The question of when to remove the pumpkin from the garden for storage is relevant for everyone who grows this healthy and tasty fruit. Pumpkin harvesting time depends on the characteristics of the variety, as well as on the climate in your area of residence. As you know - everything has its time, at certain times we plant plants, and after that we wait for the harvest pores. Let's take a closer look at all the nuances relating to its ripening and the readiness of the pumpkin fruit for harvest.
Pumpkin in the garden, photo:
How to determine the readiness of the pumpkin for harvest?
In this case, of course, you should be guided by the ripening dates of individual varieties, but the surest way is to use characteristic external signs that signal “readiness” for harvesting:
- The peduncle (tail) of the fruit dries up and begins to fall off the stem, while it gradually hardens and eventually becomes as strong as wood. Sometimes, to remove the pumpkin from the whip, you may even need a sharp pruner or ax.
- The peel of the fetus acquires a saturated orange or yellow hue (depending on varietal characteristics). In fact, there are a great many varieties of pumpkins, they can also be white or green - in this case, you should pay attention to the condition of the tail and the points described below.
- The ripening of the fetus can be determined by the hardness of the bark. The bark of a ripe fruit becomes so dense that it is difficult to scratch it and leave some mark without the use of, for example, a metal object. It will not work to leave a scratch with a fingernail - this is a clear indicator of pumpkin ripening. The exception is only some nutmeg varieties, which have a thinner peel.
- At the final stage of ripening, the fruit completely takes all the necessary vitality from the green part of the plant. The main stem, foliage and lashes lose their color, turn yellow and dry out.
You should also pay attention to the usual "folk" method for determining the maturity of gourds - tapping the crust. With this action, a ripe pumpkin (like its watermelon counterpart) should make a clear, clear sound. In a ripened fruit, the flesh will be fleshy, hard and elastic. The seeds of such a pumpkin are always covered with a dense peel (with the exception of gymnosperms).
When to harvest pumpkins?
Information on a bag of seeds is written not in vain. Often, it indicates the ripening time of the fruits of a single variety, but you need to take into account the warm summer and a sufficient "dose" of sunlight. If the summer is rainy and cool, the ripening period of pumpkins will stretch over a longer period of time.
Terms of harvesting pumpkins of certain types:
- If we consider hard-bark varietal species, then their ripening time is approximately 3 months. Such fruits are considered early ripening and are recommended for planting in the cold regions of our country (where there is a short summer). They will not impress you with their remarkable taste and rich vitamin composition, but their seeds, on the contrary, will be useful and appetizing. Harvesting hard-bred varieties follows from the 20th of August. To avoid over-ripening, in cold regions it is not recommended to leave pumpkins in the beds until September. As for the middle zone of Russia, then, according to observations, thick-bodied hard varieties finally mature by the end of August.
- Large-fruited pumpkin harvesting time is approximately September 10-15. Large-fruited species are considered the most favorite among summer residents and gardeners, and for good reason - their flesh is not only tasty, but also full of all kinds of useful ingredients and vitamins. They are characterized by medium maturity and are characterized by good keeping quality. Full ripening of fruits occurs after 4 months (or a little more), the main thing is to remove them from the garden before the onset of the first frost. In this case, pumpkins will be perfectly stored for a long time. If you live in the cold regions of Russia, remove the pumpkins from the beds until September and place in a dry, warm place. Within a month, the fruits ripen, if necessary.
- Harvesting pumpkins of late varieties is carried out last: from the end of September until the onset of the first frost. Late varieties are the most “moody” and delicious, as well as thermophilic. Most nutmeg species are later ones. You should know that unpretentious pumpkin is a more cold-resistant fruit than, for example, melon or watermelon. After harvesting (in cold regions), the fruits are kept in a dry and warm room for 1.5-2 months (ripening). Nutmeg varieties can be stored for quite some time. Full ripening of such fruits is possible only in the southern regions of our country, where the summer is long, sunny and warm. The ripening process lasts approximately 4.5-5 months.
Thus, we can conclude that in warm areas, pumpkins ripen directly in the beds, and in cold areas they are removed from the garden slightly unripe, and then ripen in a proper room.
Pumpkin Harvesting - How to Collect and Store Properly?
By observing simple rules, you can ensure long-term storage of fruits. In this case, both the cleaning process and the storage conditions of the pumpkin are equally important.
Harvest:
- For these purposes, select a nice warm day. To be in time to collect pumpkins from the beds before the onset of frost is the most important condition, because even slightly frosty fruits will not be stored for long.
- If you transport fruits by car, make sure that pumpkin bark is not damaged during transportation. Microbes penetrate into the fetus through a “trauma” on the peel, the action of which will lead to a quick and inevitable damage to both a single pumpkin and the entire crop subsequently.
- When removing fruit from the stem, use a sharp garden knife or pruner. If you try to tear or unscrew the pumpkin from the loop, the stem will be damaged, in which putrefactive processes will begin and, as a result, bacteria will multiply. The length of the tail should be at least 5-7 cm. When harvesting the pumpkin (when moving it), do not hold on to the stem, but take the fruit by its sides and bottom.
Some gardeners advise not to transfer pumpkins to the room immediately after harvesting, motivating these actions by the fact that the fruit peel should additionally dry out a little in the fresh air. This factor will not be superfluous, but if weather conditions do not allow or for some reason you can’t leave pumpkins on the street, moving the fruit to a warm and dry place immediately after removal from the beds will not harm the crop.
Fruit storage:
- The ideal temperature for storing pumpkins is approximately +10 .. + 15 ° C. The mercury column may be reduced to +5 ° C, but not lower. Storage in the apartment is possible, but then the air temperature should not exceed +20 .. + 22 ° C.
- The room should be well ventilated, darkness is very desirable. But humidity should not be.
- It is best to place pumpkins on wooden shelves so that they do not touch barrels.
- Make sure that there are no apples or pears in the pumpkin storage room, quince is also on this list. These fruits emit plant gas ethylene, which does no harm, but accelerates ripening. Thus, such close proximity can shorten the shelf life of pumpkins.
- From time to time, check the condition and appearance of pumpkins, immediately remove suspicious spoiled specimens so that they do not “infect” other fruits.
- When laying the crop for storage, sort the pumpkins into varieties. Hard-bark fruits have a very low rate of keeping quality, but nutmeg species, on the contrary, can be stored for a long time in appropriate conditions.
Harvest pumpkin photo:
How to speed up ripening pumpkin?
There are several ways that can help the fruits ripen earlier than the specified dates.
I will list the most popular and verified of them:
- Examine the weather forecast for the coming weeks, about 20 days before the cold snap, remove the apical buds on young shoots, and also tear off all the flowers. Thanks to this procedure, all the vitality of the plant will go to the development and ripening of pumpkins. Also remove all small fruits so that large pumpkins get more nutrients.
- Remove all stepsons.
- Weekly feeding plants with ash will not be superfluous. A one-time fertilizer of pumpkins with superphosphate will also accelerate the ripening of fruits, however, this procedure must be carried out before September.
- Thin out the leaves so that the sun's rays have better access to the fruits. About 5 or 7 leaves are recommended for one pumpkin.
- In varieties with small fruits, it is recommended to leave no more than 5 pumpkins on the bush. Large-fruited species can leave a couple of pieces.
- If you grow this culture on a compost heap, the ripening process will be much faster.
- Lovers of tinkering with seedlings can first plant the seeds in pots, this should be taken around April. When the first two full-fledged leaves appear, it will be necessary to transfer young bushes to the ground.
To make the pumpkin ripening process comfortable, do not be lazy to put a thick cardboard or plywood, or even polystyrene foam under each pumpkin. If you mulch the beds with sawdust or bark, it will only get better.
When you clean the pumpkin - you now know, and with regard to storage, even the most seasoned varieties should not be kept at home for more than six months. Their flesh becomes fibrous, taste is lost, as are the beneficial components.