet interior that also makes it an excellent pumpkin variety for eating.
Harvest Season
When the days start to lengthen, the heat-loving plants in the summer vegetable gardens have stopped producing and are dying back. Yes, it’s time to do some cleanup and plant cool-weather crops, but it’s also a time to celebrate the bounty and appreciate our blessings. That’s why it’s so fun to decorate our homes in harvest colors and enjoy fall flavors. The pumpkin is a rich, beautiful symbol of all the good things that come with autumn.
Ready to start your pumpkin patch? Read more about when to plant and how to grow pumpkins.
It’s time to start planning for the 2024 Pumpkin Season. These varieties give you some great choices for creating a bountiful pumpkin patch of your own.
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