When to Plant Pumpkin in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
Sow August to January. Right now in October you can sow.
Grow Pumpkin in your space
- Planting window
- Plant from spring to early summer. Late-summer plantings run out of warm weather before the fruit matures.
- Days to harvest
- about 14 weeks
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours daily)
- Water needs
- Deep watering 2-3 times per week at base of plant. Avoid wetting leaves. Reduce watering...
- Spacing
- 150cm apart, 200cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Shop price
- $3.50/kg average
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Pumpkin guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pumpkins are warm-season cucurbits central to Australian food culture. Three species are commonly grown: C. maxima (Queensland Blue, Jarrahdale), C. moschata (Butternut), and C. pepo (Golden Nugget). They require long warm seasons, ample space, and insect pollination. Excellent storage crops lasting months after harvest.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Subtropical
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/D | - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S/T/D | S/T/D | S/T/D | S/T/D |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 21.2°C (optimal range: 18–35°C) ✓ Ready to plant
That figure is read off our own weather station in South East Queensland at 7:55 this morning, not a model.
What this month normally looks like
In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 33 postcodes, SILO.
How to Grow Pumpkin in Subtropical Australia
When to Plant
Plant from spring to early summer. Late-summer plantings run out of warm weather before the fruit matures.
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, well-drained soil enriched heavily with compost and aged manure. Traditionally grown on old compost heaps.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours daily)
- Spacing
- 150cm apart, 200cm between rows
- Watering
- Deep watering 2-3 times per week at base of plant. Avoid wetting leaves. Reduce watering as fruit matures to concentrate flavour and improve storage life.
Companion plants: Corn, Beans (Three Sisters), Marigold, Nasturtium, Sunflower
Avoid planting near: Potato, Other cucurbits of same species (if seed saving)
Grow before, grow after
Pumpkin belongs with the cucurbits, the fruiting crops turn of a four turn bed rotation.
- Grow before it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
- Grow after it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Give the bed 3 turns before cucurbits go back in. Pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini want a bed with fresh compost dug through.
Subtropical Growing Tips for Pumpkin
Recommended Varieties
- Queensland Blue
- Butternut
- Jap/Kent
- Golden Nugget (bush)
- Jarrahdale
Key Challenges
- Powdery mildew from late summer
- Pumpkin beetle
- Fruit fly
Pro Tips
- Queensland Blue is the classic subtropical pumpkin, excellent storage
- Golden Nugget for small gardens. Compact bush habit, 90 days
- Cure harvested pumpkins in sun for 7-10 days for long storage
Harvesting Pumpkin
When ready: Skin hard (cannot dent with thumbnail), stem dry and corky, fruit sounds hollow when tapped.
How to harvest: Cut stem with sharp knife leaving 5-10cm stem attached. Do not carry by stem. Cure in sun for 7-10 days.
Preserving: pressure canning
3 tested pressure-canning recipes for Pumpkin: 3 where it is the crop being canned. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.
Common Pumpkin Pests in Subtropical Zones
Fungal Infection, risk: LOW (score: 39/100)In the pest library for pumpkin:
Queensland Fruit Fly, critical severity Green Vegetable Bug, high severity Whitefly (Silverleaf and Greenhouse), high severity Thrips (Onion, Tomato, Western Flower), high severity Two-spotted Spider Mite, high severity Root-knot Nematode, high severity Powdery Mildew, high severity Downy Mildew, high severity Mosaic Viruses (CMV, ToMV, ZYMV), high severity Aphids (Green Peach, Cabbage, Cotton), moderate severity Mealybug, moderate severity Pumpkin Beetle, moderate severity Rats and Mice, moderate severity Kangaroos and Wallabies, moderate severityWhere to next
Supermarket Price
Current average retail: $3.50/kg (12-month range: $1.49–$3.70)
Grow your own and save on grocery bills.
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Pumpkin
When do you plant pumpkin in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Aug to Dec
Does pumpkin grow all year round in Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Jan, Aug to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.