A pumpkin is a squash fruit that grows as a gourd from a trailing vine of certain species in the genus Cucurbita. Although native to the Western hemisphere, pumpkins are cultivated in North America, continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India and some other countries. Cucurbita species referred to as pumpkins include Curcurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita mixta, and Cucurbita moschata.

The pumpkin varies greatly in form, being sometimes nearly globular, but more generally oblong or ovoid in shape. The rind is smooth and varies in color between cultivars. Although orange is the most common color, some fruits are dark green, pale green, orange-yellow, white, red and gray. Large specimens acquire a weight of 40 to 80 lb (18 to 36 kg), but smaller fruits are more frequently encountered.

Although the pumpkin is botanically classified as a fruit (the ripened ovary of a flowering plant), it is widely regarded culinary as a vegetable. Their insides are commonly eaten cooked and served in dishes such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin soup; the seeds can be roasted as a snack. Pumpkins are traditionally used to carve Jack-o’-lanterns for use in Halloween celebrations.

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Pumpkins can take three to four months to grow to maturity, so check a planting chart for your local area to find the appropriate time to put in the seeds in your growing zone.

Of course there is much preparation that needs to go into your garden area before planting, so on a nice day, go check out the area. Take Ph soil samples and think about the layout of your rows.

Pumpkin vines need lots of room! A single pumpkin plant will spread 4′ - 6′. Consider shade and watering sources. Start a compost pile. And dream about your beautiful pumpkins to come!

Pumpkin cultivation is a form of gardening that is based on growing pumpkins or other similar squash varieties. And while pumpkins are now grown mostly for autumn and winter decorations rather than for its food value, pumpkin farming is still a major business in North America and around the World. It is believed that people have been cultivating pumpkins since 7000 B.C.

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Pumpkins have historically been pollinated by the native squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, but this bee has declined, probably due to pesticide sensitivity, and today most commercial plantings are pollinated by honeybees. One hive per acre (4,000 m² per hive) is recommended by the United States of America (US) Department of Agriculture. Gardeners with a shortage of bees, however, often have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated pumpkins usually start growing but abort before full development. An opportunistic fungus is also sometimes blamed for abortions.

Pumpkins have male and female flowers, the latter distinguished by the small ovary at the base of the petals. The bright, colorful flowers are short-lived and may open for as little as one day.

Although in the rest of the world pumpkins are grown for eating, in the US they are grown more for decoration than for food (particularly around Halloween). Popular contests continually lead growers to vie for the world record for the largest pumpkin ever grown. Growers have many techniques, often secretive, including hand pollination, removal from the vines of all but one pumpkin, and injection of fertilizer.Source: Wikipedia Article