pumpkin/squash ripening and storage

[chillithyme]

Hi
I was just wondering where is the best place to store pumpkin and butternut squashes,in the dark or in the light? I have a dark shed,limited windowsill space and no greenhouse

Most are ready,the plants mostly have died down and a couple of squashes still need to darken in colour,will they ripen if I leave them in a dark shed?

Thanks

[Thelma Sanders]

They need to be somewhere not too cold (not less then 10C) - I've had mine all rot in the shed one year, once winter cold set in

Good advice here, https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=320

You can only get as near the ideal as you can, mine stay on trays in the spare bedroom, where the heating is off - unless I have the gkids for the weekend

[chillithyme]

Thanks TS
I had planned to leave them outdoors for as long as possible, but my largest pumpkin is so heavy that its pushed the earth down, its sitting on plastic and when it rains its sitting in a puddle

[treepixie]

I store mine in a veg rack under the stairs

[rary]

I have three pumpkins ripening and the forecast has the temperature going down to 4c next week would I be better to cut them off and store them or would they be ok on the plant

[Jay-ell]

Remember to take a "T" with the pumpkin - that is cut the vine it's is attached to a couple of inches either side of where the pumpkins stalk joint it. This helps it to keep longer.

Mine sit in the kitchen/diner. It's usually the Giant Pumpkins (oh why do I have trouble growing normal sized pumpkins) so they have a table to themselves and last until I get the energy to cut them up one by one and use them - it takes time to use up a 20-30 pounds of pumpkin so the last one has been in storage for several months until mid/late spring.

[Small pumpkin]

I have three pumpkins ripening and the forecast has the temperature going down to 4c next week would I be better to cut them off and store them or would they be ok on the plant
[ATTACH=CONFIG]83412[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]83413[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]83414[/ATTACH]

They are looking great rary.