Gardening and Horticulture - pumkins
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elsa
10-14-02, 12:43 PM
I have several large 20# pumkins that are not yet turning orange. If I pick the pumkins will they turn orange or are the green ones doomed. The vine is almost dead. Thanks
marturo
10-14-02, 03:41 PM
Hi elsa,
I don't grow Pumpkins here in NC, but in Ohio we just left them in the field to turn orange. Then we picked them & stored them in the Root Cellar.
Even with dead vines the frost just seemed to make the skin tough for storage.
Hope that helps you some :)
Marturo
I don't grow Pumpkins here in NC, but in Ohio we just left them in the field to turn orange. Then we picked them & stored them in the Root Cellar.
Even with dead vines the frost just seemed to make the skin tough for storage.
Hope that helps you some :)
Marturo
Bomber
10-15-02, 09:23 PM
Hey guys! :)
I'm back from my weekend in Georgia, and let me tell you, that is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG drive :) 1012 miles in one direction. It feels good to be home though and to check out the boards :)
Elsa, in response to your pumpkin predicament... Unfortunately, there may be nothing you can do if the vine is already dying. What part of Illinois are you in? More specifically, what zone are you in? Here in Zone 6, pumpkins have to be planted no later than the first week of June. Most varieties take a minimum of 100 days to mature. Unfortunately (there is that word again; we gardeners HATE that word), I goofed with my pumpkins this year as they didnt get planted until early July. However, I lucked out and have one already orange. How long has it been since the squash reached full size? If it's been more than a couple of weeks, I'd say you are out of luck :( It would simply take too long at this point considering this is the time of year pumpkins should be ripening. Next year, start your seeds a bit earlier. That may be the problem. Pumpkins are misleading in the sense that since the packet of seeds says "Ready to pick in 100 days" or whatever and that they are a winter squash, people think that they can start them late. Unlike most other vegetables, pumpkins are fast growers. From the time you plant the seed to the time you see the first little yellow or green fruit can be as soon as 2-3 weeks. The majority of the time that is listed on the seed packet is for maturing of the fruit and not for the setting.
Like I said, try a bit earlier next year. As for this year, let them go until the vine has totally died. In anticipation of a frost/freeze/snow, cover the vine and the maturing fruit with a comforter or a sheet of newspaper. Good luck! :)
Eric
I'm back from my weekend in Georgia, and let me tell you, that is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG drive :) 1012 miles in one direction. It feels good to be home though and to check out the boards :)
Elsa, in response to your pumpkin predicament... Unfortunately, there may be nothing you can do if the vine is already dying. What part of Illinois are you in? More specifically, what zone are you in? Here in Zone 6, pumpkins have to be planted no later than the first week of June. Most varieties take a minimum of 100 days to mature. Unfortunately (there is that word again; we gardeners HATE that word), I goofed with my pumpkins this year as they didnt get planted until early July. However, I lucked out and have one already orange. How long has it been since the squash reached full size? If it's been more than a couple of weeks, I'd say you are out of luck :( It would simply take too long at this point considering this is the time of year pumpkins should be ripening. Next year, start your seeds a bit earlier. That may be the problem. Pumpkins are misleading in the sense that since the packet of seeds says "Ready to pick in 100 days" or whatever and that they are a winter squash, people think that they can start them late. Unlike most other vegetables, pumpkins are fast growers. From the time you plant the seed to the time you see the first little yellow or green fruit can be as soon as 2-3 weeks. The majority of the time that is listed on the seed packet is for maturing of the fruit and not for the setting.
Like I said, try a bit earlier next year. As for this year, let them go until the vine has totally died. In anticipation of a frost/freeze/snow, cover the vine and the maturing fruit with a comforter or a sheet of newspaper. Good luck! :)
Eric
marturo
10-15-02, 10:38 PM
Home again & where do we find you? Why in the Pumpkin Patch of course :) Glad you had a safe trip :)
Trips are fun, but far from relaxing, it's nice to be home though.
Did you get a chance to see any nice Gardens?
See any of the parts of Georgia hit by drought? In some places they just dried up.
Good to have you back Eric.
Marturo
Trips are fun, but far from relaxing, it's nice to be home though.
Did you get a chance to see any nice Gardens?
See any of the parts of Georgia hit by drought? In some places they just dried up.
Good to have you back Eric.
Marturo
Bomber
10-16-02, 06:44 AM
Hey Marturo,
No I didnt see any parched areas of Georgia; we only went to Savannah, and it looked like they had been spared the drought. We got some rain every day, but I guess that is typical for southeast. Thankfully, we are getting some much needed rain today. Maybe about 1-2" the weather channel is saying.
I didn't see any gardens down there, but of course, I went with my parents and brothers and couldnt really "break" from the group so to speak. I'll tell you what I did see on the way down that was beautiful; of course, you may already know this... As you drive down 95, once you get into North Carolina, the median is all grass covered with wildflowers. Vibrant reds, yellows, and pinks all the way down and continuing into central South Carolina where they are replaced with palmetto trees. Just beautiful.
Thanks for the welcome back. It's always nice to go on vacation, but its even nicer to be able to come back to a friendly community like DIY :)
Eric
No I didnt see any parched areas of Georgia; we only went to Savannah, and it looked like they had been spared the drought. We got some rain every day, but I guess that is typical for southeast. Thankfully, we are getting some much needed rain today. Maybe about 1-2" the weather channel is saying.
I didn't see any gardens down there, but of course, I went with my parents and brothers and couldnt really "break" from the group so to speak. I'll tell you what I did see on the way down that was beautiful; of course, you may already know this... As you drive down 95, once you get into North Carolina, the median is all grass covered with wildflowers. Vibrant reds, yellows, and pinks all the way down and continuing into central South Carolina where they are replaced with palmetto trees. Just beautiful.
Thanks for the welcome back. It's always nice to go on vacation, but its even nicer to be able to come back to a friendly community like DIY :)
Eric
marturo
10-16-02, 02:43 PM
Hi Eric,
Eric said:
As you drive down 95, once you get into North Carolina, the median is all grass covered with wildflowers. Vibrant reds, yellows, and pinks all the way down and continuing into central South Carolina where they are replaced with palmetto trees. Just beautiful.
I don't know how many other states do this but here in NC the DOT has State grants to plant flowers of all kinds along our Hiways.
We see them out there with huge water trucks at night watering the Poppies, Tulips, Hyacinths + many others all season long.
It was as some of you remember a nationwide plan of Ladybird Johnsons way back in the 70s to beautfiy Americas Hyways by planting the nations majior roads, with Wild Flowers & flowering trees.
After the Federal grants dissapeared some of the States like NC said let's keep it up. It would relax and make people happy on long trips to plant the grass covered areas with flowers & trees.
Our state like many others, is not without money problems however this is one thing North Carolinians, are not going to give up. Where I live in Western Carolina, people like to plant flowers all over their towns & yards. It's one of the reasons we chose to make NC our home.
Some of you will remember the real Mother Earth News, well Hendersonville is where they put out the Magazine, & just down the road from where we live, is the old Eco-Village.
Marturo
Eric said:
As you drive down 95, once you get into North Carolina, the median is all grass covered with wildflowers. Vibrant reds, yellows, and pinks all the way down and continuing into central South Carolina where they are replaced with palmetto trees. Just beautiful.
I don't know how many other states do this but here in NC the DOT has State grants to plant flowers of all kinds along our Hiways.
We see them out there with huge water trucks at night watering the Poppies, Tulips, Hyacinths + many others all season long.
It was as some of you remember a nationwide plan of Ladybird Johnsons way back in the 70s to beautfiy Americas Hyways by planting the nations majior roads, with Wild Flowers & flowering trees.
After the Federal grants dissapeared some of the States like NC said let's keep it up. It would relax and make people happy on long trips to plant the grass covered areas with flowers & trees.
Our state like many others, is not without money problems however this is one thing North Carolinians, are not going to give up. Where I live in Western Carolina, people like to plant flowers all over their towns & yards. It's one of the reasons we chose to make NC our home.
Some of you will remember the real Mother Earth News, well Hendersonville is where they put out the Magazine, & just down the road from where we live, is the old Eco-Village.
Marturo