"Zootal" wrote in message
...
I have two bright orange pumpkins, about 18" across. They stem seems to be
hard and woody. I'm guessing they are in the latter stages of ripening.
Should I pick them at any time? It may be 2 months before we get a frost,
should they just sit there on the vine for a few more months until frost
kills the vine? I'm not sure when or if i should pick them.



While the pumpkins are healthy and attached to the vine and the vine has
leaves they will improve - or at least come to no harm. As soon as the
frost kills the leaves the pumpkin cannot gain any more value from the vine
so cut it. Obviously if it is detached or rotting leaving it there does
nothing useful.

In some places where summer/autumn is warm and damp the fruit may start to
rot on the ground, if this is a possibility you may need to grab them before
the frost. So it becomes a juggle between maximum ripeness and size, and
getting them in before they rot. You have to make this judgement on the
spot not from somewhere around the world....like me.

David