Allotments 4 All

Hi

sorry if this has been asked a thousand times. have been away for 3 weeks.

my atlantic giant has not got any bigger in the time I have been away and is a bright orange now.... does this mean it is ready?

do they need to cure like squashes do?

tap it does it sound hollow?

If you want to store it for any length of time, then it really needs to cure in the sunshine.  If you press your finger nail gently into the skin, and it pierces it, then it isn't cured.  if you can't pierce the skin, then jobs done.  If you don't want to store it through the winter, then you cut it whenever you like really.  I have started to bring mine home as I want the space now for my winter greens.

I'm growing atlantic giant too and they have been in since May but are showing no sign of turning orange.Is there anything I can do to encourage them to turn orange.
Also are jack o'lanterns the only pumpkin suitable for halloween?I have 2 children hoping to have their Atlantic giants for halloween, have I made a mistake telling them they will be suitable and ready for halloween? Fingers crossed I haven't.

thanks guys.

my jack o' lanterns are just starting to turn orange.

Do pumpkins ripen when off the plant?

I was tidying up this week and decided to cut off a few mildewed pumpkin leaves.  I was not really looking what I was doing and managed to sever the leaves with the pumpkins on from the root system. 

They had started to turn a nice orange.  Hope I haven't ruined it. 

Hi Jane,
Yup, they ripen off the vine. Stick them someplace warm and dry and they will turn. Most of mine are happily turning orange on my kitchen table. My big problem now is I have a galeuse d'esyines with a rotting stem and have been trimming it to try and keep it from completely going off beore I have a chance to cook it/freeze it.  :(

Last year I ripened 2 big pumpkins from green to bright ornage in the conservatory.

Thank you - that's a relief