OT-Pumkins

tomturkey · Aug 30, 2013

Grew some pumpkins for the Grandkids to have. Between the grasshoppers and the heat/drought, the leaves are about all gone and the vines appear to be dieing back. Do I cut the pumpkins off now or let the vines die then pick up the pumpkins? How should I store them so they won't get soft and spoil before Holloween. I like them alot because they remind me of my favorite tractor colors. gobble

Mike (WA) · Aug 30, 2013

I've always heard that you need to leave pumpkins and winter squash in the garden until you have a hard freeze, to "harden them off", otherwise they'll rot in pretty short order. In any event, its as good a place to store them as anywhere.

Greenday · Aug 30, 2013

Remember to let them turn orange before you pick em

Nebraska Cowman · Aug 30, 2013

It's a long time to Halloween. As warm as it is here I think they'd go bad in the garden. I'd probably feed them to the cows. Cows love pumpkins and I'm short of feed anyway. Then I'd let the grandkids have beef for Halloween.

mazemeister · Aug 30, 2013

if they are ripe, pick them now and keep above 50 deg for best keeping. if they aren't ripe, they won't last long anyway.

Rollie NE PA · Aug 30, 2013

I have grown pumpkins for several years to sell at the house. I thought the same as you guy, but boy was I wrong. Pumpkins have to be hardened.
They can be picked green and will turn orange on their own when exposed to the sun.

Here is a very interesting video.
Untitled URL Link

ASEguy · Aug 31, 2013

I've read they need to ripen on the vine to allow them to produce a light wax type coating which makes them last longer in storage. They also lose some moisture during the process which makes them last longer. The first ones I ever grew were ripe in early to mid August and never made it to Halloween.

Kent Hawks · Aug 31, 2013

Cut them now while the stem is still green. If the vine dries down to the pumpkin, it will not last as long.

OT-Pumkins

tomturkey

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Mike (WA)

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Greenday

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Nebraska Cowman

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mazemeister

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Rollie NE PA

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ASEguy

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Kent Hawks

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