Cucurbita pepo ‘Baby Boo’ | Mini Pumpkin | White Decorative Pumpkin

‘Baby Boo’ is a charming, creamy-white miniature pumpkin, beloved for autumn décor, wedding styling, children’s gardening, and seasonal displays. Each plant produces 10+ mini pumpkins about the size of a tennis ball — flat, slightly ribbed, and perfect for table arrangements, crafts, and harvest decorations. Vigorous trailing vines grow beautifully on trellises, fences or along the ground, making this variety ideal for both gardens and small spaces.

Plant Information

• Botanical name: Cucurbita pepo ‘Baby Boo’
• Common names: Miniature Pumpkin, Winter Squash, Halloween Pumpkin
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Type: Annual (Half-hardy)
• Days to maturity: 77–95 days
• Fruit colour: Creamy white
• Fruit size: 7.5 cm × 5 cm (tennis ball size)
• Plant habit: Trailing vines up to 3 m
• Height: 80–140 cm
• Flowers: Bright yellow
• Position: Full sun, sheltered
• Soil: Moisture-retentive, rich in organic matter
• Packet size: 1 g
• Seeds per gram: 14–15
• Average seeds per packet: 15

Why Grow ‘Baby Boo’

• Pure creamy-white miniature pumpkins
• High-yielding plants — 10+ fruits per vine
• Ideal for weddings, Halloween, Xmas décor, and children’s gardening
• Strong decorative value for florists
• Suitable for trellises, raised beds, and ground growing
• Easy and reliable crop for beginners

How to Sow

Sow Indoors (April–June)

1. Use 7.5 cm pots with rich, well-drained compost.
2. Sow seeds on their side 12 mm deep (reduces damping-off).
3. Germination: 7–14 days at 20–24°C.
4. Transplant to larger pots once roots show.
5. Harden off before planting out after frost.

Planting out:

1. Spacing: 38–60 cm between plants
2. Provide good air circulation to reduce mildew
3. Protect young plants from slugs

Direct Sow Outdoors (mid-May – June)

• Soil temperature must be above 18–20°C
• Sow 2–3 seeds in each spot, 2.5 cm deep
• Thin to the strongest seedling
• Space vines 1–1.5 m depending on support

Growing Tips

• Loves full sun, warmth, and rich soil
• Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged
• Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds
• Feed regularly (compost tea or slow-release fertiliser)
• Train vines onto a fence/trellis for cleaner fruit
• Hand-pollinate if growing under cover
• Watch for common pests: vine borers, squash bugs, cucumber beetles
• Rotate crops yearly to avoid soil diseases

Harvest

• Harvest August–October
• Pick when colour is fully developed and rind is firm
• Cut with 7–10 cm of stem for better storage
• Handle carefully — stems (“handles”) break easily
• Avoid frost; harvest before temperatures drop below –2°C

Storage

• Cure pumpkins for 10–14 days at 24–30°C with airflow
• Store at 10–20°C, dry, well-ventilated
• Only store undamaged fruit
• White pumpkins are sensitive to sunscald — keep out of direct sun after curing

Perfect For

• Autumn displays & harvest themes
• Halloween “ghost” pumpkins
• Wedding & event decorations
• Table centrepieces
• Children’s gardens
• Florist styling & craft projects