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?

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.)

"jmagerl" wrote in
. net:

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?

Mine are already turning orange. It's the only thing in the garden
that's ahead of anyone else's garden. I contribute that fact to the
massive amounts of draft horse manure that I've been dumping on them.
Er... wait... let me rephrase that... the massive amounts of manure that
I've been putting on them after my draft horse dumps.

Anyway, I won a blue ribbon for one perfect little orange pumpking at our
county fair. I was the only one who had one.

I think if a frost hits before they orange up, they stay green. Mine
turned orange on the vines and hidden below all the leaves. I suspect
stomping the vines might not be good but I have no logical reason why I
believe that.

Oh, yeah, and all my pumpkins are always volunteers from last Halloween's
carving discards. I have dozens of vines this year. I hand fertilized
so there are lots of pumpkins. Too bad I'll have to leave t hem all
behind.

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)

"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
jmagerl said:

snip

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.

snip

When they say 130 days to maturity, is that from when the fruit first forms
or from when you palnt the seed?
Example: I planted the seeds indoors on May 1. May 31, I stuck the plant in
the ground, July 15 is when I saw my first fruit. Will I have ripe fruit by
HAlloween with a 130 day maturity? Chicago area

jmagerl said:

When they say 130 days to maturity, is that from when the fruit first forms
or from when you palnt the seed?

Days to maturity generally means from the time of transplant (or, when
direct seeding, from the time of emergence).

Example: I planted the seeds indoors on May 1. May 31, I stuck the plant
in the ground, July 15 is when I saw my first fruit. Will I have ripe fruit by
HAlloween with a 130 day maturity? Chicago area

Eeeeh, it's possible, barely, but the weather has to hold up through
mid-October. If late September turns cold and damp, or there is an
early frost...well, I remember snow on Columbus day. But that was
14 years ago...may never see that again.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

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

(Pat Kiewicz) wrote in
:

jmagerl said:

When they say 130 days to maturity, is that from when the fruit first
forms or from when you palnt the seed?

Days to maturity generally means from the time of transplant (or, when
direct seeding, from the time of emergence).


I guess that's why I get orange ones so early. Mine just grow where I
threw the guts from last year's. None of that fussy start-em-in-the-house
stuff for me. In fact, I usually have two dozen of them starting in my
fire pit, too. By April, they've already got a good start. And our Black
Spring didn't slow any of them down.

"FragileWarrior" wrote in message
...
(Pat Kiewicz) wrote in
:

jmagerl said:

When they say 130 days to maturity, is that from when the fruit first
forms or from when you palnt the seed?

Days to maturity generally means from the time of transplant (or, when
direct seeding, from the time of emergence).


I guess that's why I get orange ones so early. Mine just grow where I
threw the guts from last year's. None of that fussy start-em-in-the-house
stuff for me. In fact, I usually have two dozen of them starting in my
fire pit, too. By April, they've already got a good start. And our Black
Spring didn't slow any of them down.

I have so many critters around me that any guts left over will be eaten by
spring (I tried it the last 10 yrs), Can't even throw grass seed out without
it getting eaten. I have to start the plants indoors to give them a
fighting chance. You wouldnt believe the slugs I have. I put the plants out
on the 31st because that seems to be date that pumpkin packages say to
direct sow. Something about soil temperature.