Pumpkins grown at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville
Image Credit: Edwin Remsberg
October is the prime time to go prancing through the pumpkin patch but according to experts with the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), there are a few things to consider before selecting one of the festive fruits.
Mike Newell, horticulture crops program manager at the College of AGNR’s Wye Research and Education Center, says there are several qualities to look for in the perfect pumpkin:
- It should be hard all the way around without any soft spots.
- It should have nice, full color. Different shades of orange or even white are fine but avoid pumpkins with dark spots or discoloration.
- It should have a sturdy stem or handle. A stem that’s wilted or softening indicates the pumpkin has already started to rot.
Researchers within the College of AGNR know their pumpkins. They collect extensive data at the Wye Research and Education Center in Queen Anne’s County as well as the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Washington County. Their efforts focus on pest management and which varieties of pumpkins survive best in Maryland.
“Pumpkins tend to like it to be a little cooler,” explained Bryan Butler, an agriculture and natural resources specialist with University of Maryland Extension (UME). “They do better to the north of us than to the south. We’re in this weird zone of in-between.”
The ongoing drought and extremely hot summer did take their toll on pumpkin crops around the state. Some pumpkin growers who weren’t able to water frequently saw a 30 to 50 percent reduction in their yields, says Butler, but there should still be plenty of pumpkins to go around this season. Between now and Halloween is the perfect time to bring one home.
“You start seeing pumpkins on stands as early as Labor Day and really that’s too early,” said Newell. “It’s just not going to last.”
If you do want your gorgeous gourd to survive through Halloween night, Newell says keep it outside where it’s cooler but try to find a spot where it’s sheltered and can stay dry.
“If you’re going to carve it, wait until Halloween or the day before because they don’t last long once you start cutting into them,” he advises.
Whether you cut it straight from the patch or select one from a local farmer’s market, it just doesn’t quite feel like fall until you’ve picked your very own pumpkin.
“Nobody hates a pumpkin. There’s a pumpkin for everybody,” Butler said.
For more information, contact Sara Gavin at 301-405-9235 or sgavin@umd.edu.
