Pumkin' growin' question

[Pablo]

Will pumpkins continue all the way to orange off the vine? What I'm askin' will they ripen if I take 'em somewhere?

After a very hot dry summer here, (it got over 90°F once or twice), we got 1.5 weeks of cool raininess and the vines got a real mildew issue and are narly ded (nearly dead).

I grow real good greens and such, but I ain't a pumpkin grower as it ain't a food crop 'round here. The misses has more 'matoes than ever and they actually got ripe.

.

Those of you in the PNW, know what I'm talking about, climatewise.

 

[Al]

I have just not seen any pumpkin picked green. Punkins do last a long time though. My guess is that it might ripen some. Time to experiment-put some outside and maybe one or two inside and let us know. Wish I knew more.

 

[labman]

Never tried pumpkins, but winter squash will quickly go bad if they are not ripe before brought in before the frost. Ripe butternut squash hold up good in a cool room all winter.

 

[Shannow]

Pablo,
our pumpkins if picked a little green ripen OK on the shed roof.

They need a couple of frosts to "harden off" so that they keep well 'though.

 

[Pablo]

Thanks guys, don't have much choice. The vines, are, sadly, quite dead.

Shed roof, deck, dry for sure.

 

[Pablo]

Apparently I'm discovering the "Pumpkin Threshold Effect"....science will never be the same.

Some of the more ripe dudes and dudettes may make it. Two days in the warm sun on a redwood bench during the day and into the warm, dry garage at night and the green is inching orange.

The more greeny ones are just staring at me, as if not knowing what to do.

So there may be a line draw....or it could just be ethylene gas.

 

[Whimsey]

Why don't you try and put the green pumpkins in a closed brown paper bag like from the supermarket or the paper yard bags you can buy. And let it sit unopened for a week or so. That seems to work on ripening some fruits and veggies. It's worth a try and it's cheap

. If it works send me a pumpkin pie

.

Whimsey

 

[Shannow]

Whimsey,
that trick works best if you put a ripe banana in as well.

Ethylene (?) gas ripens the fruit.

 

[Dewlanna]

I think this site Ripening Green Pumpkins might have the information you need.

 

[Whimsey]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Shannow:
Whimsey,
that trick works best if you put a ripe banana in as well.

Ethylene (?) gas ripens the fruit.

---

Shannow,
This may be a really stupid question but do you grow pumpkins in Australia and are they a "fall or spring" veggie for you. I've had veggie/fruit ripen in a paper bag work without throwing in a ripe banana. But I hear that does help.

I really want to visit Australia soon. Just have to convince the wife about flying 14 hours +/-

.

Whimsey

 

[Pablo]

Dewlanna - This is what they had to say and you are the best! (I must admit there may be some people that are a little too much into pumpkins!)

Ripening out of the patch- As previously mentioned, green and partially orange pumpkins will ripen up with sunlight, warmth, and time. Just follow these steps:


Remove the pumpkins from the patch and wash off the dirt.
Place your pumpkins on a warm, sunny deck or patio.
They can also be brought inside. If you bring them indoors, make sure there is good air circulation to minimize the chances of mold and rotting.
Turn the greenest side of the pumpkin towards the sun.
Rotate the pumpkin from time to time to allow the sun to reach the greener parts of the pumpkin.
If left outdoors, bring them in at night to keep the pumpkins' temperature warmer.
Success is not guaranteed. A very green pumpkin is less likely to green up in whatever time you have remaining until Halloween. It may take several weeks. But, it usually works.

 

[Shannow]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Whimsey:

Shannow,
This may be a really stupid question but do you grow pumpkins in Australia and are they a "fall or spring" veggie for you. I've had veggie/fruit ripen in a paper bag work without throwing in a ripe banana. But I hear that does help.

I really want to visit Australia soon. Just have to convince the wife about flying 14 hours +/-

.

Whimsey

---

Whimsey,
We plant them soon (Spring), and harvest in late Autumn.

Hope you can convince the better half sooner, rather than later.

 

[DJ]

Whimsey, remeber their seasons are reversed so they pick then during OUR spring.

 

[Losiho]

Yep, what Shannow said. My father has a vegie/fruit garden/orchard in the backyard. He planted pumpkins in late October last year and we had pumpkins until about June (and we still have some left).

 

[Pablo]

Lucky guys - how's spring so far?

We are having a nice cool (but rainy) fall in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) corner of the USA.

As for the pumpkins, it wasn't sunny enough yesterday to put them out. It's quite amazing that I was doing exactly what the experts recommend (well I did ask here!!!) and yes they are "orangerating"

 

[Losiho]

Pablo - the weather here has been pretty good so far, spring has come and the weather is getting milder, but there is still heaps of snow on the nearby ski resorts.

But the weather here is nowhere near as dramatic as in the USA at the moment, I watched the NBC Today show yesterday and it was pelting down in New York city !

 

[Pablo]

I have no concept of NY weather, they are on the opposite coast, and usually 90° different than us.....unlike you blokes, who are 180° off!

 

[Pablo]

ALL the pumpkins ripened and they are GREAT!!

We had our very first pumpkin pie of the season just now......wish you could be here. A little extra spice with just the rich slight molasses flavor of dark brown sugar....AWESOME.

 

[Shannow]

Pablo, now you need to start a site about 100% pumpkin ripening.

I started turning over this year's patch today. Dry as h3ll, and bits of potato root everywhere.

well done !!

 

[Pablo]

As I said some people REALLY are into pumpkins.....more than a normal healthy adult should be

Well done potato roots? You must have had a good spud crop last summer (Dec-Jan-Feb-March!