The first thing you need to do is determine the type and the characteristics of the soil your pumpkins will be growing in. There are four main characteristics of soil you should be concerned about. (Sandy, Clay, Loam, PH level).

If you have Sandy soil, the water and nutrients will run through the soil very quickly and the plants will not have a chance to absorb the necessary nutrients.

If you have Clay soil like I do, the ground is easily saturated on top with water and stays extremely muddy.  If you till the ground, you will end up with big clumps and a gooey mess.

Loam soil is the best and will retain water, moisture, and nutrients the best.

So how do I fix my soil? You will need to apply lots of different materials to change the underlying structure of your soil going forward.  First, I would recommend a large amount of composted manure on your garden.  I recently found I could obtain manure for free from one of the community colleges here.

PH level is extremely important for pumpkins.  The ideal PH level for a pumpkin is 6.5 or slightly acidic.

Last, but not least, add numerous worms to your garden when the soil warms up.  If the worms start thriving, then you know you have enough organic material in your pumpkin patch.