Yellow pumpkin??!

[Dianne1234567]

This year I have been growing pumpkins as well as other various things. I have currently got about 4 or 5 pumpkins which were doing well - came back from holiday and one of them has now turned yellow. Does anyone know what this means?

Dianne

[Florence Fennel]

My first time with pumpkins this year Dianne, but doesn't this mean your pumpkin is ripening? I'm sure someone in the know will be along soon.

[Dianne1234567]

Thanks Florence Fennel - this is going to sound really silly, but I had not actually thought of that, although the pumpkin itself is still quite small, maybe the sort of size of a small football, if you know what I mean. I was just wondering if that was it for that pumpkin and it wasn't going to grow any more for whatever reason.

Dianne

[zazen999]

They don't get much bigger; once they change colour that's it size-wise.

But, be happy - some never get pumpkins and certainly never get orange ones. It's my 3rd year of trying and I have got some this year...

[Dianne1234567]

What's the next step - leave it where it is, or do I pick it?

[zazen999]

Just leave it to turn and then mature. It can stay outside until the first frost is due; then cut it and bring it indoors to ripen.

This won't be for a while yet.

[Dianne1234567]

Cheers Zazen999 - I will do that.

Dianne

[bluemoon]

Pop something under it to keep it off the soil, this will help it ripen, prevent rot and slug attacks. Fellow Grapes have all sorts of favourite things to use, a seed tray for example. I always put a piece of polystyrene under mine, it keeps it warm, dry and is they only way I've ever found to re-cycle the bliming stuff. And don't worry if you get one or two smaller ones, sometimes a huge pumpkin is just too huge for your needs.

[Dianne1234567]

Cheers Bluemoon. I save the polystyrene off of pizza bases to reuse as plant labels so have loads of these, so will pop these under the pumpkins - never thought of that, thank you.

[Florence Fennel]

Cheers Bluemoon. I save the polystyrene off of pizza bases to reuse as plant labels so have loads of these, so will pop these under the pumpkins - never thought of that, thank you.

Mine's are each on a wooden pallet Dianne and I turn them ever-so-slightly-and-gently-a-little-bit as advised by fellow grapes so they're not sitting on the same spot all the time. It's been wonderful watching the pumpkins and I notice one of mine is turning yellow now. It's not huge, but big enough to make a mean Halloween lantern, which is why I grew them in the first place and only because one of my grandchildren requested it and chose the seeds! Happy days. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I will.
Flo

[BarleySugar]

DD (Kissykit) named ours last Thursday, the big one is George, and the smaller twins are Sam and Fred. I don't know the variety, I just bought them as pumpkin plants from the garden centre, but they were yellow right from the start. They are now turning a more orange hue, and I slid a bit of old tile under each when they were babies. George decided to grow on the path, so we have to be careful to navigate around him.

[Dianne1234567]

Have been out to the garden and put polystyrene pizza bases under my beloved pumpkins, but find that the yellow one feels a lot softer than I thought it would - isd this the way it should be?

Dianne

[zazen999]

Have been out to the garden and put polystyrene pizza bases under my beloved pumpkins, but find that the yellow one feels a lot softer than I thought it would - isd this the way it should be?

Dianne

Sponge soft? not good.