Pumpkin Varieties - What's the Difference?

There are several pumpkin varieties available to the backyard vegetable gardener. Typically, smaller pumpkin varieties mature faster than larger varieties. Keep in mind, the number of days to harvest is counted after the seeds germinate. Here is a partial list of some of the more common varieties, along with descriptions and use recommendations:

• Small Sugar - orange pumpkins that are great for baking and pies, fruit reaches 2-5 pounds, ready in 100 days
• Spooktacular - orange pumpkins average 2-5 pounds, good for carving and decoration, popular among commercial growers, ready in 95 days
• Baby Pam - smooth, yellow pumpkins average 2-5 pounds, long stems for handles, good for decoration and pies, ready in 100 days

• Harvest Moon - semi-bush plant, all purpose orange pumpkins average 8-14 pounds, ready in 100 days,
• Funny Face - this orange-colored variety produces fruit weighing 8-15 pounds, good for carving and decoration, semi-bush plant, ready in 100 days
• Aspen - deep orange fruit weighing 15-25 pounds, good for carving and canning and roasting seeds, fastest-maturing larger pumpkin variety, ready in 90 days
• Ghost Rider - dark orange fruit features a dark green stem, reaches 15-25 pounds, good all-purpose variety, ready in 115 days, vines can reach 20 feet or more
• Howden Field - , ready in 105 days, orange fruit weighing 15-25 pounds, good all purpose pumpkin works well for carving and canning, popular commercial variety
• Jackpot - very round, orange fruit weighing 15-25 pounds, multi-purpose pumpkin variety, semi-bush vine, 105 days
• Jumping Jack - tall, deep orange fruit weighing 20-30 pounds, good for carving, baking, canning, vines are large and vigorous, ready in 120 days
• Buckskin - good pumpkins for canning, pies, soups and bread, average 10-12 pounds, large vines, ready in 115 days
• Kentucky Field - variety or pumpkin good for canning and processing into soups, ready in 115 days, average 10-15 pounds, yellow-orange skin, pear-shaped

• Atlantic Giant - produces largest, prize winning pumpkins, fruit can reach several hundred pounds, 120+ days
• Prizewinner - jumbo, orange pumpkins can reach 200 pounds, most attractive of the giant pumpkins, 120 days
• Baby Boo - small, all-white pumpkins measure 3 inches across, good for decoration and painting, ready in 95 days
• Lumina - white pumpkins average 5-12 pounds, good for carving and painting, ready in 95 days, orange flesh, flattened-globe shape
• Triple Treat - ready in 110 days, thick fleshed orange pumpkins weighing about 7 pounds, good for carving and cooking, seeds are hull-less and great for toasting
• Connecticut Field - orange pumpkins averaging 10-30 pounds, commonly grown commercially, good for carving, the "original" Halloween pumpkin, ready in 120 days

Click here to learn about planting pumpkins

Click here to learn about fertilizing and watering pumpkin plants

Click here for information about harvesting pumpkins

Click here for some pumpkin recipe ideas

Click here to learn how to grow GIANT pumpkins

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