Bumper pumpkin crop will light up Halloween
28 October 2009
This year has been a bumper harvest for pumpkin growers, thanks to the warm summer nights that have provided prime pumpkin growing conditions.
In the UK pumpkins are mainly grown for Halloween and this provides growers with the challenge of getting the pumpkins to ripen for a ten day period around Halloween night. This is not that easy as British weather, as we all know, is very unpredictable. A hot summer and the pumpkins are ready too early and a cold summer and the pumpkins do not ripen in time.
Thankfully, this summer has been great. Pumpkin grower Mike Smales said: "This year's harvest has been a great improvement on the previous year, as last year the cold and miserable weather caused a poor yield.
"We grow 30 acres of pumpkins especially for Halloween, on our farm on the edge of the New Forest. We grow different varieties for different sizes and shapes. Recent advances in plant breeding have even lead to us being able to grow pumpkins with warts on for an extra scary look."
Click on the picture below to view our pumpkin gallery
