Victoria County Master Gardener Association
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk
2018 Oct 26
POPULAR PUMPKINS
Gourds are great decor for Halloween holidays
October 26, 2018
By Pauline Hendryx - Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Charla Borchers Leon
PHOTO BY PAULINE HENDRYX/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
The tradition of a lit Jack-o'-lantern stems from Celtic cultures in Ireland, where carved potatoes or turnips (there were no pumpkins) were placed with an ember inside to ward off evil spirits on Hallow's Eve, which is known today as Halloween. This lit pumpkin decoration outside a home on a brick sidewalk is in spiritual keeping with upcoming Halloween.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY PAUL MLADENKA
A warm-season crop, the pumpkin tolerates warm to hot temperatures and requires 90-120 days from when planted in June to July to reach maturity. This pumpkin vine is the result of one seed that was planted in late July and has spilled over both sides of the garden bed with several pumpkins on it. Notice the piece of wood placed under the pumpkin on the right to elevate it off wet soil and prevent rot while still on the vine.
Did you know these pumpkin particulars?
- Designated the Official Squash of Texas by the Texas Legislature in 2013
- Texas is 4th leading state in commercial pumpkin production
- Over 90% of pumpkins are produced for seasonal ornamental use
- Between 5,000 to 8,000 acres are planted annually in the west Texas region.
Source: Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com.
PHOTO BY PAULINE HENDRYX/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
Most pumpkins have smooth, ribbed skin and are deep yellow to orange in color -- but are not limited to that color array alone. There are white, light blue, gray, green and tomato-red pumpkins. Some even have textures that look like peanuts attached to them. Various colors are shown here recently available for purchase at a big box supermarket.
For most of us, our love of pumpkins began in our childhood.
Pumpkin memories
Who does not recall the story of Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother waving her wand and creating a carriage out of a pumpkin, or Linus with his blanket in a pumpkin patch on Halloween anxiously anticipating the arrival of the Great Pumpkin in the book, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown?” And finally, Washington Irving’s 1884 classic story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” where the Headless Horseman threw his pumpkin head at the school master Ichabod Crane.
And without a doubt, nothing made us happier than to see a bright orange pumpkin sitting by the front door – a sure sign that autumn had arrived and Halloween treats would soon follow.
Origins
It is unclear exactly when or where pumpkins originated. Per Wikipedia, they originated in North America, although seeds from related plants have been found dating back to 7,000 to 5,500 B.C.
Native American Indians used this gourd as a staple in their diets, centuries before the Pilgrims landed. Pumpkins were used as a thickening agent in soups and stews, seeds were dried, and dried pumpkin was sliced and saved in storerooms for the winter. Colonial settlers embraced the pumpkin as well and learned planting techniques from the native tribes. They often planted pumpkins next to corn and beans – a tradition still carried out today.
Fruits, not Vegetables
A popular assumption is that pumpkins are vegetables.
- Contain seeds
They are not vegetables as they contain seeds. They are technically fruits per botanical classification. Numerous non-sweet fruits such as tomatoes, beans and green peppers, for example, are popularly called vegetables also.
- Description
A cultivar of the squash plant, pumpkins are grown on every continent except Antarctica. They are round, have smooth ribbed skin and are deep yellow to orange in color but not limited to that color range alone. White, light blue, gray, green and even tomato red pumpkins are also available for the nontraditionalists.
Warm-season crop for fall harvest
Since pumpkins are a warm-season crop they can tolerate warm to hot temperatures and can be injured by cool temperatures below 50 degrees. Requiring 90-120 days to reach maturity for fall harvest, pumpkin planting dates of June 1 to July 1 have come and gone this year.
- Rot from too much rain
If you planted by the deadline, your plants may be producing pumpkins already. As your pumpkins matured some may have experienced rot from all our recent rains. Rot is usually caused by excess soil moisture which is a breeding ground for fungal maladies.
Placing a piece of wood or cardboard under your growing pumpkins to elevate them off wet soil would have and still can help to prevent rot from occurring for those pumpkins still on the vine.
- Squash bugs suck out sap
Of course, be aware of the squash bug and check plants regularly for eggs, destroying any egg masses on the plants. They will inject a toxin into your plants and suck the sap right out of them with their sharp, sucking mouthparts.
Pyrethrin or other pesticides labeled for use on squash for squash bugs will help with any severe infestations according to Doug Welsh’s Guide to Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs.
Pumpkin carving big Halloween tradition
Carving a pumpkin is perhaps the biggest tradition of Halloween observed today.
- ‘Stem’ from Irish culture
Irish immigrants are credited with bringing the tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns to America and using pumpkins.
- Turnips/potatoes pre-empted pumpkins
Originating with ancient Celtic cultures in Ireland, jack-o’lanterns were carved out of turnips or potatoes as pumpkins did not exist in Ireland at that time. Once the carving was finished, an ember was placed in it to ward off evil spirits on Hallow’s Eve, which we know as Halloween today.
- Carving ripe pumpkin
Thinking of creating your own jack-o’-lantern? First you want to make sure you have a ripe pumpkin.
If the stem has died off and hardened, the pumpkin should be ripe. It should have a hollow sound when slapped and if you press your thumbnail into its skin it should dent but not puncture it per the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
- Bring it to life
Draw a face on the pumpkin with a pencil and carefully start to carve. With small children, help them decorate their pumpkins by gluing feathers, sequins, buttons and/or glitter for example vs carving. Great family fun.
Love for pumpkins
Who doesn’t love pumpkins? Just look around – and if you need convincing, refer to the information adjacent to this article. And, yes, we still have pumpkin memories and read stories about them.
PHOTO BY PAULINE HENDRYX/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
Pumpkins as jack-o'-lanterns can be found on porches and doorsteps through Halloween and will be displayed uncarved both indoors and out for the upcoming holidays. Shown here are carved, front-porch pumpkins with eyelashes and faces adorned with hats along with plain varieties and other pumpkin and Halloween decor in various forms and colors.
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