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Syngenta
Cucurbitaceae
CUCURBITA pepo 'Early Autumn'
Pumpkin
Growing from seed to harvest in 100 days, 'Early Autumn' ripens its medium-sized, bright-orange pumpkins relatively early in the season. The round, shallow-ribbed, 10- to 14-pound (4- to 6-kg) fruits make good jack-o'-lanterns. This variety was introduced in 1996 by Rogers Seed Co. of Nampa, Idaho.
Like all true pumpkins, ‘Early Autumn' belongs to the New World species Cucurbita pepo. These warm season, annual vines are monoecious, meaning single plants bear separate male and female flowers. The large, yellow, funnel shaped male blossoms are generally produced first, followed by the fruit-producing female flowers, which are distinguished by bulbous ovaries at the bases. Following pollination by bees, these develop into fruits, which are often obscured by the plant’s large, coarse, heart-shaped or deeply lobed foliage.
Plant pumpkin seeds in full sun and deep, rich, well-drained loam when the soil has warmed and all danger of frost has passed. Regular water is essential, but the plants will not tolerate soggy conditions or wet feet. Where drainage is not optimal, it is advisable to plant them in raised mounds of fertile, porous soil. Watch closely for squash bugs, cucumber beetles and vine borers at the base of the stems. Yearly crop rotation and removal of dead plant debris at the end of the growing season can help to minimize insect and disease problems. Harvest fruit before frost when the rinds are hard and fully colored, and the vines have begun to turn brown. This variety is relatively susceptible to powdery and downy mildew.
12 - 1
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun
18"-24" / 45.7cm - 61.0cm
8'-12' / 2.4m - 3.7m
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
North America, Mexico, Central America
Neutral
Well Drained
Loam
Very Fast
Average Water
Vining/Climbing
Summer, Fall
Showy
Yellow, Gold
Orange
Green, Dark Green
Yes
No
Single
Coarse
Matte
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
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