Organic Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Seeds

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, an heirloom and prized Art of Taste pumpkin, has had a long history of being a favorite—and for good reason. Large ribbed pumpkins are beautiful and long keepers. The sweet and finely grained meat can be used in an array of recipes. Vigorous vines with selection for disease resistance.

Pumpkin Template

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Pumpkin is a warm season crop that does best when planted in warm soil in a full sun location. Pumpkin plants will decline in productivity as the days get colder and shorter.
• In Zones 9 and 10, seeds can be started as early as April if they are protected from the cold. This may mean starting them in the protection of a greenhouse or indoors if your area still gets cold temperatures. By late April it is possible to plant directly into soils that are at least 60°F.

Zones 2-8

• Sow seeds in starter pots with a heating pad 3-4 weeks before planting out. Harden off plants 6-7 days prior to planting them out into a frost free garden.

Planting Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Seeds

• Pumpkin seeds can be direct sown into warm soil or planted in starter pots and planted out into the spring garden.
• Plant pumpkin seeds 1″ deep into well-worked soil, watering deeply at the time of planting or prior.
• If you are starting seeds in starter pots or trays, plant the seeds 1″ deep into pre-moistened high-quality seed starting mix.
• Once the seedlings have germinated and have a first set of true leaves be sure to fertilize regularly with an organic liquid fertilizer.

Growing Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

• You can plant your seedlings in the garden once they are 3-4 weeks old. Do not let your pumpkin plants get root bound, as this will greatly stunt their growth.
• Pumpkins need adequate spacing to be happy. Refer to specific spacing for the crop being planted.
• A granular organic fertilizer added to the planting area is a good idea if your garden has poor nutrient content or if you are growing in a new raised bed.
• Good moisture in the soil is needed. In Zones 9 and 10, this may mean watering by hand often or regular irrigation.
• DO NOT water overhead as this promotes foliar diseases. Be on the lookout for powdery mildew which is common in Zone 9 and 10 gardens. Read more about powdery mildew here.

Growing Pumpkin in Containers

• If planting in containers, make sure your container is at least 20″ deep. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Mulch heavily on the top layer of soil in the pot to keep the soil from drying out or heating up too much. One plant per container is usually all that can fit. Keep in mind, the most prolific pumpkin crop will need multiple plants for good pollination.

Harvesting Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

• Pumpkins are best harvested at peak ripeness. This is typically when they have turned their appropriate color and when their skin can not be easily pierced with your nail.

Southern California Pro-tips

• Mulch heavily around your plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or heat up too much.
• During our hottest months of August, September, and October, plants can suffer from the heat. Using shade cloth can help protect the plants from extreme heat.
• Do not overhead water.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Pumpkin plants need good pollination to ensure that you have ample fruit set. To accomplish this, we highly encourage you to plant more than one plant and to plant flowers that will bring pollinators. Cosmos, zinnias, and sunflowers are excellent warm season flowers to accompany your pumpkin plants. Love large pumpkins? Grow your Long Island Cheese Pumpkins alongside our Cinderella Pumpkins.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to pumpkins at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.