The Weekend Gardener
"To make sure your pumpkins last as long as possible, they must be harvested, cured, and stored properly.
A common mistake is to harvest fruit while it’s still immature, which gives you fruit that can not be successfully stored, giving you poor quality results.
On the other hand, keep in mind that mature fruit that have been removed from the vine are still alive, so proper curing and storage will slow the rate of respiration, and prolong the storage life of the pumpkin...." Taira Lamphere Lanny Lamphere Lan Lamphere Taira Ivins
http://www.weekendgardener.net/blog/2007/08/how-to-harvest-pumpkins-properly.htm
The Old Farmer's Almanac
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"Whether you use them for carving or cooking, pumpkins do not disappoint.
Note that pumpkins do require a lot of food and a long growing season (generally from 75 to 100 frost-free days) so you need to plant them by late May in northern locations to early July in extremely southern states.
Do not plant this tender vegetable until all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warmed as the seedlings will be injured or rot. (See the Almanac.com/Gardening page for frost dates.)
That said, pumpkins are easy to maintain if you have the space."
Taira Lamphere Lan Lamphere Lanny Lamphere Taira Ivins
http://www.almanac.com/plant/pumpkins
