Storing Pumpkins

A lot of people in gardens don’t necessary grow pumpkins to eat but either for Halloween or to see how big they can actually grow one. Whether it be for a show or just for fun. Growing a pumpkin can be extremely fun for you and the whole family. Checking to see if it has got bigger each day. Once you have grown it though you will need to store your pumpkins until Halloween or until you need to use it. Here we will explain the best ways for storing pumpkins.

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What is the best time to harvest when storing pumpkins

When storing pumpkins you need to harvest them at the correct time so they the pumpkins store for longer. You will need to harvest your pumpkins when they have reached there optimum colour. You can check online the variety of pumpkin you are growing and the colour it should be.

Pick the pumpkin when the skin will not scratch, it needs to be tough, and not shine. You will notice that the plant will be going brown and it will also be dying back. You need to make sure that you harvest the pumpkin before the first frost of the year so keep an eye on the weather at night and the temperature. IF the weather is getting cold and the rain is cold harvest your pumpkins but store them indoors – the temperature needs to be around 28 degrees Celsius. You will need to let them ripen for at least 10 days. Scratch the pumpkin to see if it is firm and hard.

To harvest the pumpkin cut it off the vine – you need to leave around 4 inches of stem on the pumpkin, this is so that the pumpkin does not start rotting

When you need to move the pumpkins make sure that you lift them properly bending correctly and not damaging your back. Try and use a wheelbarrow to transport them to where they need to go. Do not use the stem as this got snap off. Make sure that if your using a wheelbarrow to put something under the pumpkin as it could get damaged during transportation.

How to store pumpkins – best way of storing pumpkins

Before storing pumpkins you need to prepare them and get them ready for hibernation. To do this you need to wash them with bleach. You need a gallon of water and 2 teaspoons of bleach – Do not make it any stronger. Use gloves when washing your pumpkins with bleach. Once they have been washed make sure they are dried down completely by rubbing them with a towel.

Your pumpkins are now ready for storing until they are needed. The best place to store pumpkin are in a dry dark location where the temperature is about 15 degrees. It cannot be any colder than 11 degrees Celsius or any warmer than 15 degrees Celsius.

Do not store you pumpkins on the ground or on concrete as this can cause them to start rotting and you would not want to lose all your harvest. You need to rest your pumpkins on either cardboard, hay/straw, or on wooden shelving.

If you store your pumpkins correctly you can actually have them for around 3-6 months. The quicker you use them the better though just in case they do start rotting.

Make sure that you do keep checking you pumpkins on a regular basis though for soft spots on them – this can be done by just pressing your finger on them. If one is rotting it will need chucking away. Either chuck it on a compost heap or dispose of it in the bin. Make sure that no pumpkins are touching each other when you are storing them as if one starts rotting it could start the others rotting.

You now know the best way to store pumpkins the best way to make them last as long as possible until you actually need to use them.

Purchase Pumpkin Seeds

Do you want to find out all the different pumpkin varieties UK? Here you can find all the ones you can grow in the UK