Kitchen Garden Forum

I have six New England pumpkins on our plot which are not yet quite ripe. My question is can I pick them and bring them home to ripen, before they get stolen, like my peas. Or do I have to leave them on the plant to ripen. Last year I only grew the giant pumpkin for my grand daughter to carve, which had no problem ripening.

If thieves are about, and knowing how early the Halloween season starts, I'd be tempted to pick them early and try and find a sunny place in your garden during the daytime to ripen them off or let them finish ripening in a shed or garage. It's better than having them stolen and losing them altogether. It probably depends on how close to ripening they are. If they're very immature, picking them very early may not end up with a successful result, even if you try to ripen them artificially.

They are all starting to go a sort of speckly orange colour. I think I will pick them today and put them somewhere to ripen as the weather has gone a lot colder today and last night I noticed that the leaves were going to mush already.

Dear Catherine, i dont think they would have made much more growth, so a wise decision.

This time last year vandals stole everyone's pumpkins and used them as footballs. They were smashed up all over the site. Fortunately we had already gathered ours so I agree it is wise to take them in. I picked ours last week.

Hello Catherine
I agree with the others. Although the fruits may not be completely ripe yet I would pick them and take them home for safe keeping. Test the skins with your finger nail and if they have set hard you'll be OK - cut them with all the stalk and a little of the vine. Set them up in a warm sunny spot at home to ripen off. Turn them occasionally so that they ripen evenly.


John

I was given a pumpkin by friends in Yorkshire in August. It was green. It is now a bright orange, having been on a windowsill for 8 weeks. So don't worry - pick and ripen them in the warmth.

Isn't it a sad old world where you have top safeguard yoru hard -won produce in such ways?

Hi Mrs L,
Things are going to get worse and not better with regards to allotment thefts in the future.
There is an idea afoot of taking parts of our local parks and growing produce without any fences. The growers will be selected organic growers!
This shows to me that current organic thinking is to say the least naive!
JB.

I also heard on one of the news progarmmes that they were thinking of turning some golf courses over to allotments. The thinking was this particular area had too many golf courses and not enough allotments.

As long as the grass hasn't been treated with you know what!!!