Howden

SKU: PU661
Howden is popular among home gardeners and growers alike for its uniquely elongated barrel shape that is ideal for Halloween carving. Read More

Exposure Full-sun

Matures in 100 days

Season Warm season

Seed type OP ?

Howden has a rating of 5 stars based on 4 reviews.
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West Coast Seeds Classic
Shipping & Returns

West Coast Seeds ships anywhere in North America. However, we are not able to ship garlic, potatoes, asparagus crowns, bulbs, onion sets, Mason bee cocoons, or nematodes outside of Canada. We regret, we cannot accept returns or damages for orders outside of Canada. The minimum shipping charge to the US is $9.99.

Howden

Product Details

C. pepo. Start Howden pumpkin seeds indoors in May, to give the plants a head start. Transplant into rich soil in full sun once the soil is warm in June. Howden is popular among growers for its uniquely elongated barrel shape that is ideal for Halloween carving. Fruits are quite uniform and measure up at around 35cm (14") tall by 20cm (8") in diameter. Howden's fruits have a large seed cavity with yellow-orange flesh under skins that are bright orange and only slightly ribbed. Excellent potential for Jack-o-Lanterns!

Matures in 100 days (Open-pollinated seeds)

Quick Facts:

    • Grown by many for Halloween
    • Rich, orange, uniform fruits
    • Fruits swell to around 10kg (20-25 lbs)
    • Open-pollinated seeds
    • Matures in 115 days

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All About Howden

Latin

Latin
Cucurbita maxima & C. pepo.
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Difficulty

Difficulty
Easy, but these big plants require lots of room.

Season & Zone

Season & Zone
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full sun

Timing

Timing
Direct sow or transplant in late spring when soil warms up. For transplants, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks after the last frost date. Try to get the plants into the ground no later than the summer solstice. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C (68-95°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

Starting

Starting
Sow seeds 2cm (1″) deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest plant. Space plants at a minimum of 90-120cm (36-48″) apart in rows 120-180cm (48-72″) apart. If starting transplants indoors, consider using the 12-cell plug inserts.

Growing

Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food. Choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil. Dig in a generous quantity of finished compost and/or composted manure. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer under each plant. All pumpkins grow male flowers first, then the female flowers are produced. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of the petals and require pollination by bees, mostly. Incomplete pollination is common at the beginning of the season, and results in small fruits that are misshapen at the flower end. Discard these damaged fruits before they rot.

For the largest pumpkins, feed weekly throughout the growing season with fish or kelp based fertilizer. Keep the huge plants well watered, particularly in hot weather. Always water the soil, and avoid any form of overhead watering other than rain. Fruit will grow larger if you keep only one fruit per vine. As the fruit develops, try to gently encourage it to grow at a 90° angle to the vine itself. The largest pumpkin varieties will grow on their sides.

Harvest

Harvest
Like other winter squash, pumpkins are mature when they have coloured up well and their stems are crisp. For the best sugar content, cut the stem about 4cm (2″) or so from the body of the fruit. If the weather is dry, allow the pumpkins to cure in the field for 10 days, or in a warm room for 4-5 days. Bring pumpkins in under cover before rain.

Seed Info

Seed Info
In optimal conditions at least 80% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 2 years. Per 100′ row: 60 seeds, per acre: 6.5M seeds.

Diseases & Pests

Diseases & Pests
Powdery Mildew: An airborne fungal disease that causes white spots on the leaves at the end of the season. Several home-sprays are said to be somewhat effective. Spray any of the following at 7-10 day intervals. 1tsp baking soda and 1 quart of water with a squirt of dish soap, or 1 part milk to 9 parts of water. You can add a little kelp based fertilizer to the mix. Resistant varieties get the mildew just a few days later than the other varieties.

How to Grow Pumpkins

Step 1

Timing

Direct sow or transplant in late spring when soil warms up. For transplants, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks after the last frost date. Try to get the plants into the ground no later than the summer solstice. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C (68-95°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

Step 2

Starting

Sow seeds 2cm (1″) deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest plant. Space plants at a minimum of 90-120cm (36-48″) apart in rows 120-180cm (48-72″) apart. If starting transplants indoors, consider using the 12-cell plug inserts.

Step 3

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.

These big plants need lots of food. Choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil. Dig in a generous quantity of finished compost and/or composted manure. Dig in 1 cup of a general well-balanced organic fertilizer under each plant. All pumpkins grow male flowers first, then the female flowers are produced. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of the petals and require pollination by bees, mostly. Incomplete pollination is common at the beginning of the season, and results in small fruits that are misshapen at the flower end. Discard these damaged fruits before they rot.

For the largest pumpkins, feed weekly throughout the growing season with fish or kelp based fertilizer. Keep the huge plants well watered, particularly in hot weather. Always water the soil, and avoid any form of overhead watering other than rain. Fruit will grow larger if you keep only one fruit per vine. As the fruit develops, try to gently encourage it to grow at a 90° angle to the vine itself. The largest pumpkin varieties will grow on their sides.

Step 4

Germination

In optimal conditions at least 80% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 2 years. Per 100′ row: 60 seeds, per acre: 6.5M seeds.

Step 5

Harvest

Like other winter squash, pumpkins are mature when they have coloured up well and their stems are crisp. For the best sugar content, cut the stem about 4cm (2″) or so from the body of the fruit. If the weather is dry, allow the pumpkins to cure in the field for 10 days, or in a warm room for 4-5 days. Bring pumpkins in under cover before rain.

Tips

Disease & Pests

Powdery Mildew: An airborne fungal disease that causes white spots on the leaves at the end of the season. Several home-sprays are said to be somewhat effective. Spray any of the following at 7-10 day intervals. 1tsp baking soda and 1 quart of water with a squirt of dish soap, or 1 part milk to 9 parts of water. You can add a little kelp based fertilizer to the mix. Resistant varieties get the mildew just a few days later than the other varieties.

Customer Reviews & Questions