Charisma F1 is a space saving semi-bush type so any vines can be kept short and well behaved. The fruits average 4kg although you can limit the number to concentrate growth (4-7kg). These fruits have a thinner handle then most (careful when lifting), and bold shiny-orange skin. Price for 3 seeds
Harvesting:
Is it ready yet?
There are several methods, try to double check by using more than one but don’t be impatient. Pumpkins in the UK are unlikely to be ready until mid-September (even the early ones) and harvesting into October and even November (in mild areas) is not unusual.
- if your pumpkin is orange all the way around, it is ripe BUT a pumpkin doesn’t need to completely orange to be ripe and some pumpkins are not orange at all!
- Give your pumpkin a slap… if it sounds hollow, it is probably ripe and ready to be picked.
- When the stem above the pumpkin you are looking at starts to turn dry and hard, the pumpkin is ready to be picked (leave a bit of the stem as a ‘handle’)
- If the skin dents when you try to puncture it with a fingernail, but doesn’t puncture, the pumpkin is ready to pick. Sadly puncturing the skin while checking will mean that the pumpkin will not last as long once you have finally picked it
After cutting through the stems (leaving a short ‘handle’) allow the skins to harden over 10 days or so, protecting from wet and frost. This variety can store and sweeten for up to 8 weeks but after that they are not so happy thus Charisma F1 are best used soon after picking and before Christmas
