Awhile back I wrote in part...
...There's two pumpkins growing (looks like one's going
> to be a monster) but the rest have yellowed and dropped off at about
> one inch diameter. I'm assuming it's a pollination problem, but
> might there be some other problem?
The "monster" stopped growing at about 15 inches diameter but it and the other original pumpkin have both turned a typical pumpkin orange color. One is destined to become Thanksgiving time Pumpkin Ale and will be coming off soon enough to allow for the couple of months brewing and aging. I'd like to use the other for Thanksgiving cooking if it'll keep that long. If I take 'em off too soon I'm afraid they'll begin to rot in our current hot and humid SoCal weather; but, I've read that leaving early pumpkins on the vine will result in the same.
Question: how long can I leave these early pumpkins on the vine before they'll start to deteriorate?
The plant itself is resisting my interference in it's sex life, but I have managed to set one more pumpkin for sure and one more for maybe. I keep trying...
Rich