Purdue News
Purdue News
"Overall there's not a bumper crop," said Liz Maynard, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service vegetable crops specialist at the Purdue Calumet campus.
She said insect and disease problems are taking their toll on the size and quality of this year's crop, and environmental conditions also may have been an influence.
"There was not as much fruit set this year," Maynard said. "It's hard to trace to one thing. It's probably just environmental conditions, such as weather, stress from weeds or drought."
At least one insect pest has been a problem for some pumpkin growers this season, killing their vines.
"Squash vine borers lay their eggs near the base of the stem," she explained. "When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat into the stem. It's usually a spotty problem, but there seems to have been more of it this year."
Maynard said pumpkins are affected by a number of diseases. According to the Sept. 18 issue of "Vegetable Crops Hotline" from Purdue, powdery mildew, bacterial spot and phytophthora blight have been a problem for growers this season. Powdery mildew, if not controlled, will cause vines to collapse. Bacterial spot results in lesions on the fruit, and phytophthora blight infects the fruit at the stem end and causes it to rot.
"It might be hard to find the pumpkin you want this year," Maynard said. "There's no reason to rush out and buy early, but there's also no reason to wait until the last minute."
She said a healthy pumpkin should last until Halloween if kept at temperatures above 50 degrees in a dry place.
"Look for a pumpkin with a nice orange color and a strong 'handle' that's not breaking off," she said. "It should be firm with no soft spots or breaks in the skin."
Once a pumpkin is past its prime, it can be composted. However, Maynard cautions gardeners whose compost pile is in the vegetable garden to make sure their pumpkin gets thoroughly composted to avoid any disease carryover.
When you do decide to go pumpkin hunting, Maynard suggests picking a nice day and making it a family activity. Many growers throughout the state open up their farms for families to do just that. They also host groups of schoolchildren for educational tours.
At Huber's Orchard and Winery in southern Indiana, Greg Huber said families come on weekends to choose their jack-o'-lantern pumpkins, and schoolkids come on weekdays to see the orchard, apple-packing facility, petting zoo and pumpkin patch. He said each child selects a small, pie-type pumpkin to take home when the school groups visit.
"When people come out pumpkin picking, we take them out on a wagon -- like a hayride -- and let them pick their own," Huber said. "We grow 80 acres of pumpkins altogether, and they're all sold on the farm."
He calls it entertainment farming.
"Families come out and spend the day together and have a good time," he said. "They don't come to pick vegetables; they come for fun. It's quality time."
For information about growing your own pumpkins or composting, contact the Cooperative Extension Service office in your county.
Sources: Liz Maynard, (219) 989-2013
Greg Huber, (812) 923-9813
Writer: Andrea McCann, (765) 494-8406; e-mail, mccann@aes.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
