Hi,

Can anyone help me? I've grown a pumpkin, by mistake really, but have watched it grow through the summer. I don't know when to harvest it though! The plant now looks quite dead and withered, but the pumpkin hasn't changed colour from green. What do I do?

Thanks.

Shell wrote:
Hi,

Can anyone help me? I've grown a pumpkin, by mistake really, but have
watched it grow through the summer. I don't know when to harvest it
though! The plant now looks quite dead and withered, but the pumpkin
hasn't changed colour from green. What do I do?

Thanks.

If the vine is really dead, there's not much reason to leave it out
there. Go ahead an cut it from the vine. If the pumpkin is mature enough
to be good and solid, it should color up pretty soon.

Steve

Thanks for that Steve, the pumpkin is solid, so I'll cut it off now, and see what happens.

Every year I grow lots of pumpkins and there are often a few that don't
ripen by the end of the season. However, they will ripen in time. I
just harvest each one, being careful not to knock off its stem, then I
wash off the dirt, towel it down, and set it in a protected place under
my eaves while there's still sun and no hard frost. When the
temperatures drop to freezing, I bring any still ripening inside and
keep them in a relatively cool spot near a window. They ALL ripen in
time, even though some may take many weeks.

Pumpkins make THE best soup.

Argo
http://greenrealm.blogspot.com (a science fantasy)

Shell writes:
Can anyone help me? I've grown a pumpkin, by mistake really, but have
watched it grow through the summer. I don't know when to harvest it
though! The plant now looks quite dead and withered, but the pumpkin
hasn't changed colour from green. What do I do?

This is an edible pumpkin is it?

Almost all pumpkins grown in Australia have green skins. Provided the
plant looks dead, harvest it. If you want to keep it for a time, make
sure you cut or break the little stalk at least 5 or 6 inches away from
the pumpkin so that a good length remains attached to the pumpkin. Most
likely you will be able to slice and cook it skin and all, it is usually
quite tender on homegrown ones.

I think those in the USA know edible pumpkins as "winter squash".
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

Hi All,
some pumpkins do not change colour even when fully ripe. Crown Prince is one
such pumpkin.

Richard M. Watkin.


"Steve" wrote in message
...
Shell wrote:
Hi,

Can anyone help me? I've grown a pumpkin, by mistake really, but have
watched it grow through the summer. I don't know when to harvest it
though! The plant now looks quite dead and withered, but the pumpkin
hasn't changed colour from green. What do I do?

Thanks.

If the vine is really dead, there's not much reason to leave it out there.
Go ahead an cut it from the vine. If the pumpkin is mature enough to be
good and solid, it should color up pretty soon.

Steve