With the right care, you can already harvest the first pumpkins in late summer. We explain how this is done here.
When is a pumpkin ready for harvest?
Harvesting of pumpkins usually begins in late summer (end of August) and lasts until autumn. Of course, the time of harvest always depends on the time of planting and the weather. You can recognize ripe pumpkins either by their color (e.g. rich orange) or by their state of ripeness, e.g. hard skin, hard and dry stalk, etc. Just tap the pumpkin. If the pumpkin sounds hollow or the knocking sounds dull, then the pumpkin is ready to be harvested. As soon as the first frost comes over the pumpkins, harvesting the fruit is no longer recommended. In addition, ornamental gourds can only be used for decorative purposes, they are inedible as food.
Harvesting the pumpkin - This is how it's done
When harvesting, a little stalk should always remain on the pumpkin itself, which makes it last longer. So never break the stem. Otherwise it can happen that the pumpkins start to rot very quickly. It is best to always cut the pumpkins with a sharp knife or sharp secateurs. You should leave dried blossoms on the pumpkin. If you harvest the pumpkins early because it is too wet or too cold outside, then you should let the pumpkins ripen in a warm place.
Store pumpkins correctly
Pumpkins, for example, can easily be stored in a dry basement room until spring. Orange Knirps or spaghetti have proven to be ideal storage pumpkins. If you want to avoid bruises that can quickly start to rot, then you should store the pumpkins on Styrofoam. It is best to store the pumpkins at 15 to 20 degrees. Always store pumpkins at a constant temperature and humidity.