Delaware Pumpkin Picking

Pumpkin picking is easy in Delaware.

Visiting pumpkin patches is a lively experience that is much more rewarding than simply purchasing a pumpkin at a supermarket. Pumpkin patches allow you and your family to enjoy the experience of choosing and removing your own distinct pumpkin from the vine without the hassle of growing the pumpkin yourself. Many farms in Delaware create a festive environment at their pumpkin patch and often offer hay rides, corn mazes and hot food to keep you warm on cool autumn days. While choosing a pumpkin from a Delaware pumpkin patch is a matter of taste, there are a few characteristics you can look for to ensure that you select a healthy pumpkin.

Things You'll Need

• Garden shears

Instructions

1. Choose a pumpkin patch in an area of Delaware that has received ample rainfall through the summer. There are many farms across the state that have pumpkin patches in the fall, according to the Pumpkin Patches and More website. Pumpkins are water-loving plants and need adequate rainfall in order to grow large; the more rainfall in the planting area, the larger the pumpkins will be.

2. Visit a Delaware pumpkin patch that has had a healthy growing season anytime in October to search for the perfect pumpkin for your home. When choosing a pumpkin off the vine, it is best to wait until after the first frost to harvest the pumpkin since that is when they tend to be most healthy, according to the University of Illinois.

3. Look for pumpkins that have a uniform color. Pumpkins come in many shades of orange in Delaware, but healthy pumpkins will have the same color even distributed across the surface without any visible discoloration.

4. Lift pumpkins slightly above the ground by their handle to feel their weight and test the health of the stem. Healthy pumpkins should have a dense, solid feel and the stem should remain attached to the pumpkin. Pumpkins that feel light or fall off the stem may have experienced some foliar disease during the growing season and should be avoided, according to the University of Maryland.

5. Press your thumbnail into the rind of the pumpkin to ensure that it has cured enough to be removed from the vine. Pumpkins that do not show any sign of your thumbnail have lost enough water from their outer skin and are ripe for harvesting.

6. Cut the pumpkin off the vine with sharp garden shears approximately 3 to 6 inches above the fruit, and transport the pumpkin carefully back home to prevent bruising, which shortens the shelf life of the pumpkin.

References

• Pumkin Patches and More: Delaware's Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, Hay Rides and More
• University of Illinois: Harvesting and Storing Pumpkins, Winter Squash, and Gourds
• University of Maryland: Pumpkin Availability and Choosing a Good Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin