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Winter squash and pumpkin: when to sow, plant out and harvest

Sowing, planting and harvest dates for your climate, good and bad companions, growing tips.

When to sow in your region

Average dates, computed from the frost dates of each climate. For your exact dates, choose your town.

ClimateSow under coverSow outdoorsPlant outHarvest
Northern France25 March – 14 April29 April – 12 May22 April – 12 May1 September – 10 November
Atlantic coast15 March – 4 April19 April – 2 May12 April – 2 May5 September – 14 November
Eastern France17 March – 6 April21 April – 4 May14 April – 4 May30 August – 8 November
Mediterranean11 February – 3 March18 March – 31 March11 March – 31 March21 September – 30 November
Mountains (around 1,000 m)19 April – 9 May24 May – 6 June17 May – 6 June31 July – 9 October

Growing

Family
Cucurbitaceae
Latin name
Cucurbita maxima / C. moschata / C. pepo
Cold tolerance
Tender (killed by frost)
Soil temperature to germinate
16 °C minimum
Emergence
6–10 days
Between rows
120–200 cm
In the row
100–150 cm
To harvest
100 days

Companion planting

The level of evidence is shown for each pairing: many rest on tradition rather than on studies.

Good neighbours

Keep apart

Sources