Oregon State University Extension Service

When should I harvest my pumpkins?

Should I pick my pumpkins or leave them on the vine? They are fully orange and the vines are dying. Is it better to pick them and store them or just leave them until October?

For winter squash such as pumpkins, you can harvest them when the skin is hardened. Use your thumb nail to puncture the outer skin. If it is hard and you cannot make an indentation, then you can harvest. If you are going to use the pumpkins for eating, you might leave them on the vine until the first frost this fall, which can make them sweeter to the taste.

carrots, radish, squash, cabbage
Source URL: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-extension/featured/when-should-i-harvest-my-pumpkins