GreenlyWhen to plant pumpkins in Cuenca: from 16 December
In Cuenca, pumpkin: sow for seedlings from 14 October; plant into a greenhouse from 25 November; plant out into open ground from 16 December. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
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Pumpkin in Cuenca: soil, season and weather
In the median year the top 7 cm of soil in Cuenca does not reach 18 °C, the minimum on the pumpkin card, before August; the date follows the last frost (9 December), and the bed stays cooler than the card asks. Cuenca has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.
| Last spring frost | 9 December |
|---|---|
| Days in the bed to the first harvest (card) | 75 |
| First harvest, if planted in this window | from 29 February |
| Daylight | 12:13 on 4 November, 12:17 on 16 December |
| Watering outdoors when fruiting (card) | every 5 days; the driest month, May, has 28 rainy days |
The same dates in Cuenca hold for Tomato, Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini and Watermelon.
Pumpkin in Cuenca: care after planting
Planted on 16 December: in the first weeks water every 4 days.
Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:
- 6 January — feed: nitrogen
Pests and diseases of pumpkin to watch for:
- Bacterial wilt of cucurbits
- Squash bug
- Cucumber beetles
- Blossom-end rot
- Leaf Curl Virus
- Verticillium wilt
Dates count from the first planting day of the window above; a later planting moves them by as many days.
Weather in Cuenca during the pumpkin season
About 1046 mm of rain falls in the season; May is the driest month (158 mm) and February the wettest (188 mm).
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm | Rainy days | Daylight on the 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 18 | 8.2 | 174 | 26 | 12:17 |
| January | 17.6 | 8.3 | 160 | 26 | 12:16 |
| February | 17.8 | 8.8 | 188 | 25 | 12:12 |
| March | 17.6 | 8.6 | 186 | 27 | 12:08 |
| April | 17.3 | 8.5 | 180 | 28 | 12:03 |
| May | 17 | 8.3 | 158 | 28 | 11:59 |
ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo
Pumpkin in nearby cities
All the nearest cities on our list plant pumpkin earlier than Cuenca; the closest date is in Cusco, 22 days earlier.
| City | Distance | Date | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayacucho | 1,256 km | 7 November – 3 February | 39 days earlier |
| Cusco | 1,412 km | 24 November – 18 February | 22 days earlier |
| Puno | 1,743 km | 13 October – 29 December | 64 days earlier |
| La Paz | 1,922 km | 1 November – 24 December | 45 days earlier |
| Oruro | 2,120 km | 19 October – 3 January | 58 days earlier |
| Cochabamba | 2,135 km | 2 September – 25 February | 105 days earlier |
Where to buy pumpkin plants and seeds near Cuenca
Buy plants ready to set out from 16 December (from 25 November for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 14 October. Within 15 km of Cuenca OpenStreetMap lists 5 garden centres, 6 farm-supply shops, 21 markets and 5 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).
- Plazoleta Santa Ana — market
1 km - Mercado 12 de Abril — market
1 km - Feria Libre Miraflores — market
2 km - Mercado Totoracocha — market
2 km
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- How to grow pumpkin
- All frost dates and weather of Cuenca
- Shops and markets: Cuenca
- Selling a surplus in Ecuador
- Moon planting calendar for November 2026
- How we calculate the dates
Questions
When to plant pumpkins in Cuenca?
In Cuenca, pumpkin: sow for seedlings from 14 October; plant into a greenhouse from 25 November; plant out into open ground from 16 December. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
When to sow pumpkins for seedlings in Cuenca?
Sow for seedlings from 14 October.
