When should I harvest my pumpkins?
If you are like us, you have not been spending your summer days at pool parties or drive-in movies, but growing pumpkins in your garden.Many associate these vegetables with the fall, but they are actually grown all summer long.
They are not ripe for picking in the summer.You need to be patient and wait for the right time to harvest pumpkins.
If you are growing pumpkins for the first time, you might not know when the best time to harvest is.We have put together a nifty guide to help.
Harvesting time is approaching when the weather starts to change and days become cooler.If the weather forecast is not accurate, you should leave your pumpkins on the vine.
As long as the vine and leaves are healthy, they will keep growing.Diseases and insects can cause leaves to die.Pick your pumpkins off the vine as there are no leaves left to keep them nourished and growing.
When it comes to knowing if your pumpkins are ready to be Harvested or not, the first thing you should check is the rind of your pumpkin.
If you grow pumpkins with a lot of them, you will want to make sure the pumpkin is fully colored.If you are growing Jack-o'-Lanterns, your pumpkins should be orange.When fully ripened, Baby Boos can be a white or off-white color.
You should check to see if the rind is firm.If you pierce the pumpkin with your fingernail or another object, it will not be ready yet.
It is important not to pick pumpkins when they are not firm enough as this can cause them to lose their shape quickly.If you are concerned about changing the appearance of your pumpkin, you can do a firmness test on the back of it or somewhere you won't be able to notice.
You should also pay attention to the pumpkin's stem and vine.If you notice that the vine is starting to dry off and pull away from the stem, that is a sign that it is time to harvest.
It is not necessary to check the stem and vine.You can harvest pumpkins on your own.
Pumpkins can survive a brief period of frost.If you have a hard frost in the forecast, you may want to harvest your pumpkins before it gets too cold.
A hard frost can shorten the amount of time you can store pumpkins, so even if they are not fully colored and firm, you should pick them.
If you have a pumpkin that has already started to turn its final, mature color, you will be able to harvest it while it is still on the vine.Allowing your pumpkin to grow fully on the vine is always the best option.
It's best to harvest pumpkins on a sunny day.If the vines are still healthy, and have not been attacked by insects or frost, then this should happen in late September or early October.Pick your pumpkins before the cold starts.
Before you harvest, you should have a pair of gardening gloves on to protect your hands from sharp vines.
If you want to cut the vine, use a hand tool and a sharp knife.You should leave a few inches of the stem behind if you cut the vine on one side.Excess pieces of vine can be trimmed away later.
The pumpkin's stem is a seal that keeps it from rotting quickly.Don't pull the stem away from the pumpkin.This can happen if you carry the pumpkin by its stem.
Pumpkins are vulnerable to rot, spoil, and decay without its stem.Make sure the stem stays intact if you want a healthy pumpkin.
Pull the vine from the ground after you harvest pumpkins.Many gardeners choose to use vines as compost, which is a great way to reuse and recycle them.If the vines were affected by disease, then they should be thrown away.
You can either bag them up and throw them in with your garbage or send them to a composting facility.The facilities heat the compost up to eliminate the fungus.