Growing Guides
Violina Rugosa Butternut Squash — Growing Guide
If you've been growing butternut squash and wondering why some years the harvest feels ordinary — same shape, same color, same everything — the Violina...
How Much Space Do Pumpkins Need? Spacing Guide by Variety
One of the most common questions new pumpkin growers ask is how much space their plants actually need. Get pumpkin plant spacing right and your...
Best Pumpkins to Grow in Kansas — Zone 6b Variety Guide
Gardening in Zone 6b means hot, humid summers, unpredictable springs, and one devastating pressure that wipes out most squash crops: the squash vine borer (Melittia...
Cucurbita Moschata: Heat, Humidity & Vine Borer Resistance Explained
Cucurbita moschata is the most heat-tolerant and humidity-resilient species in the pumpkin and squash family. Unlike C. pepo varieties — which include most zucchini, acorn...
10 Best Pumpkins & Squash to Grow in Kansas (Zone 6b Guide)
Kansas summers are no joke. Temperatures push into the 100s, humidity rolls in from the south, and squash vine borers descend on most pumpkin plants...
When to Plant Pumpkins in Kansas: Timing Guide by Zone
Knowing when to plant pumpkins in Kansas makes the difference between a thriving patch and a frustrating season. Kansas weather is full of surprises, from...
Heirloom vs Hybrid Pumpkins: Which Should You Grow?
If you are planning a pumpkin patch this spring, you have probably landed on one of the biggest decisions in seed shopping: heirloom vs hybrid...
Best Soil Mix for Pumpkins: What Your Squash Actually Needs
Pumpkins are hungry, deep-rooted plants that reward good soil preparation generously. The best soil for pumpkins is rich, loose, and well-draining — loamy enough to...
How to Start Pumpkin Seeds Indoors: Step-by-Step for Beginners
If you're figuring out how to start pumpkin seeds indoors, you're already ahead of most first-time growers. Getting an indoor head start means stronger seedlings,...
Companion Planting for Pumpkins and Squash: What to Grow Together in Kansas
If you're getting your Kansas garden ready for spring planting, one of the smartest things you can do is think about what goes next to...
Squash Vine Borer: How to Identify, Prevent & Manage the #1 Pumpkin Pest
What Is a Squash Vine Borer? The squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae) is the single most destructive pest Kansas gardeners face when growing pumpkins and...
Wan Fu F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Chinese Kabocha Hybrid in Kansas
Wan Fu F1 is a Chinese kabocha-type hybrid — a compact, dense, deeply sweet pumpkin bred for the kind of intense flavor and dry, starchy...
Zone 6b Spring Planting Guide 2026: What to Start Now in Kansas
There's a version of March that feels like waiting. The ground is still cold. The catalog has been read cover to cover. The seed packets...
Tromboncino Squash: The Vine Borer Resistant Summer Squash for Kansas Gardens
If squash vine borers have wrecked your zucchini and summer squash every single summer, there's a simple fix: stop growing Cucurbita pepo summer squash and...
Best Heirloom Pumpkin Varieties for Midwest Gardens: A Kansas Grower's Guide
The Midwest can be brutal on pumpkins. Vine borers, summer heat, humidity, clay soils, and late-season drought all conspire against the gardener who plants whatever's...
Seminole Pumpkin Seeds: The Complete Growing Guide for Zone 6b Kansas Gardens
Few pumpkins have a story as remarkable as the Seminole pumpkin. Cultivated for centuries by the Seminole people across the southeastern United States, this variety...
Vine Borer Resistant Pumpkins: The Kansas Grower's Guide
Why Vine Borers Are the #1 Threat to Kansas Pumpkin Growers If you've grown pumpkins in Kansas — or anywhere in the Midwest — you...
Spell Cast F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Moschata Hybrid in Kansas
Spell Cast F1 is a Cucurbita moschata hybrid that checks every box on a pumpkin grower's wishlist: vine borer resistant, attractive fall appearance, manageable size,...
Best Storage Pumpkins: Heirloom Varieties That Last All Winter
Most gardeners think of pumpkins as a fall harvest crop — something to enjoy in October and November. But certain heirloom varieties, grown and cured...
Seminole Pumpkin Seeds: The Ancient Heirloom That Actually Survives Kansas Summers
If you've ever lost a pumpkin to squash vine borers, missed a crop to heat stress, or found yourself with nothing left standing by August...
Cucurbita moschata vs. Cucurbita pepo: Why Your Pumpkin Species Matters
Walk into any garden center and you'll find dozens of pumpkin varieties. But almost every one falls into two species — and understanding the difference...
New England Cheddar F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Orange Pie Pumpkin in Kansas
New England Cheddar F1 is the pumpkin that bridges two worlds: it looks like a classic orange jack-o'-lantern pumpkin but performs like a Cucurbita moschata....
Best Pumpkins for Hot Climates: Heat Tolerant Varieties That Thrive in Kansas
Kansas summers don't forgive weak plants. By August, when the heat index pushes past 105°F and the ground bakes between rain events, most squash and...
Vine Borer Resistant Pumpkin Seeds: The Complete Kansas Grower's Guide
You planted your pumpkins in May. By July, they were lush, sprawling, full of promise. Then one morning you walked out to find them collapsed...
Autumn Crown F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Frosted Moschata Hybrid in Kansas
Autumn Crown F1 is a Cucurbita moschata hybrid bred for one thing that most moschata varieties don't prioritize: stunning visual appeal. The skin has a...
Xiye Butternut: Growing the Heat Tolerant Storage Variety in Kansas
Xiye Butternut is a variety selected for two things most butternut growers want and rarely get together: extreme heat tolerance and exceptional storage life. Where...
Mrs. Amerson's Pumpkin: Growing the Southern Heirloom Pie Pumpkin in Kansas
Mrs. Amerson's Pumpkin is one of those varieties that survived because somebody's grandmother refused to let it disappear. It's a Southern heirloom Cucurbita moschata that's...
Magdalena Big Cheese: Growing the Southwestern Desert Heirloom in Kansas
Magdalena Big Cheese is a Southwestern heirloom from the Magdalena area of New Mexico, where it's been grown by Native American and Hispanic communities for...
Lungo de Napoli: Growing the Italian Heirloom Winter Squash in Kansas
Lungo de Napoli — "Long of Naples" — is the squash that's been a cornerstone of Neapolitan cooking for centuries. It's a massive, elongated Cucurbita...
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck: Growing the Appalachian Heirloom in Kansas
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck is one of the great old butternut-type varieties from the mid-Atlantic region — a big, curving crookneck squash with a neck so...
South Anna Butternut: Growing the Virginia Heirloom in Kansas
South Anna Butternut takes its name from the South Anna River in central Virginia, where this heirloom variety has been maintained by family seed savers...
Baker's Branch Butternut: Growing the Appalachian Heirloom in Kansas
Baker's Branch Butternut is a Southern Appalachian heirloom that's been passed down through families in the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia for generations. It's...
Chinese Tropical Pumpkin: Growing the Moschata Heirloom in Kansas
Chinese Tropical Pumpkin is the workhorse squash of Southeast Asian cooking. Walk through any Chinese, Vietnamese, or Thai market and you'll see wedges of this...
Tahitian Melon Squash: Growing the Giant Pacific Heirloom in Kansas
Tahitian Melon Squash is the gentle giant of the Cucurbita moschata world. Fruits regularly reach 20–40 lbs, with some growers reporting 50+ lbs under ideal...
Guatemalan Green Ayote: Growing the Tropical Moschata Heirloom in Kansas
"Ayote" is the word for squash across Central America — from the Nahuatl ayotli — and this Guatemalan variety is one of the most interesting...
Jamaican Tropical Pumpkin: Growing the Caribbean Heirloom in Kansas
In Jamaica, pumpkin isn't a fall decoration — it's a year-round staple. Jamaican Tropical Pumpkin is the variety that shows up in pepper pot soup,...
Cuban Neck Pumpkin: Growing the Caribbean Heirloom Crookneck in Kansas
Cuban Neck is one of those Caribbean heirloom varieties that looks almost comically oversized — a massive crookneck squash with a long, curved neck and...
Autumn Frost F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Cold-Hardy Moschata Hybrid in Kansas
Autumn Frost is a relatively new Cucurbita moschata hybrid that solves a real problem: most moschata varieties need a long, warm season to mature, which...
Thai Kang Kob Pumpkin: Growing the Disease Resistant Asian Heirloom in Kansas
Thai Kang Kob is the variety that Southeast Asian cooks reach for when they need a squash with real backbone — dense flesh that holds...
Honeynut Squash: Growing the Mini Butternut Heirloom in Kansas
Honeynut is what happens when you take a butternut squash and concentrate everything good about it into a personal-sized package. Developed by Cornell University vegetable...
Shishigatani Squash: Growing the Rare Kyoto Heirloom in Kansas
Shishigatani is one of the rarest squash you can grow in the United States. It's a traditional heirloom from the Shishigatani district of Kyoto, Japan,...
Cushaw Green-Striped Pumpkin: Growing the Southern Heirloom in Kansas
The Cushaw Green-Striped is one of those old Southern varieties that your grandmother probably grew if she grew anything. It's been a fixture of gardens...
Black Futsu Squash: Growing the Rare Japanese Heirloom in Kansas
Black Futsu is one of those varieties that stops people in their tracks. The skin is dark — nearly black when immature — covered with...
Musquée de Provence: Growing the French Heirloom Pumpkin in Kansas
Musquée de Provence is the pumpkin you've seen in every French market photo — deeply ribbed, flat and round, turning from dark green to a...
Waltham Butternut Squash: The Award-Winning Heirloom Growing Guide for Kansas
If you only grow one winter squash, grow Waltham Butternut. It won the All-America Selections award in 1970, and over fifty years later it's still...
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin: Growing the Best Heirloom Pie Pumpkin in Kansas
Long Island Cheese is one of the oldest named pumpkin varieties still in cultivation — documented since at least the early 1800s on Long Island,...
Dickinson Pumpkin: The Original Pie Pumpkin Growing Guide for Kansas
If you've ever eaten canned pumpkin pie filling, you've almost certainly eaten a Dickinson pumpkin. This is the variety that built Libby's — the tan,...
Squash Vine Borer Resistant Pumpkins: Growing Without the Battle
Learn which pumpkin varieties are naturally resistant to squash vine borers. Our guide covers Cucurbita moschata varieties that thrive where SVB pressure is highest.
Kansas Pumpkin Planting Calendar: Your Zone 6 Growing Timeline
Month-by-month pumpkin planting calendar for Kansas Zone 6b gardens. Frost dates, indoor start times, and direct sow windows for heirloom pumpkin varieties.
Best Pumpkins to Grow in Kansas: A Complete Variety Guide
A complete guide to the best pumpkin varieties for Kansas growers. Heirloom and hybrid picks for pies, carving, decoration, and long-term storage in Zone 6b.