Be sure to check out our Pumpkin Growing Guide to learn how to successfully grow pumpkins at home.

Jester Pumpkin is a hybrid pumpkin variety with striking salmon-colored bumpy skin that adds a colorful pop to your garden or market stand. The Jester is both ornamental and edible and produces fruits that weigh between 7-10 lbs. with 2-3 plants per vine. These medium-sized stacking pumpkins have deep flat ribs and have a surprisingly bright yellow flesh inside that makes for great eating. The vigorous plants set early on the vine and have good yields. Cucurbita maxima. 110 days to maturity.

Pumpkins may be direct-seeded or transplanted, although we highly recommend direct seeding. To ensure a good stand, we recommend planting Seeds every 12″ along the intended row. Once plants emerge, thin plants to one every 2 feet. Pumpkins can be susceptible to plant diseases like downy mildew and powdery mildew if leaves receive excess moisture. As a result, we recommend using drip irrigation on winter squash to reduce plant moisture and feed plants more effectively. During periods of heavy rainfall, using a fungicide like Liquid Copper can help to alleviate disease pressure as well.

Pumpkins are a crop that will produce a one-time harvest at the end of the growing season. They should be harvested when plants die back and the fruits obtain their full color. Stem hardness is also an indication of fruit maturity. Once stems harden, fruits are ready for harvest using a set of pruning shears. Pumpkins can be stored in a cool, dry place for several months, depending on variety and sugar content. Once fruits are harvested, remove the plants from the garden to prevent any fungal spores from overwintering and becoming a problem in future years. Proper crop rotation is extremely important with all pumpkin varieties to reduce disease and pest pressure.

Jester Pumpkin Planting Information

Planting Method: direct seed

When to Plant: after last frost

Planting Depth: 1/2″

Seed Spacing: 18-24″

Row Spacing: 5-6′

Days to Maturity: 110

Disease Resistance: None

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