Onions & Pumpkins.....

[chadspad]

Not necessarily in that order tho lol.

How do I know when my onions are ready to dig up - do they come up out of the ground?

When is the best time to pick a pumpkin to eat? Is it sweeter the smaller it is or is it too hard to eat when still small? Mine are currently the size of cantaloupe melons (my pumpkins that is lol ).

Thanks

[Goldfang]

Hello Chad, your onions will tell you when they are ready to harvest as they will start to flop over, resist the temptation to help them do this as some books suggest. You can also put a fork under them and just break the roots hold in the ground, this will speed up the drying and ripening process. after a few days on the ground you can gather them up and spread them out in the sun and breeze preferably off the ground to dry the remaining stalk/leaf before storing.
As for your pumpkins, unless they are a small variety, you are going to have to let them grow and then ripen off on the plant before storing eating them. Iusually leave them on the plant until all the leaves have died down. Then i cut them, leaving a good lenghth of stalk on them, then leave them in a sunny place to ripen/harden off completely.
Hope this has made sense, regards Goldfang

[chadspad]

Hi Goldfang,

That makes perfect sense - thanks very much!

[chadspad]

It would appear that the pumpkins I am growing are a small variety as they have only reached sort of cantaloupe melon size and all the leaves have died around them - would this indicate that they are ready to pick?
Thanks

[Millymollymandy]

It depends whether you are growing winter pumpkins or summer squash! They could be ready now - if you've plenty why not try one?

I've never grown summer squash/pumpkin so don't know anything about them.

But in any case if the plant is dying off the pumpkin isn't going to grow any more - the only question is whether it needs more ripening or not.

Normally for winter squash you'd pick in, say September, then leave the pumpkins in the sun to ripen, but in the temperatures you're probably getting in August I don't know whether it would scorch them or not.

I'm sorry I can't be any more help!

[Luath]

Shouldn't scorch them unless they get wet first I think. More sun = quicker and better ripening.

[Millymollymandy]

Actually come to think of it - in my preserving book written by an Aussie author, she said they put their Queensland Blue pumpkins on top of the tin roof of the dunny to ripen. Can't get much hotter than that!!

[chadspad]

Thanks for all your help with this.
Thought I would share my photos of the pumpkins with u so we all know what Im talking about lol.
I bought the seeds thinking they were squashes but on later inspection and translation, foudn they were pumpkins. Mum has unfortunately thrown the packet away now so not sure when they shoudl be harvested or anything about them!
Ignore the weeds please - its a patch of the garden that doesnt get touched much - but would u say these pumpkins are ready for harvesting and putting in the sunshine? The plants themselves were planted way back in the dark soil, so there is large areas of runners without leaves now.

[Chickpea]

Wow, that looks fantastic. We've tried pumpkins a few times but the slugs always seem to get them.

[Millymollymandy]

I would try posting that piccy on Total France to see if anyone there recognises them and could advise more.

I was discussing pumpkins with someone there recently because she thought she was growing butternut but it turns out they were a yellow summer squash!

[chadspad]

Thats a great idea M3, will try that, thanks!

[chadspad]

I looked in the supermarket and they have these exact things called Potimarron. I then did an internet search and found this really interesting site where this man gives out free Potimarron seeds to anyone who agrees to give some of the produce to a local homeless/needy shelters and pass the seeds on again or back to him - what a lovely idea!

http://www.rainbow-taichi.org.uk/potima ... _let_m.htm

[Chickpea]

What a brilliant idea!

[chadspad]

Have picked 5 of my potimarrons and placed them on window sill to sunbathe! How long do they take to ripen and how will I know? The biggest one already sounds hollow when I tap it. If they arent ripened, what happens when cooked, will they be tough?

So much worry over some little orange vegetables!

[ina]

Never heard of these... I wonder whether they'd grow in Scotland! I suppose potimarrons is the French name?