Beginner Gardening: Jack o' Lanterns, 1 by GardeningMommy

GardeningMommy wrote:
I'm looking for a little advice on how to grow pumpkins big enough for my kids to carve. I planted 3 or 4 jack o' lantern seeds, and they're now huge vines that I'm training up a trellis for space. Should I take some of the pumpkins off of the vine to encourage the remainders to get bigger, or will they get big enough without me doing that, allowing for a larger crop? Do I need to fertilize? Does anyone have advice for supporting the pumpkins that grow on the trellis? How do I know when they're ready to harvest?
Thanks!
Christy