Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

Good morning, I just joined your group today hoping I can get some help with my first year garden. I live in eastern PA and aspire to do organic gardening. I have a few different questions that I will put under different subject lines to keep things tidy.

I had major problems with squash bugs this year, didn't realize what was going on. But I have been diligent at picking the eggs off by hand and killing the babies as well as drowning the adults.

I'm currently looking for advice on when to harvest my pumpkins. I planted an early variety and they are orange now.
So now, I have about 4 small sugar pumpkins that look orange and the stem is green. I'm wondering how do you know when they are ready to cut off?

I read that it's normal as the pumpkins mature the leaves and vines start to yellow out and dry up? I originally thought that the whole plant was dying due to the squash bugs but now I'm seeing new growth here and there.

So do I cut off the old dried up stuff so I can get more pumpkins or just leave it? I notice that parts of the newer vines have re-rooted themselves.

Oh, my last question is I started some more pumpkin seeds in a peat pot and wondering if I should find a new place in the garden to plant them or can I stay in the same area for this year?

Thanks for your time!
Jeri

• New Members 5