[mrpotatohead]

pumpkin plant has completely died so harvested pumpkin just now. not big-2.5 kilos, but my first attempt. variety was 'halloween'. will definitely try more pumpkins next year. now, it's sitting on the kitchen counter-what do i do now? how do you know when it,s ready to use? will the seeds be any goood for growing next year?

[mumofstig]

It's ripe when it changes colour

Can you use seeds? that depends on whether it was cross pollinated, were there any courgettes, cucumbers or other squashes growing anywhere nearby?

If not you should be ok

[Steve_LF]

Last year, I harvested some when they were a little bit orange or on the cusp of turning, gave them a very mild bleach wipe over and ripened them on my dining room table.

I kept the seeds from all of them to make some brittle (by jove it was good!) and still had some left over, so I planted them in the beds after digging up my taters.  Now, due to cross polination I'm getting a wondeful mix of marrow, courgette and pumpkin hybrids and plan to do the same next year.

[DD.]

I shouldn't re post should I?

Oh, go on, there's always someone not seen it. My pumpkin/marrow cross:

[simonwatson]

They look like giant acorns. I hope they taste better than that.

[thedadtony]

wow!! D.D. my wife thinks you've painted those,ha,ha!!