How to harvest pumpkins so they last until Halloween

It’s been a good year for pumpkins – so good I’ve spotted a lot of gardeners wondering how to harvest their pumpkins already.

Besides cinnamon lattes, fluffy socks and crunchy autumn leaves, nothing feels as autumnal as finally picking that long-awaited pumpkin you’ve been growing all season. First, you’ll need to work out when to harvest your pumpkins (and there are a few tell-tale signs) – and then you’ll need to make sure you’re picking, curing and storing them the right way.

I spoke to one or two National Trust gardeners to figure out the very best way to harvest pumpkins, and cure and store them so they last until Halloween.