How to harvest & store pumpkins
Harvest & store pumpkins and gourds 
Harvest your pumpkins when the vines are dry, and fruit is an even deep orange or characteristic color of the variety. The rind should be hard and not easily punctured. Cut a 3-6 inch stem with a sharp knife or pruning shears. Lift the pumpkin from the bottom not by the stem to avoid breaking off the stem. Pumpkins should be free of cuts, scratches or bruises.
Australian blue pumpkin is a gourd w dense orange flesh. Great for cooking!
Clean your picked pumpkin with a light chlorine solution to help avoid fungal or bacterial rotting. A newly harvested pumpkin should be cured @ 80 degrees and 80% humidity for 7-10 days to finish ripening(curing) and heal over any surface bruising but its not always practiced and may not be necessary.
Storing pumpkins
After curing, store them in a dry, cool place with good air circulation and temperatures around 50-55F degrees with relative humidity of 50-70%. Properly stored pumpkins (50-55 F) can last up to 2 months but if stored in warmer temperatures (70 degrees) only 2 weeks.
Avoid any ethylene gas exposure, don’t store pumpkins with apples or other fruits. Do not store them on hard surfaces like concrete or stack them on top of each other.
Today there are many types of Pumpkins to choose from, some varieties make great Jack-o-Lanterns, whereas others are better for pies.
I have baby boo mini pumpkins and jack be little mini pumpkins growing close to each other. I planted them late, in June, and some look ready to harvest and some don’t. The bad thing is that most of the leaves are turning brown and the plants are wilting. I have fertilized them once and watered them. What is happening? Will the pumpkins be ok? Should I harvest the bigger ones now and hope for the best for the littler ones? I need them for my daughter’s late-September wedding… HELP!
I just cut into a pumpkin that I want to cook. It has some green coloring in the fruit part. Is it OK to eat?
I’m not sure if people are still replying here, but this is my first time growing pumpkins. I have a small one that looked to be white, but has now turned more yellow. The pumpkin seems healthy and is firm. Will this actually end up turning orange? If so how long does it normally take?
When can I harvest my sunflower seeds and how?
Kathryn
I have a dozen beautiful pumpkins in my garden, but they are only partially ripened, and we have already experienced our first frost. Will they continue to change color, and is there anything I can do to speed the process? Thanks.
JENNIFER
I BOUGHT THREE JACK-O-LANTERN SIZE PUMPKINS THIS YEAR WITH THE INTENTION OF CARVING THEM FOR HALLOWEEN, WELL I NEVER CARVED THEM AND I WANT TO AT LEAST USE THEM FOR BAKING, HOWEVER I AM NOTICING SOME SMALL SPOTS FORMING WHICH SEAM TO BE ROT FROM THE INSIDE.I HEARD OF A RASH OF FUNGUS INFECTING LOCAL PUMPKINS IN MY AREA. IS IT O.K TO EAT THE PUMKIN IF I CUT OUT THE ROTTED AREA? IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO THROW OUT THREE PUMKINS UNUSED. ANY ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANX JENNIFER
My pumpkins are off the vine and molding. they are not fully orange. can i still cook and eat them? i’m sick about this as it is our first try and they are big and perfectly shaped. UGH!!!