Saving Pumpkins from Early Frost at High Elevation

At 6,700 feet in Southern California, frost comes early. Your pumpkin vines have already taken a hit, but basketball-sized fruit can still ripen off the vine.

Immediate Actions

• Cover strategically: Use frost cloth or blankets over the fruit and supporting vines only—not the whole sprawling plant.
• Harvest mature fruit: Pick any that are full-sized and starting to color. They'll ripen on a sunny windowsill.
• Don't cover the whole patch: It's impractical and traps moisture, inviting rot.

Next Year's Strategy

Start seeds indoors 4–6 weeks before last frost, use black plastic to warm soil, and choose short-season varieties (85–100 days). Row covers at planting extend the season further.