Once the Russians reached the islands in the 18th century they found a pseudo-etymology from Russian kurit (ÐºÑÑÐ¸ÑÑ - to smoke) due to the continual fumes and steam above the islands from volcanoes.
An early, indoor start - Giant pumpkin plants require 140 days or more from the time you plant a seed, to the time you harvest the fruit. Growers seeking to break the world record, start seeds in mid to late April, and harvest fruit in early October. That means as many as 160 days, from when the seed was planted!
1 Press your nail into the pumpkinâs skin; if it resists puncture, it is ripe.  To harvest the pumpkin, cut the fruit off the vine carefully with a sharp knife or pruners; do not tear. Be sure not to cut too close to the pumpkin; a liberal amount of stem (3 to 4 inches) will increase the pumpkinâs keeping time.