Water

• Once planted, pumpkins need about 1 inch of water per week. They have a shallow root system, so they can tolerate short dry periods, the University of Illinois Extension reports. However, during extended periods without rainfall you will need to supplement the irrigation. Water in the morning or afternoon so the plant vines and leaves can dry before nightfall.
  
  

Mulch

• Mulching around your pumpkin plants can help prevent weeds and also keep the soil moist and warm. Plastic mulches, in particular, can help pumpkins because they warm the soil, the Ohio State University Extension reports. If you opt for an organic mulch over plastic, wait until summer to spread it around the bed.
  
  

Fertilizing

• Pumpkins also will benefit from being fertilized during the middle of the growing season. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends a high-nitrogen fertilizer with a ratio such as 46-0-0 or 27-3-3 at a rate of 1/2 cup per 25 feet of garden row. Side dress the pumpkin plants to ensure the fertilizer does not make contact with the stems. Avoid using popular weed-and-feed fertilizers in a pumpkin patch or vegetable garden because the weed killers can also kill some vegetable plants.
  
  

Harvesting and Storage

• Harvest your pumpkins before the first hard freeze of the season, but wait until they have a deep orange color and the rind is hard to the touch. To harvest them, cut the pumpkin from the vines leaving a few inches of the stem intact. Leave the pumpkins outdoors in a warm, sunny spot for a few weeks to extend their storage life. Alternatively, put pumpkins in a spot indoors that is kept at about 80 degrees F when the weather outside is cool and wet.