I'm in San Diego so we almost never have frost but the colder nights and winter rains aren't ideal for pumpkins. I guess we all try to stretch the growing season as long as nature would grant us. It's funny how we get rather emotionally protective of these gifts from the garden when in fact one can buy an assortment at the grocery store for pennies a pound.

The baby is plucked.

Of curiosity, what type of pumpkin is that?

I believe it's some kabocha cultivar. It doesn't have the deep orange flesh as the kabochas I've seen at the market but has similar texture.

I have grown all my pumpkins vertically for years and have never supported them with anything. 20 lbs is my heaviest.

wow maybe i'll try it this summer. Last year it was the only fruit on the vine so I didn't dare to risk it.

I use what's called hog wire to support my pumpkins,gourds and squash on. I do have to watch out and make sure that the fruit does not get stuck in between the wire, because if it does then you can't get it out as it grows. I make an A-frame structure in my raised beds, and as the pumpkins bro I just continue to run the vines back-and-forth across the A-frame and let the fruit dangle as it's growing.

Very inspiring!

This is a photo of this year's fruit. I think I should have left it on the vine longer but with the Thanksgiving holidays, I thought it would make a pretty centerpiece for the turkey dinner.