Pumpkins are orange - should I pull them now for Halloween?

Some of my pumpkins are bright orange and I need them for Halloween. Should I pick them up and put them in the basement or can they stay in the garden and not rot until Halloween?

I don't know, Cat, but I've been reading a lot about pumpkins. My friend says it works better for him if he just carves on a naked pumpkin, w/o hollowing it out.

He says: "If you carve the insides, it all rots much faster. If I leave it intact, I can display it for about a week (people seem to like the increasing decayed corpse look by the end of the week). But if I hollow it out, the thing collapses in just a few days, especially when the weather's warm (it's been 90 here this week).
I think the hollowing thing is because everyone assumes it's going to be a lantern with a candle."

I'd pick them up, cure them a few days by leaving them in the sun, then put them in the basement. They can rot on the wet ground and if they get hit with a heavy frost they will be damaged.

Thank you, Doug. Now if I can just find some sun....
The kids in my neighborhood look forward to the pumpkins every year. It is a good opportunity to show them how things grow.

This message was edited Sep 13, 2013 3:26 PM

Pumpkins are "ripe" when a fingernail leaves no indentation on the skin.

I have no pumpkins nor winter squash this year, thanks to my yard man's weed-eater machine. It looks like the one he missed is spaghetti squash, not good for Halloween decorations.

Ouch, Darius. It sounds like you need a new yard man!

Normally I don't have a yard man, always do it all myself, but I've been in the hospital several times this year. Hopefully I'll be better by next year!

You'd think an experienced yard man would know what veggie plants look like, even as seedlings.

Darius - wishing you a speedy recovery!

I had literally many dozens of pumpkin seedlings, proud young guys and gals, growing in the spring..they are so full of life !!! Dispersed many of them to neighbors, mail man, two ladies doing recycling in their BIG truck (they had a temporary 30 minute problem, we had time to chat)...
They turned out to be rather mini pumpkins, I am surprised... sort of like softball size.. I didn't think that is what I had harvested from last year, but I do know that they can "revert" to an older parent... All my neighbors have seen the same result. But believe me, the fun of sharing the growth of these little legumes has been a huge piece of glue to my street, I have a talking point with everyone....
I took seeds to France where I worked this summer... Want to take Buckeyes as well for next year (I was born an Ohioan though I do not live there now) but want to make sure they are not the poisonous type... looking for clear and simple advice on that.
Ciao, look forward to your comments. Rico

One year I didn't plant and left the volunteers and had dozens and dozens of "pumquash" . They were shaped like pumpkins but striped like Del Gordia squash and a good size for little kids to carve. They were literally on every doorstep on the block because some people go to work during the day and their porches are ungarded! LOL!