Is it too late to try a few as a second crop now?
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Not at all, lettuce grows better when the weather gets cooler.
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I planted some a week ago with temps in high 30s and a light watering each day. They are looking healthy. This is them today.
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They are about the size I prick them out.
Looking like you have enough for the village, if you just pick the outer leaves rather than cutting the heads
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Yes, will do that today. I think I have the hang of it now. I know you are cautious about growing them In car tyres. I grow five per tyre and sow a few seeds each month. Next step is to test the newly harvested seed.
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) of these on a plant. Friend or foe?
Is it a ‘green vegetable bug’ or ‘green stink bug’ - just did a google for green spotted beetle and looking at the images, it looks like it, except the outside spots are pink in the photo on the internet 
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Looks like a juvenile punaise. Harmless.
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You’re better at this than me @vero - brown marmorated stink bug is what it is, I’m sure. The nymphs and adults of the brown marmorated stink bug feed on over 100 species of plants, including many agricultural crops, according to widipedia
It’s lovely…and maybe lovely to a predator?
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Just looked and found this, shows the juveniles and adults, top right is the one up-thread, just a punaise verte 
Here’s a direct comparison
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Yup…they are what they are but make lovely bird food…miam
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Thank you for the clarification @vero - I don’t like them but fortunately we don’t get many around our way.
Are these pumpkins ready to cut? They were deep orange, but now they’ve started yellow streaks which are expanding. The yellow on the top in the photo is not a light effect it’s the actual yellow colour which is spreading
I’m wondering if I’ve left them too long. It’s 116 days since the plant was planted out.
Is it time to harvest and then store them?
I was happy with them at 8" across but kept on waiting. They’re now about 18" across and 9" deep. I’m hoping to keep them a bit before using - how long would they last uncut? I know they do keep for a bit after cutting, as well.
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You can harvest or leave - it’s not critical if they are sitting on a tile or something dry.
Cut well above the stalk and never, ever pick them up by the stalk. They will rot if you cause any damage there, however small. Ideally you cure them in very hot sun for a day or two before storing in cool dark place. We’ve kept pumpkins for 6 months without them going stringy.
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As Jane wrote.
I tend leave them until the leaves die off unless I need the ground for other plants. They will turn yellow, cut the stem at least 8’´ - a foot.
Thanks JaneJones and Wozza.
I haven’t got 8 inches of stem - on both the most I’d have is 3 or 4 inches. Maybe only 2 by the time I’ve cut them. This is because that’s where the T junction with the main stem of the plant is.
Thanks to your advice janejones they are each sitting on a tile - that’s how I know how short the stems are! cos I had to be careful of the short stem lifting them onto the tile. And every few days I “ease” the stem by lifting the pumpkin slightly and replacing it on the tile.
Thanks wozza for your reassurance that it’s ok if they go all yellow. Not sure how long I’ll leave them as 125 days of plant age is at the beginning of September and I’ll want to make sure there’s still a really hot day or two left to “cure” them once cut, as janejones suggests.
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We have lots of grapes! Whilst we were away the vine has taken over half the garden. Not bad for SE London.
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Very rare, so I don’t think we need to panic, but I never knew potting mix had the potential to kill you!
More likely sepsis from little cuts and grazes.
Edit… i meant that should worry more about small grazes than potting compost.
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