Pumpkins for Fall

Pumpkins are native to North America. It was Irish and English immigrants who brought the tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns for Halloween, but they had used turnips and beets in their native countries. They soon discovered that the pumpkins were even better suited for carving and placing a light within; it quickly became an American tradition.

UF/IFAS Sites

• Q&A: What kind of pumpkins can I grow in Florida?

UF/IFAS Publications

• It's the Great Pumpkin! Or is That a Gourd? (PDF)
• Pumpkin - Cucurbita spp.
• Pumpkins and Halloween Safety (PDF)
• Pumpkins: Not Just Another Pretty Face (PDF)

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Natural Fall Decorations
• Ornamental Gourds
• Other Uses for Seeds

Other Sites

• Picking the Perfect Pumpkin--University of Illinois Extension
• Pumpkin Availability and Choosing a Good Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin--Maryland Cooperative Extension
• Pumpkins and More--University of Illinois Extension
• Selecting Pumpkins and Gourds--Kansas State Research and Extension
• Today's Pumpkins Not Just Basketballs--University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
• UF Researchers Develop Pumpkin Farming Method--Gainesville Sun