From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Lancaster,pa.

just beginning this hobby been going through diaries i see pumpkins being covered as soon as they are set why is the sun bad for them at the end of the season they dont look covered except at night for coldness thanks ray clare

11/3/2010 6:24:44 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Yes, the sun hitting the pumpkin makes the skin age prematurely or turn hard preventing maximum growth.

11/3/2010 8:28:49 PM

Rhode Island

spoint
a small piece of sheet covering once the newley pollinated fruit is baseball size not only helps protect from the sun but also offers some protection if a hail storms ,etc, passed through.
sheets all day while growing except on cool -cloudy days , fully exposed to sun the last couple weeks of the seaom
( when the sun is farther away and days are cooler )--- always blanket the fruit any night the temp is below 60 degrees.
pap

11/6/2010 6:19:15 AM

churchville, ny

My 1432 Northrup's set very late so I let 4 grow on the same plant. One of them was only partly covered by a towel for the season and the section covered ended up being a light orange. The section left uncovered was a nice dark orange so now I know they need sunlight to mature to full color potential.

11/7/2010 6:12:52 PM