Pumpkins are a great beginner horticultural crop because they are easy to grow and are a productive producer when there is enough space to expand. They are an excellent choice for Park Avenue or Devil's Land, where you may want to suppress weeds but don't want to spend a lot of time taking care of the scenery. They can also be planted on the edges of gardens or in the corners of raised beds, and can be freely strolled on the side. Harvesting pumpkins is also fun!The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.
Although planting pumpkins may be easy, there are some things you need to know when harvesting pumpkins to ensure that you can fully utilize your crops. When choosing the pumpkin variety you want to plant, remember that there are many different types of pumpkins.
When to Harvest Pumpkins
Once you have chosen which type of pumpkin to plant, you must check the seed pack for specific information on its maturity size, color, and harvest days. Except for specific indicators that depend on variety and type, all pumpkins must follow some general rules of thumb. From harvesting pumpkins to healing them, you can follow some gardening techniques.
Schedule
Several different stages of pumpkin growth occur before picking the pumpkin. Generally speaking, pumpkins can be harvested with a sharp knife within 90-120 days. About halfway through maturity, plants will begin to bloom. Their huge yellow pumpkin flowers are similar to those of zucchini, cream nuts, acorn pumpkins, and other members of the pumpkin family. These pumpkin flowers are also edible. Like other members of this family, pumpkins have separate male and female flowers. The pollen of male flowers must be transferred to female flowers in order to bear fruit. After successful pollination, you will see the small pumpkin begin to swell at the base of the female flower. They usually start in green and gradually mature to the final color.
When the vines in the garden start to wither, you will know that your pumpkin harvest is coming soon. As mentioned above, pay attention to the date of harvesting the variety you choose. If this is consistent with signs of withering of the grape vines, usually in late summer or early autumn, then your winter pumpkin can be harvested. No matter how mature the pumpkin is, whether it's in autumn or early winter, make sure to harvest it before the first frost. Although they are called winter pumpkins, they cannot tolerate severe cold. Grapevines will wither, and if you expose the plants to frost, the fruits may rot in the garden.
Stem
In addition to the withering of the pumpkin vine, you will also notice that the stems on the pumpkin vine will begin to turn from green to brown. The brown wooden stems on the grapevine are a good visual indicator that your pumpkin fruit is almost ready.
Exodermis
If you study gardening techniques related to harvesting pumpkin fruits, you may learn how to test pumpkin skins. Nail testing is an unscientific method to test whether your pumpkin is ready. After the pumpkin matures, the outer skin will harden. If you press your nails onto the fruit peel and it leaves almost no marks, then it indicates that the peel is starting to harden and the fruit is almost ready to be harvested. Hard skin is the difference between winter and summer pumpkins, allowing them to be stored for a longer time without rotting.
Colour
Pumpkins come in many different colors, from green, white, yellow, red, blue to the most obvious orange. They can even be spotted or solid colored. A fully ripe pumpkin will gradually change from green to a mature color, depending on the variety you choose. Check the vines in your garden to see if the fruits have turned into ripe colors, whether they are orange, white, or multi colored.
Size
Like the color, the size of a mature pumpkin depends on its variety. Sugar pie pumpkins (especially pumpkin pie) used for baking are usually smaller in size. According to the variety of pumpkin, once the pumpkin reaches the required size and is fully colored, it can continue to be picked. Then you can break the stems of grape vines and take them out of the garden to make pickled pumpkins.
Retain valve stem
It is important to maintain the attachment of the stems during harvesting. Pumpkin stems can extend the shelf life of pumpkins. Do not pull the pumpkin off the grapevine with your hands, as this can cause damage to the grapevine, and there may be an immature pumpkin on the other end of the pumpkin.
Let's discuss more techniques for preserving pumpkins after they are removed from the garden.
How to store pumpkins
If you choose to plant pumpkins in the garden, you will harvest food and decorations at the end of the season. It is important to know how to store them to maximize the harvest. The storage method will also depend on how you choose to handle the pumpkin after moving it out of the garden on a sunny day. Pumpkins that have any damage to their skin or skin should be consumed immediately and should not be stored for a long time.
Refrigerator
The easiest way to store pumpkins is to put them in the refrigerator. Pumpkins that will be consumed within a month will work best when refrigerated in the refrigerator. Before storing in this way, it does not need to be solidified. However, pickling them also increases their lifespan in the refrigerator. Place the fruit in a cooler place.
Freezer
If you want to store pumpkins for various cooking purposes, this is the best solution for long-term storage of fruits. Pumpkins can be baked, made into mud, and then frozen for future use in baking pies, bread, muffins, cakes, etc. Pumpkin seeds can be removed, roasted, and stored in sealed containers. They can also be cut into small orange squares and frozen for future use in soups and stews. Frozen pumpkins can technically be stored indefinitely, although they taste best when consumed within a year. If you grow a little longer, you may burn out and lose your texture in the refrigerator.
Dehydration
If you are interested in using pumpkin powder directly from the garden, dehydrated pumpkin is a good choice. You can dehydrate pumpkin slices and mix them into powder using a spice grinder or coffee grinder. This powder can also be used in baking and soup to enhance the flavor of pumpkin. Sprinkle some roasted seeds on top, and you're done. Even better, dehydrated pumpkin slices are an excellent food for dogs! As is well known, pumpkin fiber helps digestion.
Freeze drying
Freeze drying is the ultimate long-term storage option. Although freeze-drying machines are not cheap, if you have a lot of harvest and hope to preserve them for a long time without occupying a lot of space, then they are worth investing in. You can freeze dry cut autumn pumpkin chunks, which can be stored in polyester film bags and rehydrated by throwing them directly into the soup. Freeze-drying machines can also flexibly freeze dry more forms of food in gardens than dehydrators. You can even freeze dry the cut pumpkin pie to make delicious pumpkin pie.
No matter which way you choose to store or use pumpkins, don't let these seeds waste! Dig out the inside of the pumpkin, rinse off the flesh of the pumpkin seeds, sprinkle a small amount of salt, and bake into a delicious snack!
