Pumpkin Question

Asking for a friend . . . really!   The pumpkins are nearly ready to pick,  there has been an early frost and the worry is that the bottom will start to rot before they are fully ripe.  One has been picked to taste test, and there was no taste at all, so too early to pick.  
So, the question is what can be done to help the fruits ripen and protect them from the ground.  Any suggestions welcome.

I love pumpkins but I haven't grown them yet.  I can, however, give you the advice I was given.  

Pumpkins can handle some cold weather and even a light frost.  Still, you can try elevating the pumpkins off the wet, frosty ground to try to keep them from rotting.  You can put down a board and a thick layer of straw or mulch and put your pumpkin on that.  You can even just put it on top of an upturned flower pot to get it off the ground.

But, if you're getting a hard frost, it's best to pick the pumpkins and bring them inside.  You can try keeping them in a cool, dry place (out of the sunlight).  The indoor warmth should encourage them to ripen more.

If your friend has any frost cloths or blankets she can try wrapping the pumpkins in that to shield them from the frost.  But let them bask in the sun during the day to finish ripening.  And cut back on the watering.

Good luck!  

Pumpkins will ripen considerably after picking. Bury them in the compost pile to ripen. If they get a hard frost they aren't good for much.

Thom Bri wrote:Pumpkins will ripen considerably after picking. Bury them in the compost pile to ripen. If they get a hard frost they aren't good for much.

"Bury them in the compost pile to ripen."  <--- Added to my notes.  👍  Sometimes I think the very best, most useful gardening (or other subject) book would be one compiled from all the advice from experienced home gardeners.  (No, I don't plan to compile it.)  But, that is, in essence, what I'll have.  

pumpkins/squash ripen best when slightly warm and dry. the compost pile hits one of those points but misses the mark a bit on the other, along with putting the squash into direct contact with decomposition organisms. for my squash, inside the house is the best place for final ripening.

handful/flake of straw under them. I use a a strip of light weight weed block under the lighter skinned heirloom varieties for the last 4 weeks, easy to see in spite of the leaf cover, easy to handle and store afterwards.  The only field cures are halloween pumpkins and butternut, the rest are in the greenhouse on benches. Once any squash gets hit by frost/freeze the shelf life is pretty much halved