RIPE PUMPKIN QUESTION

[giantseye]

Hi guys,

When the pumpkins go orange and ripen, does this mean they have to be taken off the mother plant and either eaten or stored? ???

I grew my pumpkins so that the kids could have them for halloween, but the two biggest are now orange. ;D

The smaller ones which went orange last week have dropped off and now gone squiggy (sorry for the technical term), and I'm worried that the big ones will do the same. ???

Sorry for all the questions

[giantseye]

[busy_lizzie]

Glad you asked this question, because was going to ask a similar one.  Some of my pumpkins are quite a nice size for halloween use now.  They are all yellow though.  When they have reached the right size, can I seperate them from the plant and just store and ripen them?  Hope you don't mind me muscling in on your question giantseye, but thought they were similar enough to post mine here too.  :) busy_lizzie.   

[TEL]

Hi BL
I was told by a chap down my Lotti to just leave them on the plant until you need them.

[Diana]

...but take them in before the first hard frost (light frost won't hurt them)

[Doris_Pinks]

I leave mine on till the first hard frosts, unless that is close to Halloween, in which case they come home 2 weeks before!

[giantseye]

Thanks Tel, Diana and DP. :D

I'll leave them on until the first frost

Don't worry about hi-jacking the question Busy Lizzie, at least we have the answers we both require. :D :D

Thanks again guys

Ruth