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i grew a pumpkin plant and i have 3 pumpkins that are already orange how do i preserve them for as long as possible leave them on or take them off the vine? when will they start to rott?

2007-08-27 05:42:11 · 4 answers · asked by lovemypets 1 in Home & Garden Garden & Landscape

4 answers

You can leave it on the vine longer.
Pumpkins are ready to harvest usually by the end of Sept. Here's a chronology of the pumpkin's life cycle:
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/cycle.htm
Put a board under your ripening pumpkin to deter bugs, moles and rotting from underneath.
Some wait til the vines have withered to harvest their pumpkins. Then they are left to cure in the field for 10-20 days. They can even remain in the garden through a light, vine-killing frost. However...all mature pumpkins should be harvested before temperatures drop into the mid to low 20's.
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1997/9-12-1997/harvpump.html

You'll know your pumpkin is fully ripe when the stems are dry and the skin resists penetration by a thumbnail. Don't harvest it until the skin has reached full color and has hardened. Another sign that a pumpkin is ready to be harvested is that the stem starts to crack.

Don't harvest when the pumpkin is wet or allow it to become wet after harvesting because this will cause it to rot more quickly. Cut the pumpkin off the vine with a sharp knife, making sure it has a 3 to 5 inch stem (when the stem is attached, it is less likely to rot).

After cutting, expose the pumpkin to the sun for 10 days to cure it. This hardens the skin & heals cuts, so it forms a barrier and loses moisture more slowly, therefore enabling it to sit longer. While curing, if a frost threatens, cover your pumpkin at night.

Carry the pumpkin out of the field by holding it in the palms of your hands, not by the stem.
For long term storage, wash the pumpkin in a very mild chlorine solution...1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water to destroy bacterias which may cause the pumpkin to rot.

Allow the pumpkin to dry completely, as dampness encourages spoilage. If you find mold, wipe with vegetable oil to remove the mold and seal the spot.

Make sure your pumpkin has air circulation to help prevent moisture from forming on the surfaces of the fruit and to retard the growth of decay fungi and bacteria.

Store in a cool, dry place, such a spare room (root cellars are too damp) at 45 to 60 degrees F. up to a month or even up to 3 months if stored in a cool, dry and dark place(if possible) 50 to 55°F.
Avoid hot and humid places, even if storing for only a couple of weeks.
Pumpkins are best stored on a board or piece of cardboard.
Do not store on a cement floor or with apples to prevent rot.

Good luck! Hope this helps.

2007-08-27 07:17:04 · answer #1 · answered by ANGEL 7 · 0 1

They shouldn't be cut from the vine until they are ready. To cut them early is to hasten the rotting process. A gentle knock on the pumpkin will tell you all you need to know! It should sound 'hollow" --and it's time! The most important thing to keep a pumpkin from rotting on the ground is to keep it dry, so if you can put the pumpkin on a rack while leaving it on the vine, you'll have the perfect solution.

2007-08-27 05:49:34 · answer #2 · answered by lfh1213 7 · 1 0

Pumpkin Cookies Cream shortening and butter; gradually beat in sugar. Cream mixture until light and fluffy. Add egg and pumpkin; mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Stir in dry ingredients; mix until blended. Add raisins and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen pumpkin cookies.

2016-04-02 01:47:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Leave them on as long as the vine feeding them is healthy. After that store them where it is cool and dark for best results.

2007-08-27 05:49:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

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