When do I pick my PUMPKINS? Well... first
off, DO NOT pick pumpkins just because they have reached
your desired size. If you wanted small pumpkins, then you should have bought a
small pumpkin variety. Too late for that now....... ;o)
A PUMPKIN is ripe when its skin turns a
deep, solid color (orange for most varieties). Just like a watermelon, when you
thumb the pumpkin, the rind will feel hard and it will sound hollow. Press your
nail into the pumpkin's skin; if it resists puncture, it is ripe. Do pick your
pumpkins before any hard frosts come or you'll have nasty
pumpkins.
To harvest your pumpkin, cut the fruit off the vine
carefully with a sharp knife or pruners; DO NOT tear it off. Be
careful not to cut too close to the pumpkin, a nice amount of stem (3 to 4
inches) will increase the pumpkin's life span.
Try never to carry your PUMPKINS by the stem, however tempting. The stem may not be able to support the pumpkin's weight and it may break off and go rolling away. Like a scoop of ice cream that falls off it's cone.... this is a very sad scenario. ;o(
Try never to carry your PUMPKINS by the stem, however tempting. The stem may not be able to support the pumpkin's weight and it may break off and go rolling away. Like a scoop of ice cream that falls off it's cone.... this is a very sad scenario. ;o(
Be GENTLE with your pumpkins. PUMPKINS
can and do bruise. Pumpkins should be cured in the sun for about a week to
toughen the skin and then stored in a cool, dry bedroom or cellar—anywhere
around 55ºF.
If you got a lot of vines and flowers this year, but no
PUMPKINS, ;o( you need more bees in your garden. Pollination
did not take place. Next year try planting some flowers to attract more bees and
butterflies.
