Pick your homegrown pumpkins at exactly the right time with these essential tips and visual clues.
Pinpointing when to harvest pumpkins from your garden may feel like a riddle.
When harvested at the pinnacle of maturity, pumpkins last two or more months.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Always carry a pumpkin by the base and never by the stem.
To figure out exactly when to harvest pumpkins, check the rind of the fruit and the plant.
Most pumpkins and gourds develop their color over several weeks at the tail end of the growing season.
Credit: Adam Albright
The same is true for fruit on vines killed by pests or diseases such aspowdery mildew.
As long as a pumpkin or gourd has patches of mature color, it will continue to ripen.
Dull Skin
Still-maturing pumpkins have shiny exteriors.
The skin of young fruit appears bright and will reflect the sun’s light.
As a pumpkin matures, the rind will lose its sheen and become dull or matte.
Avoid harvesting shiny fruits in your garden (or at the u-pick patch).
Dying Squash Vines
Healthy pumpkin vines begin to yellow and die when the fruit is mature.
The rind should be so tough that your fingernail cannot dent it.
A tough rind prevents bacteria from making its way into the fruit and causing rot.
Warm, dry conditions promote hard pumpkin rinds.
Pumpkins can tolerate frost, but a freeze will quickly weaken the rind and shorten storage life.
Bring them inside when a freeze is predicted.
Leave a 3- to 4-inch stem or handle for pumpkins and a 1-inch stem for gourds.
That little piece of stem is not just for looks; it creates a barrier against bacteria and fungi.
Then rinse with water and let them dry.
Take them inside when a freeze is predicted.
Different types of pumpkins ripen at different rates, even if they are the same size.
To help your pumpkin last, store it in a cool, dry place indoors.
