Thread: pumpkin patch gardening questions?

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I am growing my first pumpkin patch this year, I have some very good sized dark green pumpkins and it seems new pumpkins are popping out daily.

When do I harvest them? when will they turn orange? some of the leaves look like they have mildew on it, what is it?

any other advice for a greenhorn pumpkin patch grower?

Harvesting for JOL or pies?

There's a bit of leeway for Jacks as you don't need a totally ripe pumpkin.

But a pumpkin is ripe when it is hollow, and the skin and stem harden. Various stages of orange can apply depending on weather, type of plant, amount of sun it got, etc.

Thump it a bit to listen for the hollow, or press the skin with your fingernail, if it dents and doesn't break, the skin is ready.



As for the 'mildew', did you have a frost by any chance? Could also be bugs...

Could be a disease.

Do a google and type in growing pumpkins. A really good resource for growing anything is "The old Farmers Almanac" at: http:/almanac.com. Awesome useful site for all sorts of gardening. Yahoo has some excellent garden clubs also. Wouldn't be surprised to see one specifically for pumps. Having built a $2000 greenhouse behind he house I might try some pumpkins next year. Okay the truth is I built it so I could haunt it at Halloween!!! The ultimate real world prop... Check out my profile page. I'm doing a transformation step by step of the greenhouse to a mad plant scientists lab. But anyway. Old farmers will have something and links as well... Cait

the mildew is just that... it's a disease the plants get. I've had it attack my plants 2 years in a row now... if I were you, I'd cut off the mildew leaves ASAP.. it WILL SPREAD.

If you are doing JOL pumpkins, they need to be hollow. I did sugar pumpkins, and NONE of them got hollow... I think they are more like a squash. I only got 5 pumpkins this year before the disease overwhelmed the plants. I lost 5 pumpkins to the dogs/bugs. Apparently we have 1 dog that loves tomatoes and pumpkins... stupid dog. she ate at LEAST 2 of my pumpkins, and about 10 tomatoes... whats funny is the BUNNY didn't seem to care for pumpkin or tomatoes.

i am doing JOL pumps, CT pumpkins, and giant pumpkins(none popped up).

I have been battling, rats, moles, and of course my dogs. I built a fence to try and keep my dogs out but the pumpkins grew over it and now are growing in my yard lol.

I will cut the mildew looking leaves asap.

I got rid of the moles w/ a solar ground sonic thing it worked! killing off the rats w/ a poison bait box and man that thing is a killer!

I was wondering should i just let the big ones keep growing they grow about 1" a day it seems.

I planted it in direct sunlight and no frost yet this summer. I planted in late june

You're getting about an inch a day??? Wow. EXACTLY what kind of giants and under what conditions did you plant them? I've never gotten more than baseball sized or smaller or just had the flowers burst then nothing. Haven't even tried planting pumpkins for like last 5 years. Plan to try again this year though. SOunds like things are going pretty good...all pests aside. We have groundhogs and they destroyed all squash, cukes, and carrots this year even with a fence. They tunnel and climb! Had a bumper crop of tomatoes tomatillo's and potatoes though. Would be very interested to hear more detail on your obvious pumpkin success. If you have a moment sometime send me a message. Would love to pick your brain. (For information) Cait

Def. want to do punkins next year. Mmmm... punkin pie. Wifey will probably let me.