is it Halloween yet?!

[galtezza]

I thought pumpkins were ready for harvesting in Autumn - hence the whole carving pumpkins for Halloween and pumpkin displays at Harvest Festival.

I planted 3 pumpkin seeds in April as per the packaging, and let them germinate in the greenhouse. After potting on a couple of times, I put them out on the plot end May.

I now have seven huge pumpkins, which have all changed from yellow to deep orange and the skins seem really hard.



Are they ready to pick yet?

[Florence Fennel]

Wow they're beauties, mine are about golf ball size and getting eaten by the snugs.

[Nicos]

Remember to weigh them- and take a piccie - so you can enter them into our competition later on in the year!!!!

[Shadylane]

Wow they're beauties, mine are about golf ball size and getting eaten by the snugs.

hmm mine aren't the size of anything yet

[Uber-Uncool]

^as above.

[galtezza]

Thanks for the comments.
I really need some advice on when to pick them though ....

I have read on google that people wait for the vines to die off before picking, but I think that must be when they are ripening later in Autumn. My vines are definitely not dying off, I have a load of smaller pumpkins just starting to grow.

Is there something I should be doing to test them?
Its my first year growing any veg, so really have no clue on when to pick these. If you don't pick them, do they start to go rotten on the vine?

[Shadylane]

I doubt it but not sure, never had squash this early (well done btw ) I would think you can either pick them now if they're as big as you want them and then put somewhere inside so the skins can dry out, or leave them until the end of the season as normal. They may get even bigger. Also save the seed as you may have developed a super early pumpkin.

[Samurailord]

My pumpkins were only sown on June 18th so are quite a long way behind yours - The biggest is only about 16 inches high at the moment.

They have been in pots in the blow-away until last Sunday when I planted them out in the manure plie at my plot - I haven't been to see them for a couple of days - I hope the slugs haven't got to them yet.

Andy

[bearded bloke]

Harvest pumpkins when they have developed a deep uniform color, and have a hard rind. The rind will be firm and resist denting when pressed with a thumbnail

Taken from ... how-to-harvest-pumpkins-properly

Unless you intend to eat immediately leave as much stem on as practical & never use it to lift the fruit,easiest way to carry it is to slip a hessian sack under before cutting the stem,the get a friend/relative to grab two corners while you get the others.

As Nicos says photo & weigh each individually Well done BTW

[SlugLobber]

Ooh not fair! Your first year growing and you get biggies like those!

Only joking. Can't add to advice, but well done!

[Llamas]

Ohhh cool!! Really well done on those, they're gorgeous! Very jelous as my last pumpking growing attempts were swamped by nettles, munched by slugs and then decimated and devoured during the Great Chicken Escape of 2010.