Save that pumpkin
Your favorite fall decoration can last well into winter when you follow these tips.
Mention the word “October,” and visions of pumpkins usually start dancing around in my head because they not only symbolize fall’s fiery finish but are must-have decorations for Halloween at the end of the month.
However, after the last glowing leaf falls, after Halloween has spirited away for another year, what becomes of the pumpkins? Since tossing a perfectly plump pumpkin away seems such a waste, why not just keep it, especially considering pumpkins can still be useful for the upcoming year-end holiday season?
Pumpkins are actually a form of winter squash. When correctly kept, they can last long past being picked in the autumn garden—though this advice doesn’t apply to your carved jack-o’-lantern. It will soon melt away to yuck in even the best storage conditions.
When choosing a pumpkin for the long haul, look for one with two to three inches of stem still attached. Even more important is that it has an unblemished rind with no soft spots.
To properly preserve a pumpkin for decorative use after Halloween, its outer skin needs to be toughened up. This curing process is best accomplished in a dry area shielded from rain and out of direct sunlight. Occasionally check the rind and clean dirt or dust off with a dry cloth. If you spot any mold, remove it with a wipe lightly dabbed in vegetable oil. A minor case of mold on the skin is not a problem, but if it gets out of hand and penetrates the inner pulp, rot will romp.
To store your pumpkin for Thanksgiving, tuck it away in a cool place. Basements are ideal because they are constantly cool and, as a bonus, usually on the humid side. While excess humidity can encourage mold to come out and play, moderate humidity reduces pumpkin shrinkage. A garage or shed in a shady location will also work for safe pumpkin storage.
Don’t plop your pumpkin directly on a concrete floor because chilly cement could damage the rind. Tuck it away on a shelf, cushioned on a clean towel or stack of newspapers, if possible.
A suitably stored pumpkin will usually last at least two to three months and even longer, meaning this Halloween leftover can be reincarnated as the pride of a Thanksgiving table decoration or a prized pie on the Christmas dessert table.
October in the Garden
• To save space and keep the garden looking tidy, plant spring-blooming bulbs among such herbaceous perennials as daylilies, hostas, ferns or Solomon’s seal. These plants will sprout and expand just in time to help cover up the foliage of your bulbous beauties as they begin to fade away in the spring.
• If you have a garden bed dedicated to spring-blooming bulbs, and dogs or squirrels seem to think it is a dedicated digging site to romp in, spread small-mesh chicken wire over the ground as a barrier against such pesky paws after you have completed your planting chores. Chicken wire left on the ground in the garden over the winter, of course, looks tacky, but it can be easily beautified with a light covering of organic mulch.
Tip of the Month
This year, were the leaves of your hollyhocks besmirched (yes, I said besmirched) with patches of light yellow or brown dotted with dark orange spots? The culprit was rust, a common fungal problem with hollyhocks. Fungicides applied during the growing season will help keep this disease under control, but since it can overwinter in the garden, an easy cultural practice to break up the life cycle of the rust-causing spores is to cut your plants back to the ground now and trash—do not compost—the debris. In addition, thoroughly rake the hollyhock bed, bag any residue and give it a one-way ticket to the dump.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.