Question
Hi Tom.  I live in southeastern Michigan and am hoping to plant a small pumpkin patch this year for my children and relatives.  I started growing them indoors, planting them at the very end of march.  The seed packet says that they take 100-115 days to harvest, but as a new gardener, I am not exactly sure what that means.  Is that days from when I planted the seed, when I transplant it outdoors, or from the date of pollination?  My husband thinks that I started them too early, what do you think?  Is it possible that these plants will make it to October so that the kids can pick their own pumpkins and carve them for Halloween, or should I start all over again in a month or so?  Please Help!!!   Thank you! -Melanie

Answer
Hi Melanie,
Thanx for your question.  For many plants such as pumpkin the days on the packet indicate the time from germination (that is when the the seedling emerges to the soil) to harvest.  It usually takes less than 10 days for pumpkin seeds to germinate at soil temperatures of 75 degrees.  Make sure to keep the seedlings warm.  They should be kept in separate pots with as little root disturbance as possible.  I would have planted them in paper pots or some other pot that will break down in the ground.  They very much resent root disturbance and often die if the roots are disturbed too much.  Same thing for melons, cukes and squash.  I would have started mine the first week of April because it warms up fast here.  I would not start them farther back than 2 weeks before the last expected frost.  They will get leggy and unruly if they don't get enough direct sunlight and warmth.  If they seem to be doing fine, there should be no problem.  Still, if your last frost is late April or the beginning of May you will have all summer and most of September.  By September you should have some substantial fruit and even if you get a frost, it may damage the plant but it won't harm the fruit.  I hope this helps.
tom