Fruits appear golden from the very start, turning to deep orange on maturity in time for Halloween carving and cooking. Thin each plant to three fruits to achieve weights of around 4kg (9lb) – the perfect carving size. The yellow gene can also cause the first true leaves to turn yellow in cold temperatures – don’t worry about this – celebrate it as an oddity!Sow seeds on their sides in small 7.5cm (3in) pots of seed compost at a depth of about 2.5cm (1in). Place them in a propagator or seal the pots inside a polythene bag at a temperature of 20°C (68°F) until germination, which takes 5-7 days. Once germinated, grow plants on for about 4 weeks until they are large enough to be transplanted outdoors.Gradually acclimatise them over 7-10 days before transplanting into warm, well drained, humus rich soil in full sun, with shelter from winds. Choose a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun per day and prepare the soil in advance, adding plenty of well rotted manure or compost. Plant 90cm (3ft) apart. Pile the soil into mounds about 15cm (6in) high. Plant each pumpkin plant on top of a mound to ensure good drainage and keep them well watered until they are established. Feed of general fertiliser a few weeks after planting.