If vines die prematurely from disease or other causes, harvest the mature fruit and store them in a moderately warm, dry place until Halloween. Cut pumpkins from the vines carefully, using pruning shears or a sharp knife and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached. Pumpkins without stems usually do not keep well. Avoid cutting and bruising the pumpkins when handling them. Fruits that are not fully mature or that have been injured or subjected to heavy frost do not keep.
Powdery mildew causes a white, powdery mold growth on the upper surfaces of the leaves.
Cucumber beetles and squash bugs attack seedlings, vines and both immature and mature fruits. Be alert for an infestation of cucumber beetles and squash bugs, as populations build in late summer, because these insects can damage the mature fruits, marring their appearance and making them less likely to keep properly. For more information on cucumber beetles and squash bugs, see the Bug Review. The first flowers that appeared on my pumpkin plants did not form fruits. The first flowers are almost always male.