A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Green Pumpkins

Okay, so I planted three pumpkin plants in the very beginning of July and they really took off and grew quickly. There are 10 fully-grown pumpkins now and they are all still green! They aren't getting any bigger, and some of them have begun to turn orange but they definately won't turn orange by the time I need them to be... it is supposed to snow here soon and I need to take them off the vines so I can get rid of the plants. Will the pumpkins continue to turn orange if I harvest them? I know I planted them way too late.. oops! If anyone has any info or tips I'd love to hear!

Leave them on the vine as long as possible. They will age well if you can let them stay out overnight for at least a few frosty nights. Then, as the plant begins to die , the stalk will harden off and the leaves will wither. Cut the pumpkin off leaving a good length of stalk. Don't use the stalk as a handle, it will break and then fungus will get in and ruin the pumpkin. Allow them to sit in the sun as long as possible to help them mature. Once the weather turns, store them on their sides in a cool dark dry area. A dry basement would be ideal. Clean off any moisture and soil before storing. They will continue to mature and colour through the winter. If they all start to become over ripe at once, then cook and freeze them as soups etc.

Thanks for all the great info, but I decided that I liked the green color and I cut them all off the vines and lined them up along the edge of our front porch. Thirteen green pumpkins! Very origional... haha

Wow Kurlie, 13 of them..

Just imagine how many ORANGE pumpkins you'll
get when you get those pumpkins in EARLIER next year!!!!
*I get mine in late every year...*
So, I know exactly what you are talking about8

One small tip...even if you don't get them in as early as you like, say something like preparing the soil or something you're behind in to get them in... it takes a second or two to repot those plants into a bigger "cell" or pot/container, and that'll get some of it's root
system going and seem to the plant that it's growing, and putting out bigger roots... until you can get it into the ground..
I do that alot...

How big and or small were the pumpkins????
And did you get any pictures of the pumpkins?
That would be kinda neat to see!!!

you can say you have original pumpkins& you can always cut christmas sceanery in them instead or thanksgiving.
pumpkin pancakes are good...just ask my nephew!He stayed the night saturday& it was so he'd be sure he got me to fix pumpkin pancakes 2 days in a row.shook me awake.he was ready for pancakes.(& I shared with the ducks..they liked um too)


I heard on radio that somewhere did a pumpkin wall 2nd annual...last year was a political wall of pumpkins.they made shelves for them and was 4 ft tall>I listen to the Warren&Johnson show.I don't know if its a Houston thing?or a nation thing...but they good!(Houston 103.7)