HOME GROWN: Pumpkins best left on the vine for as long as possible – The Oakland Press

Q: When can I pick my pumpkins and how do I do it right? I have a bunch of nice ones in my garden but I dont want them to rot before Halloween.

A: The longer they can remain attached to their vines the better, even if the vines are dead. But do not allow them to get frosted or frozen.

You might want to put a small piece of board or something else under each pumpkin where it is sitting. This will keep the bottoms dry and help to prevent rotting. You also dont want those attractive slugs feeding on the softened spots.

When you do harvest the pumpkins, dont try to break the pumpkins from the stems; cut them with a knife or pruners. Cut the stem several inches above the pumpkin. This is your handle. If the stem is broken off right at the pumpkin, it can begin rotting there sooner.

Once a pumpkin is removed, be careful that it does not get bruised or have the skin broken or abraded.

If the pumpkin is damp or wet, dry it off. Some people will wipe the pumpkin with a 10% bleach solution to remove bacteria. Thats one part household bleach to nine parts water. Then, dry the pumpkin. You can tip the pumpkin on its side to let the bottom dry. Store the pumpkins out of the sun but in a cool area, such as a garage or barn. Put them on newspaper or something dry. Cold concrete floors attract moisture.

If you plan to carve the pumpkins, do it right before the holiday, because carving will cause them to break down rapidly, especially if the weather is warm. Keep them from frosting, which also breaks down the cells. Small pumpkins that are not carved can be used for pumpkin pie, and the others can be composted.

Q: I just went to the sale of all sales for plants. The deals were amazing. I bought many potted perennials for a flower garden that I have yet to make. I know I wont get this area ready until next spring. But how to I keep the plants in good shape until next spring? I have gotten some advice but I dont trust how good it is. What can I do?

A: Lets start with several things that wont work.

Leaving the plants and pots sitting on top of the ground will cause big trouble. Plants go dormant when its cold enough, but the small amount of soil in the pots will freeze and thaw dozens of times over the winter. This slow-motion yo-yo behavior will kill them.

In Michigan, the goal is for plants to go dormant as the soil freezes and stay that way until spring. The soilless potting medium in the pots is porous and freezes and thaws much more rapidly than the mineral soil in the garden. Thats why its a good idea to pick away some of the soilless stuff when you plant and integrate some of your mineral soil around the plants next spring. Do it carefully and dont trash the roots on your new plant kiddies.

The soilless medium also accepts water differently. If you have heavy soil, the water remains with the porous rootball and the roots marinate in in the small swamp you created. Root rot will soon follow.

Putting plants in a dark garage is not much protection if the winter is cold, and a heated garage does not allow them to go dormant. Packing straw or leaves around the pots is one possibility, but they still can freeze and thaw just more slowly.

The best solution is to sink your pots into the ground up to their rims. Put at least 3 inches of straw or leaves over them. You can tell where they are in the spring by the protruding rims.

If you live in Critterville, you may want to put a piece of hardware screening over the tops of the straw and weigh down the corners and sides. Hardware screening has smaller holes than chicken wire and will keep dinkies like voles out.

Questions? MSU Master Gardener Hotline 888-6783464. Gretchen Voyle is an MSU extension horticulture educator, retired.

Here is the original post:
HOME GROWN: Pumpkins best left on the vine for as long as possible - The Oakland Press