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Napa,Ca.

My pumpkins are cooked (done growing). Should I leave them on the vine and continue watering? I want them for halloween. Will they keep that long if I cull them now? I sure could use all that space in my garden for vegetables.

8/8/2001 11:45:29 AM

Yukon, Canada

How do you know they are'cooked' and are no longer growing? And what kind of vegetables would you start at this point in the season?

8/8/2001 1:03:46 PM

Chester Co., PA

My conditions are similar to yours. From previous years experience, they don't start growing again after the heat stops them. Last year's pumpkin stopped growing about this date and I harvested it. That pumpkin lasted until April of this year, just keep it cool & in the shade. If your measurements show no gains then pick it and save all that water you would have to put on it in Aug-Sept. Are there any other pumpkins? You could try for another.

Hey Yukon, In the Fall and Winter we grow the things in California that grow in the Summer in Canada. Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beets, lettuce, onions, etc... We never get a rest.

8/8/2001 1:36:22 PM

Napa,Ca.

No more pumpkins possible on the vine. I can grow just about anything here in Napa, CA. like Wes said. I'm thinking about growing some spuds there. Easy to grow and they loosen up the soil. Thanks for the replies.

8/8/2001 6:02:37 PM

Napa,Ca.

Oh, yeah. I know they're 'cooked' 'cause they've been at 140" OTT for the last two weeks. Just your average 'Big Max' pumpkin. My first year. Really don't want to grow any Atlantic Giants. Wouldn't be able to get rid of all that pumpkin with my little 'green-waste' bin.

8/8/2001 6:06:20 PM

Chester Co., PA

It's done, pick it. If you leave it on the vine it might split anyway.

8/8/2001 6:53:38 PM

Greencastle, PA

it is losing wieght as we speak if you pick it now it won't lose as much wieght than it would if you left it out in the sun

8/8/2001 8:05:16 PM

Omaha, NE

I think my first one is done for as well, it's a Conn. Field and has been at 23" OTT for the last three or four days. Would it keep to Halloween if I put it in the spare frig. (not with any other food)? ....Karen

8/8/2001 10:17:17 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

It's was 104 here today and my pumpkins are still growing.

8/9/2001 12:29:25 AM

Mid Michigan

We've had heat advisories here in Mid Michigan all week!
By the time i get home from work, the plants are all drooped real bad, but misting, and watering bring them right back quickly. I haven't had a lot of growth at all this week, but will pay more attention next week as the temps cool. Hopefully i'll still have more growth 'till the end of the month.
Cuzbiker

8/9/2001 5:33:49 AM

Omaha, Nebraska

i must have a heat tolerant pumpkin... cause Shannon loves the heat!

8/9/2001 5:56:24 AM

Napa,Ca.

Picked 'em. I was shading just the pumpkin this year. Should I be shading the whole plant when it's 90-100 F? Is misting the best way to cool them down? I'm afraid if they're not completely shaded when misting them that the leaves will be sun scorched.

8/9/2001 11:39:38 AM

Chester Co., PA

Napan; Don't cover the whole plant. The leaves need light for photosynthesis. Also, mine get mildewed if they are shaded. Only cover the pumpkin.

Suzy & CC; My pumpkins are still growing well also. Temperatures were 95 - 100 the last 4 days. One gained 16 lbs. per day during the heat.

Karen; Pumpkins in the refrigerator ????? There is no air circulation in there. Just keep it in a cool shady place. Do you have a cellar or a space under your house? If not, the north side or indoors would be OK.

8/9/2001 1:02:17 PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

Is is 96 degrees over here with very high humidity and by 5:00 may reach 103 degrees, and somehow my plants are not affected...they are not wilting like usual in the extreme heat....the only thing different I did was soak the ground near the plants at noon before it gets real hot.....guess thats what did it.

-P.

8/10/2001 3:35:08 PM

Omaha, NE

Thanks Wes, I had read somewhere that you could preserve a pumpkin in the frig., but had not tried it, I do have a basement, as long as I can keep my son and pets from "playing" with the pumpkin.

Cuzbiker - We have had heat advisories too. Up until a cold front hit two days ago, we had a heat index between 100 -110 all week. I want to keep the cooler weather (highs in the upper 70s - mid 80s, but I hope it heads over your way too. CC doesn't need the cooler weather so we can share. :)

CC - You are so lucky! I can't believe that we are in the same growing area, and have such different conditions.

oh well, if I have two small Conn. Fields, my big maxs are still going strong...Karen

8/11/2001 11:20:14 AM

Herndon, VA

Master P- What AG seed are you growing this year? Some seem better with the heat than others. Also, if your plant has been allowed to develop a good system of tap root, that really helps. On my 600 Desrosiers, I have noticed that the new vines without taproots are he only ones that wilt. --Bruiser

8/11/2001 11:56:59 AM

Omaha, NE

Culled #1 on the Conn Field today, had almost no tap root, which may have been the problem. This pumpkin was set before I did my major pruning job, taking out a couple of plants with no fruit set, but big tap roots. Those "Sucker" vines might have been preventing this plant from getting very big roots at all. Nothing else was growing on that plant so I pulled it up...Karen

8/11/2001 2:43:10 PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

I'm not growing an AG, i'm growing a Burpee big max...two plants.....one of them has never wilted in it's existence even in the baking 95 degree sun, yet the other one has wilted since the day it started vining....even though it is a bigger plant than the other one and it has a better root system.
Since I started soaking the ground real good it stopped wilting and is doing better than before. It is now supporting a healthy baby pumpkin.

-P.

8/11/2001 3:45:47 PM