Will dark green pumpkins turn orange? When to pick?

I have volunteer pumpkins that look like the Cinderella or Fairytale type as they have deep ribs and a squat shape. They start as light green and then turn very dark green as they mature. Likely they came from seeds in unfinished compost, which in turn were from orange-colored specimens that were Cinderella or Fairytale.

Will they change color to orange? How do I know when to pick them?

I can send a photo if you like.

Many thanks.

Answer

Although there are green varieties of pumpkin, my guess is that your pumpkin is not one of those varieties.  Your pumpkin will turn orange if the vine is still in good shape and has not rotted or died,  and there  has not been a frost.  So hang in there. A pumpkin is ripe when the skin and stem are hard, and it sounds hollow when you thump it. And, of course, the pumpkin is ripe when it is orange on the vine.  However, you can make the pumpkin turn orange if it hasn't already done so within the next couple of weeks.  Here's how:

Cut the pumpkin from the vine, leaving a stem of a couple of inches.  This  keeps the pumpkin from rotting at the top. Gently clean the pumpkin, dry it and wipe it down with a diluted bleach solution.  Keep it in a warm, dry, sunny spot.  Sun is needed to turn the pumpkin orange.  Turn green parts to the sun.  If the whole pumpkin is green, rotate it so it turns orange evenly.  I hope this works for you.

Harvest the green pumpkin – Cut your pumpkin off the vine, making sure to leave at least 4 inches of the vine on the top. The “handle” will help prevent the pumpkin from rotting at the top. Clean your green pumpkin – The biggest threat to a green pumpkin is rot and mold. Gently wash the mud and dirt from the pumpkin. After the pumpkin is clean, dry it and then wipe it down with a diluted bleach solution. Find a warm, dry, sunny spot – Pumpkins need sunlight and warmth to ripen and a dry place so they don’t rot or mold. Enclosed porches generally make a good place, but any warm, dry sunny spot you have in your yard or house will work. Place the green side to the sun – The sun will help the green part of the pumpkin turn orange. If you have a pumpkin that is only partially green, face the green side towards the sun. If the whole pumpkin is green, rotate the pumpkin evenly for an even change to orange.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Getting Green Pumpkins To Turn Orange After The Pumpkin Vine Dies https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pumpkin/getting-green-pumpkins-to-turn-orange-after-the-pumpkin-vine-dies.htm

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  • Last Updated Jan 14, 2021
  • Views 50282
  • Answered By Aska Gardener

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