When to harvest pumpkin 2022: signs of ripening and storage rules

Pumpkin is the true queen of the fall harvest. It is loved in different parts of the world for its excellent taste and is used in many dishes not only at the everyday table, but also in famous restaurants. Even the well-known fairy tale about Cinderella was not complete without the participation of a pumpkin: it was the pumpkin that the fairy godmother turned into a carriage for her young ward, in which she went to the ball! Pumpkin is famous for its rich vitamin composition and contains a significant amount of macro- and microelements in its pulp and seeds. And in order to preserve them for as long as possible during the winter and enjoy the excellent taste of pumpkin dishes, we have prepared for you the specifics of collecting and storing this crop in different regions of Russia, taking into account the favorable days of the lunar calendar.

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  Two little boys picking pumpkins at a farm

When to harvest pumpkin?

It takes approximately 4 months for mid-season pumpkin varieties to fully ripen. Harvesting takes place closer to mid-September or in the second half of the month.

Early ripening vegetables are harvested about a month earlier. Representatives of late ripening are, accordingly, 30 days later.

Fruit harvesting is carried out strictly on a dry day. If harvesting falls during a rainy period, the picked pumpkin should be left in a dark, dry room for several days. This time is enough for the fruits to dry well.

It is important to clean up before the onset of serious frost. Otherwise, the fruit will freeze very much and simply spoil. It is prohibited to store it for long-term storage.

Ripening pumpkin in different climatic conditions

Every experienced gardener, when growing certain plants, relies on the climate in his area and knows what to expect from each season. For example, late-ripening pumpkins are completely unsuitable for those regions where cold weather sets in sharply, and the gardener runs the risk of simply not waiting for the vegetable to fully ripen or not being able to extract it in time.

Regions with short and/or cold summers

Those gardeners who are unlucky with a warm summer season are advised to focus on early-ripening pumpkin varieties. As already mentioned, they will take about three months to ripen. By planting an early-ripening pumpkin, you can be sure that at the end of August you will have time to harvest a full harvest. Keeping such a pumpkin in the ground is not only pointless, but also dangerous. A stale vegetable will become loose and fibrous.

The closer your garden is to the north, the faster your pumpkins should ripen.

Early ripening varieties do not have outstanding taste and require quick consumption. Their pulp is not as rich in nutrients as the pulp of later variations of the vegetable. But such pumpkins have their own advantages - they are grown to produce tasty and healthy seeds.

Regions with temperate summer climates

Most gardeners in the middle zone focus on mid-season pumpkin varieties as a kind of compromise. Therefore, if above-zero temperatures do not last in your area until the end of October, but the climate is mild enough to allow you to keep vegetables until mid-September, a mid-season pumpkin is the best choice. Four months after planting, mid-season varieties are ready for harvest.

Mid-season pumpkins are best suited for inhabitants of central Russia

Unlike early-ripening pumpkin, the pulp of mid-ripening pumpkin is more pleasant to the taste and can be safely used in cooking. Mid-season varieties have a whole set of vitamins, since they contain:

Among mid-season pumpkins, you should pay attention to large-fruited varieties that can be stored in cellars for several months. However, long-term storage of such vegetables is only possible if you have time to remove them before the first frost. Otherwise, the shelf life of the mid-season variety is significantly shortened.

Mid-season pumpkins are rich in vitamins and nutrients

The most suitable time for harvesting mid-season pumpkins is the end of September. Harvesting is carried out regardless of whether all the fruits have reached a ripe state. Those pumpkins that still need time are sent to the cellars for ripening. For the final ripening of the fruits, a dry and warm room is suitable.

Regions with long, warm summers

Only the southern regions, which are not afraid of cold autumn, can afford late-ripening pumpkins. Of all the late-ripening varieties, it is recommended to choose nutmeg, as they are the most tasty and healthy. Butternut squash are difficult to care for and incredibly heat-loving, but careful care for them is worth the results.

Butternut squash is considered a real delicacy, but is very demanding to care for.

Butternut squash take more than four and a half months to ripen, so harvesting of some specimens may occur in early November. When stored in the cellar for a long time (longer than five months), the pumpkin pulp breaks down into fibers and loses its taste.

If they really want to, the northern regions can also try to cope with fragile late-ripening pumpkins, but you should prepare in advance for the need to ripen them yourself within a couple of months. Immediately after ripening in artificial conditions, pumpkin should be quickly eaten or processed.

In order for the pumpkin to produce a good harvest, regardless of climatic conditions, it must be cared for throughout the growing season. Read below about the basics of proper handling of pumpkins and proper feeding of fruits.

Features of pumpkin care

In addition to climatic conditions, the timing of the pumpkin harvest is affected by the condition of the soil in the autumn. The more saturated it is with useful microelements, the faster vegetables form inside it and the better they turn out as a result. You can read about how to fertilize the soil in the autumn season on our portal.

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What affects the timing of pumpkin ripening?

All varieties of vegetables are divided into late-ripening, early-ripening and mid-ripening. Moreover, each has its own speed of achieving full maturity. The fruiting of the plant is directly influenced by climatic conditions:

1. In the South, pumpkins are grown outdoors and can be harvested once all the leaves are dry. This is a sure sign of fruit ripeness.
2. In the north, pumpkins are harvested earlier. In such conditions, the fruits simply do not have time to ripen in the open air. They remove them ahead of schedule and leave the room to “finish.”

Harvesting rules

All varieties of pumpkin are harvested following the general rules:

1. When collecting there should be clear, warm weather . Do not collect in damp or frosty conditions. But you shouldn’t delay waiting for good weather. If you had to cut pumpkins in the rain, you need to wipe them with a napkin or dry them well.
2. If the rains start and there is no way to collect them, cover the crop with plastic wrap to prevent moisture from getting on the pumpkins.
3. The stalk is never cut off at the root . Such a fruit will quickly deteriorate, because cutting down to the pulp opens the way for oxygen, bacteria, and microbes. Be sure to leave a tip of 3-5 cm. The cut of the tip should be even.
4. Treat the pumpkin crust as carefully as possible. Any damage, even a small scratch, reduces the chances of successful storage. Avoid falls that do not cause visible damage. A strong shock will damage the internal integrity of the vegetable, which does not contribute to keeping quality. One pumpkin that starts to spoil can cause the others to spoil.
5. Large pumpkins are removed from the garden separately; they require more time to ripen.

Signs of a ripe pumpkin

It is important for gardeners to accurately and correctly determine the degree of ripeness of the fruit, which is ready for consumption or storage. It is strictly forbidden to cut or pierce the pumpkin. If the integrity of the fetus is compromised, it quickly begins to deteriorate.

External manifestations

There are many signs that indicate that a pumpkin is ripe. These include:

1. Dry stem (hard and hard to the touch). If it is still green, you need to wait a little, as it needs to ripen.
2. The vines and leaves of the plant are completely / partially yellowed and dried out.
3. The fruit has acquired a rich color depending on the specific variety - gray-green, yellow or dark orange. There are varieties that are not subject to this rule. When fully ripe, the fruits remain gray or white.
4. Dense and fairly rigid stalk. If you press on it, there should be no dent left.
5. On ripe fruits, the shell has a well-defined pattern. But green-fruited varieties are an exception.
6. The structure of the pulp is quite dense.
7. The seeds have a hard skin, but gymnospermous species are an exception.

Experienced gardeners check the degree of ripeness by sound. If you tap the fruit and it makes a ringing sound, it means the pumpkin is fully ripe.

By following these tips, you can easily determine the optimal cleaning time. These criteria are universal and are suitable for different vegetable growing regions.

You can partially rely on the timing indicated by the manufacturer on the seed packets. Sometimes it also describes the shade that a fully ripened pumpkin should acquire.

But you should not completely trust the manufacturer’s instructions. These are general recommendations. They take into account only optimal growing conditions and harvesting rules.

Individual characteristics

It is not necessary to remove fruits from the garden to check the degree of ripeness. Taking into account the specific variety, each plant exhibits certain properties indicating that the pumpkin is ready for harvest.

Just take a close look at the bark of the fruit:

• bush varieties - clear stripes of a light yellow hue appear;
• large-fruited species - a dense and fairly dark network;
• nutmeg varieties - the peel becomes brownish, light round spots appear.

How do you know when a pumpkin is ripe?

Several signs indicate that the vegetable is fully ripe.

1. Dense bark . When pressing on the peel, there should be no dents left on it. Only butternut squash can sag slightly because its bark is thinner. In this case, ripeness is best determined by the color of the peel: it should be light brown or beige. The bark of a mature pumpkin turns rich yellow, brown or orange.

2. Clear drawing . Ripe vegetables have a distinct pattern. It is absent only in green-fruited varieties (Augustina). And the Benincasa pumpkin becomes covered with a white coating when ripe.

3. Hard stalk . The vine on which the fruit is located hardens, becomes woody and lighter when ripe.

A ripe pumpkin has a very hard stalk that cannot be broken without using pruning shears.

4. Voiced sound . Like a watermelon, when tapped on the bark, a ripe pumpkin makes a distinct sound rather than a dull sound.

5. Dense pulp and hard seed skin . When cutting the fruit, the flesh inside should be dense, not loose. And the seeds must be covered with a hard skin. The exception is gymnosperm pumpkins, which do not have a protective coating on the seeds.

• Autumn pumpkin harvest - timely harvesting and proper storage

  A rich pumpkin harvest will not survive the winter if it is not collected correctly and the necessary storage conditions are neglected.

Individual signs of pumpkin ripening

Some varieties have their own signals that indicate the ripeness of the fruit. Thus, light yellow stripes appear on the orange bark of the Golden Bush pumpkin. In the large-fruited Medicinal pumpkin, a dark, dense network appears on the thin gray bark. Vitamin butternut squash turns brown and becomes covered with lighter round spots.

In addition, the ripening period of the pumpkin can be calculated. Seed packets usually indicate how many days it takes for a particular variety to mature. But keep in mind: this technique only works if the summer is warm and sunny.

Under unfavorable climatic conditions, the ripening period of vegetables shifts to a later time

As a rule, in the middle zone, hard-bark varieties are harvested first (at the end of August - beginning of September). In mid-September - large-fruited. And the last to be cut (from the end of September until the first frost) are nutmeg pumpkins. In the southern regions, harvesting is carried out 20-30 days earlier.

Pumpkin varieties and ripening times

There are quite a large number of pumpkin varieties. However, there are universal harvesting dates that you can rely on:

1. Early ripening varieties. Ripening occurs in approximately 3.5 months.
   Cleaning is carried out starting in mid or late August (depending on climatic conditions). The fruits are very tender, the rind is thin. They can be stored for no more than one month. Varieties with a short ripening period are grown most often in regions with cold climates, since if the pumpkin freezes, it will not be stored for long.
2. Mid-season. The average ripening period is 4 months. The fruits are collected starting from the second half of September until the first frost occurs.
3. Late-ripening or hard-barked. They have a hard peel, which ensures a long shelf life of the fruit. Vegetable harvesting begins towards the end of September. The fruits need approximately 200 days to fully ripen. Most often, ripening occurs during storage.

Cleaning dates according to the lunar calendar 2022

According to this calendar, the most suitable days for pumpkin harvesting will be the dates when the Moon is in Gemini (in its waning phase), Scorpio (in its waxing phase) and in any phase in Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius.

In 2022, this corresponds to the following days when to harvest pumpkins from the garden:

Pumpkin harvesting times depending on the region

Fruits can be stored for storage only when they are fully ripe. If done much earlier, the pumpkin will begin to rot. More precise harvesting times depend on the specific region in which the crop is grown:

1. Middle lane. A special feature of the region is its mild climatic conditions. Almost all varieties of pumpkin can be cultivated here. Cleaning begins in late September or October. It all depends on the specific type of vegetable. Gardeners often choose varieties with a short ripening period. At the end of summer, the fruits can be eaten or used to prepare various preparations.
2. Ural and Siberia. These regions are dominated by a rather harsh and cold climate. That is why gardeners choose pumpkin varieties with early and medium ripening periods. It is recommended to completely harvest the crop no later than September 20th.
3. Southern regions. It has a predominantly stable warm climate. Pumpkin picking begins towards the end of October. Experienced gardeners leave even fully ripe fruits in the garden for several days. It is believed that this procedure helps to extend the shelf life.
4. Moscow region. The region is characterized by the frequency of changes in weather conditions. Complete cleaning must be completed before mid-September. Early ripening varieties can be picked already in the last days of August. Late-ripening pumpkins, in most cases, simply do not have time to fully ripen in the garden. Experienced gardeners first grow seedlings, after which they transplant well-grown and strong plants into the ground.

52 most favorable days for pumpkin harvesting in 2022

When choosing dates for gardening work, it is customary to pay attention to the lunar calendar. After all, there is no longer any doubt that the Moon, being a rather large space object, attracts all earthly liquids to itself. At the same time, it has a great influence on the very process of development of all organisms.

It is believed that the Earth's satellite, which is in the growth phase, acts on plant juices with gravitational forces and directs them upward from the roots to the fruits. Pumpkins cut at the wrong time may not be prepared for this, because they will not receive enough moisture. As a result, they will be stored worse.

The harvest, harvested at the right time, when the moon is growing, turns out to be as tasty, juicy and healthy as possible. In the current year 2021, the most favorable days for pumpkin harvesting from the point of view of the influence of lunar phases will be the following dates:

• August 9-21;
• September 8-20;
• October 7-19;
• November 6-18.

Note: At critical points of the lunar month (full moon and new moon), it is strongly recommended not to disturb any plant organisms, because at this time they are most vulnerable.

Read:

• when and how to dig up garlic and store it at home;
• when and how to harvest beets and carrots and storage methods.

Ways to accelerate maturation

To prevent the fruits from freezing in the garden, about three weeks before the expected change in weather, you need to remove all the flowers from the vines. The tops of young shoots are also pinched. In this case, the plant directs all its forces to the development of fruits that have already set.

If there are many small pumpkins on the plant, some or all of them will need to be removed. Thanks to this technique, large vegetables will have time to fully ripen. If even during a warm summer the pumpkin does not have time to fill up, you can grow it through seedlings. Seeds are planted in pots in April.

Growing the crop on a compost heap significantly accelerates the ripening of fruits. This provides the crop with sufficient nutrients and additional heat.

It is not recommended to leave ovaries formed in early autumn on the plant.

Harvest storage

Pumpkin can get sick not only in the garden beds, but also during storage.

What threatens her:

• fungi multiply in a cool room, the characteristic white coating quickly spreads over all vegetables;
• If during harvesting yellow spots are noticed on the leaves of the bush, the fruits are not used for preparing winter preserves - they are infected with pathogenic microorganisms.

It is important to preserve the stem to increase the preservation of the pumpkin.

When the first signs of the disease are detected, all fruits are washed with a solution of water and mustard, dried and separated from other stocks.

Pumpkin harvesting rules

The main aspect is that the vegetable is cut strictly with the stalk. It is forbidden to twist the fruit or pull out the plant.

Experienced gardeners have developed their own collection rules that promote longer storage:

1. Trim the vegetable so that the length of the stalk is about 5–6 cm, but not less.
2. Cut the fruits with a clean and sharp pruning shears (you can use a simple knife). Be sure to treat the tool with disinfectants in advance so that pathogenic microorganisms do not enter the cut site, as they can trigger the onset of rotting of the crop.
3. If you need to move a vegetable, always hold on to the fruit itself, and not to the stalk, as it may be damaged or even come off, which should not be allowed. The defect will negatively affect the keeping quality of the fruit.
4. If the pumpkin tops are very stretched, lift them a little first before trimming the vegetable. It is imperative to reduce the tension.
5. Fully ripened pumpkins of late winter varieties, which are planned for long-term storage, must first be left in the sun for 8–10 days. It is important that the fruits dry well in the fresh air. Then the bark becomes harder, and the pulp is preserved much better.
6. If scratches appear on the fruit during harvesting, cover them with brilliant green. The defects will heal quickly and the vegetable will not spoil. But eat such foods first.

Pumpkins are harvested as carefully as possible. If the stalk comes off from a vegetable, you can’t count on long-term storage.

How to properly store pumpkin

Before storing the pumpkin, you need to keep it for 2–3 weeks in a bright and warm room at a temperature of approximately +20 degrees. During this time, the fruit will fully ripen and become more useful.

Storage rules:

1. the fruits should lie so as not to touch each other;
2. if there is damage - a scratch, a cut, they need to be covered with brilliant green;
3. if the pumpkin is deformed or has mechanical damage, it is stored separately;
4. the fruits need to be well dried;
5. the optimal temperature for storing pumpkin is 5 – 10 degrees;
6. For storage, choose warm, dry, ventilated rooms in which the humidity does not exceed 80%.

Preparing pumpkin for storage

Before storing vegetables for long-term storage, you need to prepare them properly. It is enough to carry out a few simple but important procedures:

• Carefully clean any remaining dirt or soil with a clean, soft and dry cloth (do not use wet material);
• go through all the collected fruits - send for storage only dense and beautiful specimens that have no flaws;
• If the fruits have dark spots, dents, scratches or even small cracks, use them as food first.

Periodically it is necessary to ventilate the storage and sort through the pumpkins. If you neglect this procedure, just one vegetable that has begun to spoil can infect the rest.

Harvesting

If the beds are strewn with ripe fruits, they need to be cleaned in a timely manner. When there is a sharp cold snap, it is more difficult to separate the stalk from the skin.

Delays in pumpkin harvesting affect the condition of the soil: time is lost to dig up the area and prepare it for winter.

The deadlines are delayed if there is a warm and prolonged autumn. At temperatures below 0 °C, the crop is harvested urgently. Due to a sharp drop in temperature, the pulp may begin to deteriorate. As a result, all reserves will rot.

Harvesting pumpkins is prohibited in the rain: wet fruits will not dry out and will begin to rot. Choose a warm time.

The fruits are stored until the next sowing. During this period, seeds are collected for planting (from ripe and well-preserved fruits).

Useful tips

Growing such a tasty and healthy crop as pumpkin has some tricks, taking into account which you can get an excellent harvest. It is worth listening to the following advice from experienced gardeners:

• the last watering is carried out no later than three weeks before the expected harvest date;
• in extremely rare cases, the degree of ripeness is checked by pressing the bark of the vegetable with a fingernail - if it is pressed and the inside is green, the fruit is not ripe (however, this method is often impossible to use, as there is a risk of rotting);
• if a lot of vegetables are ripe, but there is not enough storage space, you can peel the pumpkin, cut the pulp into pieces, put it in bags and put it in the freezer;
• It is not recommended to try to preserve the pumpkin until spring, as the fruits become stale, and the pulp becomes “cotton”, loses its juiciness and taste;
• If the summer turns out to be rainy and cold, but the fruits have not yet ripened by the time of harvesting, the process can be accelerated - three weeks before harvesting, remove small pumpkins from the bush, pinch the tops of young shoots, and remove all flowers.

Pumpkin is an unpretentious and easy-to-grow crop that grows in almost every garden. However, it is important to take into account the main nuances of not only caring for the plant, but also the timing of harvesting. It is necessary to know exactly how to determine the degree of ripeness of the fruit and carry out the removal in a timely manner, preventing the vegetable from freezing.

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Pumpkin storage

Subject to proper conditions, pumpkin can be successfully kept not only in cellars, but also on apartment balconies or even in refrigerators. Of course, apartment conditions are less suitable for laying out pumpkins, if only because of its impressive dimensions. The general conditions that allow pumpkin to retain its vitamins and rich taste are as follows:

1. The most comfortable temperature for pumpkin is between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius. For an apartment, the maximum possible temperature reaches 20 degrees, but no more;

Pumpkins do not like high temperatures and bright light.

Wooden boxes are great for storing pumpkins

Preventive inspection during the winter will allow for better preservation of fruits.

Packaging chopped pumpkin

When using pumpkin for culinary purposes, the urgent question is how to store the opened pumpkin. The refrigerator will help save the cut fruit from quickly becoming unusable. Before moving the pulp into it, you should wrap it in cling film, removing all the air if possible. The pulp can be stored in film for up to two weeks. When using foil, the shelf life increases to one month, but the wrapper must be changed periodically.

The tighter the pumpkin pieces are wrapped and sealed, the longer they will last.

Since foods tend to dry out in the refrigerator (especially sensitive ones such as pulp), it is advisable to grease the pumpkin pieces with vegetable oil in advance.

Freezer

When frozen, the pumpkin can last throughout the next year. The procedure for preparing pumpkin for immersion in the freezer is as follows:

1. Pumpkin preparing for freezing must be completely peeled and pitted;
2. To make the pumpkin more convenient to pack, it is cut into pieces or grated;

Grated pumpkin is more conveniently packaged and takes up less space in the freezer

Advice from experienced farmers

Only through practice can you learn the secrets of growing vegetables. Experienced gardeners recommend:

1. Do not overfeed the pumpkin with nitrogenous fertilizers or fresh organic matter. The fruits obtained from such plants do not differ in keeping quality.
2. The most delicious seeds come from gymnospermous pumpkins.
3. The varieties Spanish Guitar, Pink Banana, Miracle Yudo, Red Baroness, Marble, Volzhskaya Gray, Matilda, Kroshka are excellent.
4. Large pumpkins cannot be eaten at once; you have to store the pieces. Already cut vegetables are frozen or dried (in the sun, in the oven). Some gardeners manage to preserve fruits under normal room conditions: at a certain temperature and humidity, the cut simply dries out.