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!
Most pumpkin varieties take between 85 - 125 days to mature. Most of the heirloom and larger varieties are on the longer end of the spectrum. The number of days to maturity will be listed on your seed packet that you purchased. If you would like to have pumpkins on October 1st, count backwards to decide when to plant.