jmagerl said:

I've been trying to grow pumpkins for the last 12 years and all I got was
NADA. Until last year. Unbeknownest to me I had 6 good sized pumpkins
growing underneath all the vines. But when the vines died back, they were
green and they stayed green untill they rotted. It is now this year and I
can see the little darings beginning to form (about the size of a softballs
now). WHat should I do to insure they turn turn orange this year? My wife
says you have to stomp on the vines around Labor day and expose the
pumpkins to sun. I have to believe thats a bit dramatic but do I do that?

The foliage on my vines normally start to die back even before frost,
exposing the fruit. I should think bending a few leaves back would
be more than adequate. Never stomped on mine!

I dont remember what variety I grew last year (I was trying to go for a
average size not the giants). LAst year my neighbor had this really great
looking pumpkin (looked like Cinderellas coach) and I found one at the
local grocery store that looked similar and I planted its seeds this year
(Note that I found out neighbors pumpkin was plastic when it hadnt
rotted by New years eve.)

Choosing the variety carefully would help. There are shorter and
longer season varieties.

The 'Cinderella's coach' pumpkin is possibly a squash of the buttercup
type (Cucurbita maxima) named 'Rouge Vig D'Etampes' which is very
long seasoned (and no where near the eating quality of a buttercup).
130 days to maturity.

Most ornamental/carving pumpkins are in the same species as acorn
squash (C. pepo) and many varieties should mature in 90 - 100 days.

Some pumpkins are bred to have a trait called 'precocious yellow' which
means they will color early (before they are completely ripe).

Lil' Goblin, Oz, and Autumn Gold are all full-sized pumpkins that have the
'precocious yellow' trait. 'Autumn Gold' was an All-America Winner and
should be widely available in the States. 'We Be Little' is a mini-pumpkin
that has the 'precocious yellow' trait.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)