Does pumpkin ripen off the vine?

I went outside this morning to find one of my pumpkins on the ground.The vine had grown up a fence and I think the fruit just got too heavy and snapped off (possibly with the wind).It was one of the better ones too.the question is will it ripen!I thought they had to stay on the vine until the stalk shriveled.

No_ you are correct in your thinking.

I leave on vine until skin hardens, and can't press in with fingernail.Best thing may be to eat it now, as immature ones don't keep, and just rot.If not too tasty, use to made soup.

If ready, you can pull pumpkins before the plant shrivells up. I do this towards the end of the season to a few of the largest and obviously well ripened ones, especially if there is another smaller pumpkin on the same vine branch. This allows the plant to put what time and energy it has left into the remaining small-medium size fruit.

I would imagine that unless your pumpkin set early and grew like a bat out of hell it probably isn't ripe now though! You can tell by
1) colour (not a good indicator on its own because colour can vary a lot depending on the amount of shade the pumpkin fruit had when growing)
2) the sound when you knock on it (look for a hollow sound)
3) what happens when you gently push a fingernail a small way into the skin. Be gentle - don't go in far. If it leaves a dent in the skin when you pull your fingernail away then it's not ready. If ripe it might leave a small mark but it should not puncture. Don't do this test too often and not on top where rain water can pool.
4) The stem immediately above the pumpkin starts to go woody when its ready.

If yours fell then chances are you don't have a stem anymore. For this reason even if it is ready it probably won't keep well long term. If you think it might be ready, you could leave it in the sun for a week or two, and then put it somewhere dry with air circulation, and use it before long. It may still be a bit green inside.

Lesson is: when you see a pumpkin hanging in the breeze, find a way to support it. I have used bits of wood arranged to make a small platform for it to sit on, and also the plastic mesh bags (onion bags) - carefully get the pumpkin into it and hang the bag from something.

That's a really good post. I laughed when I get to the end though as I remembered a story about an elderly couple -he grew pumpkins and she was mortified to find he was using her old bras to support them ;)

Hmmm, we had one once at our first place, they went across the lawn a bit and up the tree at back on neighbours side. Pumpkins hanging from trees. They didn't fall off.

Pumpkins only get their flavour after a frost, or after being picked they are put in the fridge for a few days, before or after storage.

It's not too early, it's just right. Gather dirt into large mounds plant 3 seeds in the mildde of it. Water every day and if more than 1 seed sprouts, wait a week or 2 then snuff out all but the healthies looking one. Keep weeds away, water reguarly (the key word is regularly) and apply plant food (Miracle Grow or Peter's Plant Food) about every week or as directed on package. Good Luck!

I have never really liked punittg together costumes either. I'm not creative or crafty in the clothing department, and I hate dragging myself to Halloween costume shops. So really, Halloween for me is all about eating candy, watching scary movies, and hanging out with other people who hate punittg together costumes. Maybe I'm not any fun either? Haha. I'd like to think I'm just more of a Thanksgiving/Christmas girl. Less energy into Halloween=more into those holidays? Yeah. That's it.

Just checked in to see what was new. I ralely the photos of Ben and Jenny, but my favorite is of you and that purple doughnut. But of course there was a good picture of some old guy in a Pendleton hat and sunglasses. Who is that unknown mystery man????? Great work Raya. I am very impressed with your work.Grandpa Bob