Howden Biggie Pumpkin

Start seeds indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds 1 inch deep in warm soil (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit) and transplant outdoors only after soil has warmed and all frost danger has passed.

Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil temperature has reached at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Space transplants 36 inches apart to allow room for the vining growth habit. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days before moving them to the garden.

Direct sow seeds outdoors 1 inch deep after the last frost date, when soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant in hills or mounds spaced 36 inches apart.

Harvest Howden Biggie pumpkins around 115 days from planting when the rind has hardened completely and the characteristic deep orange color fully develops. The pumpkin is ready when you cannot easily pierce the skin with your fingernail, and the stem has begun to brown and dry. Cut the pumpkin from the vine using a sharp knife, leaving 3 to 4 inches of stem attached to serve as the handle. Harvest before the first hard freeze in fall to prevent frost damage to the fruit.

As a vining annual grown for large fruit production, Howden Biggie benefits from minimal intervention. Allow the main vines to sprawl and establish, though you may selectively prune lateral shoots if space is severely limited. Once fruit sets and begins developing, avoid moving or disturbing the vine structure unnecessarily, as this can disrupt nutrient flow to maturing pumpkins.