This time of year brings lots of new life to the farm as we pick pumpkins and start to see baby calves being born. Pumpkins and calves keep us very busy during these months. We spend much of our time ensuring the health and safety of the herd and our pumpkins need extra TLC to keep them looking good.
Starting around the beginning of September we will start picking pumpkins. The exact time will vary depending on Summer growing conditions and health of each plant. Pumpkins are not picked until they reach full maturity, which means they have developed a deep orange color and the outer skin begins to harden. To pick pumpkins, we actually cut the vines using a sharp knife or pruning shear to get a clean cut off the vine. The cutting method prevent the stem from breaking. A broke stem can actually damage the pumpkin. Once they are removed from the vine, we store them in trailers. Pumpkins require time in a dry, warm area with plenty of ventilation in order to fully cure.
Curing pumpkins is vital to making the fruit last throughout the fall season. The curing process allows the fruit to finish hardening of the outside and heal any scars or scratches. In order to properly cure, pumpkins must also be cleaned by removing loose dirt and mud. After that there are many other suggestions to keep a pumpkin health and looking good. Some of those include:
- Wiping the fruit down with bleach
- Spraying the outside with WD-40
- Applying furniture polish to the outside
- Cover the fruit with Vaseline or vegetable oil
We are sure there are many more home remedies to try. Our recommendation, start with a good pumpkin and clean with some bleach.
We hope everyone has a great start to the fall season!