GreenlyWhen to plant pumpkins in Wellington: from 17 December
In Wellington, pumpkin: sow for seedlings from 15 October; plant into a greenhouse from 26 November; plant out into open ground from 17 December. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
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Pumpkin in Wellington: soil, season and weather
In Wellington the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 17 August, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the pumpkin card — only around 17 December, 122 days later. Wellington has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.
| Last spring frost | 17 August |
|---|---|
| Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C | 17 December, 122 days after the last frost |
| Days in the bed to the first harvest (card) | 75 |
| First harvest, if planted in this window | from 1 March |
| Daylight | 14:03 on 5 November, 15:09 on 17 December |
| Watering outdoors when fruiting (card) | every 5 days; the driest month, January, has 8 rainy days |
The same dates in Wellington hold for Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini and Watermelon.
Pumpkin in Wellington: care after planting
Planted on 17 December: in the first weeks water every 4 days.
Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:
- 7 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 Wellington during the pumpkin season
About 516 mm of rain falls in the season; January is the driest month (45 mm) and May the wettest (111 mm).
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm | Rainy days | Daylight on the 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 17.1 | 11.9 | 95 | 13 | 15:08 |
| January | 18.7 | 13 | 45 | 8 | 14:49 |
| February | 18.7 | 13.1 | 82 | 8 | 13:41 |
| March | 17.1 | 12.1 | 79 | 9 | 12:25 |
| April | 15.2 | 10.4 | 104 | 10 | 11:00 |
| May | 13.3 | 9 | 111 | 12 | 9:51 |
ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo
Pumpkin in nearby cities
Around Wellington, Napier is 44 days earlier and Nelson 3 days later.
| City | Distance | Date | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blenheim | 73 km | 11 December – 3 February | 6 days earlier |
| Palmerston North | 125 km | 4 December – 24 February | 13 days earlier |
| Nelson | 125 km | 20 December – 24 February | 3 days later |
| Napier | 269 km | from 3 November | 44 days earlier |
| Christchurch | 305 km | 1 December – 8 February | 16 days earlier |
| Rotorua | 372 km | 10 December – 29 January | 7 days earlier |
Where to buy pumpkin plants and seeds near Wellington
Buy plants ready to set out from 17 December (from 26 November for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 15 October. Within 15 km of Wellington OpenStreetMap lists 2 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 2 plant nurseries and 3 markets (collected 20 October 2026).
- Palmers — garden centre
4 km - Twigland — garden centre
10 km - Wellington Botanic Garden Nursery — plant nursery
2 km - Berhampore Nursery — plant nursery
4 km
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- How to grow pumpkin
- All frost dates and weather of Wellington
- Shops and markets: Wellington
- Selling a surplus in New Zealand
- Moon planting calendar for November 2026
- How we calculate the dates
Questions
When to plant pumpkins in Wellington?
In Wellington, pumpkin: sow for seedlings from 15 October; plant into a greenhouse from 26 November; plant out into open ground from 17 December. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
When to sow pumpkins for seedlings in Wellington?
Sow for seedlings from 15 October.
