Cucurbita pepo Fort Knox F1 PMT – Small, perfectly shaped Halloween pumpkin

The Cucurbita pepo Fort Knox F1 PMT is a particularly attractive and extremely stable small Halloween pumpkin, perfect for both decorative and culinary use. This reliable F1 hybrid variety produces deep orange, round fruits weighing 2.5 to 3 kg, with a beautiful, sturdy stem that gives the pumpkin its characteristic premium appearance. With its compact growth, healthy plant structure, and excellent yield, Fort Knox F1 is an excellent choice for both amateur gardeners and professional growers.

Key Features of Fort Knox F1 PMT

Fort Knox F1 stands out for its consistent uniformity, attractive round shape, and deep orange skin. The fruit quality is very consistent, making this variety ideal for those looking for perfect, marketable Halloween or decorative pumpkins.

Key Features:

• Fruit weight: 2.5–3 kg

• Shape: round, well proportioned

• Colour: intense deep orange

• Stem: strong, short but robust, beautifully dark

• Maturation time: 90 days

• Uses: decoration, Halloween, pumpkin soup, culinary applications

• Resistance: highly tolerant to powdery mildew (PMT)

Growth and plant structure

Fort Knox F1 PMT grows moderately vining, offering a good balance between space-saving and productivity. The plants are healthy, vigorous, and reliable, with a yield of approximately 3–4 fruits per plant. This makes the variety ideal for both professional field cultivation and small-scale vegetable gardening.

Cultivation and sowing advice

Like all Cucurbita pepo varieties, Fort Knox F1 prefers warm, fertile, and well-drained soil. The seeds can be pre-sown from late April or direct sown from early May once the soil temperature has warmed up sufficiently.

Germination and sowing instructions:

• Optimal germination temperature: 24–30 °C

• Sow the pointed end down or lay the seed flat

• Keep the sowing substrate slightly moist, never wet.

• After emergence, place the plants in a cooler and lighter place to prevent stretching.

Planting distance and cultivation conditions

For optimal yield, a space of 1–2 m² per plant is recommended. This gives the plants sufficient room to develop their tendrils without disturbing neighboring plants. The moderate tendril formation makes the variety particularly suitable for:

• medium-sized vegetable gardens

• raised beds

• smaller plots

• intensive cultivation with multiple plants per bed

Use: decorative and culinary

Fort Knox F1 is an excellent choice for:

• Halloween decorations

• Fall decorations

• Selling at markets or farms

• Cooking, especially pumpkin soup, stewed pumpkin or stuffed dishes

The pumpkins have a firm, well-preserved skin, which allows for a longer storage life after harvest. The fruit quality remains consistent, making this variety popular with growers who value uniformity.

Mildew resistance and crop safety

Thanks to its PMT tolerance, Fort Knox F1 is very resilient to powdery mildew, one of the most common problems affecting pumpkins. This keeps the foliage healthy longer, optimizes photosynthesis, and increases the total yield per plant. This makes the variety particularly attractive in hot, dry summers when powdery mildew is common.