Growing Guides
Pumpkin and squash growing guides from Kansas. Vine borer prevention, pest control, companion planting, soil prep, and heirloom varieties. Zone 6b tested.
What Is Cucurbita Moschata and Why Does It Matter?
If you have ever grown a butternut squash, a Seminole pumpkin, or a Jamaican tropical pumpkin, you have already grown a Cucurbita...
Read guide →Butternut Squash Growing Guide: From Seed to Harvest in Kansas
If you want to know how to grow butternut squash in Kansas, here is the honest answer: start with the right variety,...
Read guide →Mulching Your Pumpkin Patch: Materials, Timing, and How Much
Mulching your pumpkin patch is one of those tasks that pays dividends all season long. Applied at the right time, a few...
Read guide →Best Pumpkin Varieties for Small Gardens
If you've ever looked at a standard pumpkin catalog and thought, "my backyard is not a farm," you're not alone. Most pumpkin...
Read guide →How to Harden Off Pumpkin Seedlings Before Transplanting
If you started your pumpkin seeds indoors four or five weeks ago, your seedlings are now at the most fragile point in...
Read guide →Raised Bed Pumpkin Growing: Layout and Soil Guide
If you are growing pumpkins in raised beds, you are already solving three of the biggest problems Kansas gardeners face: heavy clay,...
Read guide →Container Gardening with Pumpkins: Yes, You Can Do It
Growing pumpkins in containers is more realistic than most gardeners think. If you have a sunny patio, a balcony, or even a...
Read guide →Complete Guide to Vine Borer Resistant Pumpkin Varieties
If a pumpkin or squash vine wilts despite adequate moisture, inspect the stem before assuming it needs more water. Squash vine borer...
Read guide →10 Mistakes First-Time Pumpkin Growers Make
Every pumpkin grower remembers their first season. The excitement of tucking seeds into warm soil, the first true leaves unfurling, the hope...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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:...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →Wan Fu F1 Pumpkin: Growing the Chinese Kabocha Hybrid in Kansas
Wan Fu F1 is a Chinese kabocha-type hybrid, a dense, deeply sweet pumpkin bred for the kind of intense flavor and dry,...
Read guide →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....
Read guide →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...
Read guide →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...
Read guide →How to Grow Seminole Pumpkins: Planting, Care and Harvest
Plan a Seminole pumpkin patch with practical guidance on planting time, vine space, pollination, harvest and seed saving, with Kansas and Florida...
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