How Much Does A Pumpkin Weigh?
Pumpkins play an essential role in Western culture and customs. In some cultures, pumpkins are used to prepare thanksgiving cakes to celebrate the holidays and festivals over the year. However, the challenging question that many gardeners cannot answer is how much do pumpkins weigh.
Typically, pumpkins vary significantly in weight, and many factors determine their weight and size. These factors range from the pumpkin variety, the quantity of water they receive to the soil nutrients.
The following article examines the varying pumpkin weights and the different factors that may affect its weight.
Variety
In many cases, the pumpkin’s weight and size depending on the pumpkin variety. The table below lists some common varieties and their average weight.
| Variety | Average Weight |
| Prudence F1 | 20 to 25 pounds |
| Atlantic Giant | 200 to 400 pounds |
| Big Max | 100 to 110 pounds |
| Kratos | 25 to 30 pounds |
| Prizewinner | 150 to 200 pounds |
| Early King | 22 to 28 pounds |
| Hulk | 30 to 35 pounds |
| Baby Bear | 1.5 to 2.5 pounds |
| Jack O’lantern | 18 to 24 pounds |
| White Lumina | 10 to 12 pounds |
| Orange Smoothie | 5 to 8 pounds |
| Sugar Pie | 2 to 6 pounds |
| Cinderella | 25 to 35 pounds |
| New England Pie | 5 to 8 pounds |
| Winter Luxury | 7 to 8 pounds |
| Rhea | 20 to 30 pounds |
| Autumn Gold | 10 to 15 pounds |
| Bushkin | 8 to 10 pounds |
| Connecticut Field | 15 to 25 pounds |
| Mammoth Gold | 40 to 60 pounds |
| Baby Boo | Less than one pound |
| Big Moon | 100 to 110 pounds |
| Ghost Rider | 15 to 30 pounds |
| Cronus | 25 to 60 pounds |
| Pankow’s Field | 20 to 30 pounds |
| Spirit | 10 to 15 pounds |
| Big Tom | 15 to 25 pounds |
| Jack-Be-Little | Less than one pound |
| Triple Treat | 6 to 8 pounds |
| Aspen | 15 to 25 pounds |
| Harvest Moon | 10 to 15 pounds |
| Moonglo | 1 to 5 pounds |
Although the weight varies greatly, most pumpkins found in a pumpkin garden usually weigh 20 to 30 pounds. While you can’t grow a record-size pumpkin with a typical carved variety, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to ensure your pumpkins reach the top sizes of their respective varieties.
Below are some of the factors that may determine the size and weight of a pumpkin.
Spacing
A solid and large vine is necessary when it comes to supporting a giant pumpkin. Therefore, you will need to give the pumpkins enough space to grow. Each plant requires a growing room of around 50 to 100 square feet.
When planting pumpkins, plant the seeds in the ground 10-15 feet between the rows and around 5-6 feet apart.
With such a room, the pumpkin vines grow quickly with plenty of room for better development. Also, this spacing ensures there is plenty of room for large-size pumpkins to develop during the season.
Vine pruning
Eventually, as the main vines develop, they will develop secondary vines that will grow from the main vines.
At some point, these secondary vines turn into tertiary vines, and without realizing it, pumpkin vines will be occupying your entire yard. At this point, you may need to start pruning the pumpkin vines.
Typically, pruning the vines helps avoid overburdening the pumpkin patch and helps direct plant energy into the growing pumpkins instead of developing leaves and unnecessary veins. Once the plant forms several pumpkins, you can prune all the unnecessary vines.
Only allow the main vine to develop for around 10 feet tall. However, if the space is an issue, you can prune all the tertiary vines.
After the pollination of several pumpkins, remove any remaining flowers and buds from the vines. The removal helps increase the energy needed to grow a giant pumpkin instead of producing unnecessary flowers. The more pumpkins that develop on your plant, the smaller they will become.
If your goal is to grow a giant pumpkin possible, cut off all other small pumpkins from your plant and leave only the most promising pumpkin. If you only want to weigh the average pumpkins, it is best to leave a maximum of 4 pumpkins per plant.
Burying the vines
Apart from pruning pumpkin vines, burying them increases the chances of producing large-size pumpkins. When you cover the vines with soil, they develop roots that hold the plant in place and allow more nutrients to be absorbed from the soil.
It helps the pumpkins to develop and grow into large sizes. If you want to bury your pumpkin vine correctly, find the area where there are signs of root development.
In most cases, this is the area where the leaf and secondary vine sprout from the main vine. Once you find the developing root, bury it in the soil. Proceed and water the place adequately. In a few days, the roots will start growing and sinking into the soil.
Pumpkin fertilizer
If you are planning to grow giant pumpkins, fertilizer is a key component in the whole process. Pumpkins love growing in soil rich in organic matter. Therefore, put compost and very rotten manure in the ground before planting.
When the pumpkin grows, apply nitrogen fertilizers, such as bloodmeal, to the plant weekly. Nitrogen stimulates the growth of vines and leaves, which is essential early in the season. When the flowers start to bloom, switch to a phosphorus-rich fertilizer such as a bone meal.
The phosphorous fertilizer helps in better flower formation and root development. Keep in mind that better flowers will result in large pumpkins. Once you see the pumpkins are set, switch to a high-potassium fertilizer.
Potassium promotes fruit growth and also helps to protect the fruits against plant drought and diseases. For instance, a potassium-based fertilizer like potassium sulphate will do the trick.
Pest control
Pests can be a big issue in pumpkin production. Aphids, cucumber beetles, corn worms, aphids, spider mites, pumpkin vine borers and squash bugs can affect pumpkin production at any growing stage.
Monitoring the population of these pests using scouts will help you determine when to start and stop spraying and how to adjust the application intervals.
In addition, several pumpkin diseases can cause the pumpkin not to expand to its maximum, especially viruses like mildew and mould, bacterial wilt and scab.
Typically, you can only achieve optimal pumpkin sizes and weight if you use a timely fungicide control method to prevent mildew leaf loss.
Enhancing the soil and air drainage, crop rotation, and the use of resistant pumpkin varieties that best suit your garden and environment can help reduce these disease problems.
Site selection
Pumpkins grow well in soil with good water penetration and holding capacity. If you grow pumpkins in sandy soils, it is critical to rinse for optimal plant growth and fruit development. Typically, pumpkins do well in soil with a pH range of 5.8-6.6 with minimal soil compaction.
Also, pumpkins do well in a temperature range of 65-95°F during the growing season. Temperatures below 50°F or above 95°F may slow down the growth and affect pumpkin size and weight.
Keep in mind that pumpkins need constant moisture throughout the growing season. Lack of water or stress, especially during flowering and fruiting periods, can cause flowers and fruits to fall, resulting in lower yields and low-quality fruits.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the average pumpkin that most people know is a jack-o-lantern pumpkin weighs 9 to 13 pounds. The pumpkins you grow for consumption may be small or medium-sized, weighing around 5-10 pounds.
Hopefully, the guide above will help you understand the weight of different types of pumpkins and the various factors that can affect their weight.