Tips for Saving Jack-o'-Lanterns and Preserving Your Pumpkins to make them last longer

An illuminated Jack O Lantern.

As the air turns crisp, and the leaves don their vibrant hues, there's one thing that marks the arrival of autumn more than anything else – pumpkins. These iconic gourds are not only a symbol of the season but also the canvas for one of Halloween's most beloved traditions: carving Jack-o'-lanterns. But after the spooky celebrations are over, what can you do to ensure your carved creations and leftover pumpkins last as long as possible? In this blog post, we'll explore some tips and tricks to extend the magic and preserve your pumpkins.

Connecticut Field Pumpkins

Connecticut Field Pumpkin

Choose the Right Pumpkin

The preservation process starts with selecting the right pumpkin. Look for a fresh, healthy pumpkin with a sturdy stem. A strong stem helps keep the pumpkin fresher for longer.

Keep Jack O Lantern designs simple in order to avoid them decomposing quicker.

Carve with Care

When it comes to carving Jack-o'-lanterns, be mindful of the design. The more intricate the design, the faster your pumpkin may deteriorate. Opt for simpler patterns to prolong its life.

Remove all "pumpkin guts" and seeds prior to preserving your pumpkin for the best results.

Clean the Interior

Before carving, thoroughly clean out the pumpkin's interior, removing all seeds and stringy pulp. A clean interior reduces the chances of mold and rot.

Fresh lemon juice is the best. Bottled lemon juice can lose its potency as it sits on the store shelf.

Preserve with Lemon Juice

After carving, spray the interior and cut the edges of your Jack-o'-lantern with lemon juice. Lemon juice acts as a natural preservative and helps prevent mold and bacterial growth. You will want to use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice per quart of water. A bleach bath or bleach spray can also help extend the life of your jack-o-lantern, but it's not as effective. Lemon juice stops the oxidation, while bleach kills microbes and bacteria that can down the pumpkin. If you opt for a bleach bath, you will not be able to feed your pumpkins to any animals or use them for compost.

Pumpkins can last longer in cool and dark areas, bring your Jack O Lanterns in during the day and put them out at night to extend their life. Uncarved pumpkins and winter squash can last up to a year or longer if kept indoors in a cool and dark enviornment.

Keep It Cool

Store your carved pumpkin in a cool, dry place when not on display. Cooler temperatures slow the decomposition process. If possible, refrigerate it overnight.

This pumpkin was sprayed with a clear glossy acrylic spray to make it last longer. Glossy or matt finish will work to preserve your pumpkins longer.

Consider a Pumpkin Preservative Spray

There are commercially available pumpkin preservative sprays that can help extend the life of your Jack-o'-lantern. Follow the product instructions for the best results. The most common are acrylic sealants that are available in gloss and matte finish. We love Aleene's brand. They are a smaller company, but the product quality is perfect for pumpkins.

Acrylic Matt Finish Spray For Pumpkin Preservation-> https://amzn.to/3FtNiUw (Amazon)

Acrylic Gloss Finish Spray for Pumpkin Preservation-> https://amzn.to/3tEinC1 (Amazon)

A Jack O Lantern with a small LED tea light inside.

Light with LED Candles

While the warm, flickering glow of a real candle is charming, it can hasten the decomposition of your Jack-o'-lantern. Consider using LED candles or battery-operated lights to achieve the same effect without the heat.

LED lights are available online, they illuminate your jack-o-lanterns with a bright dome-style light and will not burn or drip wax like traditional candles. There is also a 50-pack of LED tea lights that mimic a candle flame, with each candle lasting up to 150 hours. These can be used to make pumpkin luminaries as well.

LED lights for Jack O Lanterns w/remote-> https://amzn.to/46xtUlj (Amazon)

50 LED Tealights for Jack O Lanterns-> https://amzn.to/3Qt2sQ0 (Amazon)

Remove seeds from pumpkins prior to composting in order to avoid volunteers from popping up wherever you place your compost.

Compost or Recycle

Once your Jack-o'-lantern has reached the end of its life, don't forget to compost it. Pumpkins make excellent compost material. You can also check if your local recycling program accepts pumpkins for recycling. Make sure you remove the seeds or you will have numerous pumpkin volunteers popping up next season. Also, make sure your pumpkins are free from disease prior to composting them so your compost doesn't get contaminated.

By following these tips, you can extend the magic of your Jack-o'-lantern and enjoy the autumnal beauty of your pumpkins for as long as possible. So, carve your pumpkin masterpieces, illuminate the night, and savor the season's delights while preserving its symbols of fall. Happy Halloween and happy pumpkin preserving!

What have you tried to do to preserve your pumpkins and what was the result?

Growing Together: Introducing Wholesale Options for Pumpkin Growers

At Blue Pumpkin Seed Co., we've always believed in the power of seeds to transform gardens and farms into bountiful, vibrant spaces. Our commitment to providing high-quality seeds and exceptional customer service has earned us your trust over the past few years. We're excited to announce a new chapter in our journey - the introduction of wholesale options for our valued customers, coming soon.

Why Wholesale?

As we continue to grow, we've recognized the diverse needs of our customers. While many of you are passionate gardeners and small-scale growers, others operate larger farms that supply pumpkins to markets and stands. To better serve both segments of our customer base, we are rolling out wholesale options tailored to your specific needs.

Focused on Pumpkins, Expanding Soon

Pumpkins have consistently been one of our most sought-after seed varieties, and as such, we're launching our wholesale program with a strong emphasis on pumpkin growers. Whether you're a small-scale pumpkin producer who sells at local stands and markets or a large farm with wholesale operations, we're here to support your pumpkin-growing endeavors.

But fear not if you're not in the pumpkin business; we have exciting plans to expand our wholesale offerings to include most of our seed varieties at the beginning of the next growing season. This means that no matter what you grow, we'll have wholesale options to suit your needs.

Larger Seed Counts:

In our commitment to meet the diverse needs of our gardening community, we are thrilled to introduce a range of seed quantities, beginning with our popular pumpkin seed varieties. This expansion is a labor of love, undertaken while juggling various responsibilities, including gardening, order processing, marketing, and bookkeeping. Our seed offerings now include convenient counts of 5, 10, 50, and 100 seeds. The 5 seed bags cater to those who crave variety but are mindful of their budget. Our traditional size, the 10 seed bags, is perfect for larger home gardens. Designed specifically for our pumpkin market and stand customers, the 50-count bags offer a generous option, while the 100-seed bags are tailored for our esteemed larger growers. Operating from a small finished shed, space constraints are a reality for us. However, as our business continues to blossom, we aspire to further elevate your gardening experience by introducing even higher seed counts, ensuring we remain competitive in the dynamic market.

When We Implement the Wholesale Process

To be considered for a wholesale account, we will be kindly requesting the following information about your small farm or business:

• EIN (Employer Identification Number) or Tax ID Number (for tax exemption purposes)

• A brief overview of your business, including the scale of your pumpkin-growing operations

• A brief overview of your business, including the scale of your pumpkin-growing operations

Please note: Since the point of using a wholesale number is to circumvent paying taxes on products that you purchase for NON-personal use. You will need an EIN/TIN/CVR before you can apply for a wholesale account. Once you have that, then We can apply for your tax-exempt status. We are required by the IRS to maintain records of anyone who applies for tax exemption status. If you have any questions, please email us at info@bluepumpkinseedco.com.

More Hail Storms, More Expansion, & More Seeds!

We continue to battle Colorado hail storms but are making battle plans for next season. We got some help from some friends with growing seeds and we are adding more to our inventory for next season!

My hand holding a large hail stone.

Having spent my formative years in the picturesque landscapes of Colorado Springs, I've grown accustomed to the occasional onslaught of hailstorms. However, the ongoing year has undoubtedly presented us with the most daunting challenges in this regard. Since the advent of Spring, our property has weathered no less than 14 hailstorms, each leaving its mark. These meteorological events have ranged from diminutive hail pellets to strikingly massive ones, reminiscent in size of golf balls – a visual spectacle evident in the attached image.

Regrettably, despite our earnest endeavors, a significant portion of our carefully nurtured endeavors have fallen victim to these natural forces. The noticeable dearth of garden updates throughout this season bears testimony to the toll it has taken.

In contemplation of the forthcoming seasons, we're strategizing a proactive approach. Our intention lies in procuring a substantial quantity of hail cloth, alongside complementary materials, aimed at fortifying our defenses. As we embark on this endeavor, we anticipate dedicating time to its implementation throughout the winter months. Our collective efforts are steadfastly directed towards ensuring a well-prepared and fortified landscape, primed to face the challenges that the next season might bring.

---

A Challenging Gardening Season

Colorado Springs is one of the top hotspots for hail in the entire United States, we are in what's known as "hail alley". Since we faced so many challenges this season, we had a couple of friends reach out both locally and from far away.

Help Growing Pumpkins From Friends Near And Far!

We have been making a strong effort to expand our inventory so we can compete with other seed shops better, but we also want to be the top source for different pumpkin varieties. The hail has caused major delays and set us back quite a bit, but we had a couple of amazing folks reach out to help this season.

Leading the charge was my colleague and friend, Stephanie. Our paths crossed again this year as I encountered her working at our local nursery. Reconnecting, I shared the formidable obstacles posed by frequent hailstorms and the spatial limitations we faced in cultivating our seeds. Communicating our commitment to preserving heirloom varieties while also broadening our inventory for competitiveness, I highlighted the need for expanded growing space. Serendipitously, Stephanie possesses extensive acreage in the picturesque Black Forest of Colorado, graced with both sun-soaked areas and sections shaded by majestic pines along the Palmer Divide. Collaboratively, we embarked on planting a spectrum of heirlooms: corn, sunflowers, morning glories, winter squash, summer squash, and, central to our mission, pumpkins. Additionally, I transported some of our pumpkin hybrid seedlings to her property to facilitate updated visual content for our website and packaging. Despite enduring hail's onslaught in the Black Forest, Stephanie's adept stewardship has shielded numerous plants, fostering their robust growth. The magnanimous offer of her land to sustain our shop's operation has been a true blessing, for which we are profoundly grateful.

The second individual who lent us support is Greg Shelton of Poplar Hall in Delaware, with whom we collaborated last year. Greg's initial connection with us sprouted from his feature of our enterprise on his YouTube channel, "Historic Living Modern Life." Our subsequent interactions revealed a shared passion for heirloom pumpkins, the Victorian Era, Halloween, Watercolor, and various other shared interests. A veritable Artisan, Greg traverses the nation spotlighting diverse entities and locales for his engaging channel.

Last season, Greg cultivated a flourishing pumpkin patch within his English Garden, spotlighting our endeavor on his YouTube platform. Sustaining our correspondence, I apprised Greg of the devastating blow our pumpkin patch suffered from a colossal hailstorm. Despite my endeavors to replant from seed, the persistent hail persisted, necessitating continuous replanting. Undaunted, Greg augmented the expanse of his garden this season and extended a gracious offer to cultivate pumpkins on our behalf. His intention to safeguard heirloom seeds in case we encountered further challenges underscored his unwavering commitment.

Gregory Shelton with Historic Living Modern World

Greg's intervention proved to be our salvation this year. The narrative's inspirational undertones captured the attention of Delaware's local newspaper, prompting a feature See Article by clicking this link: https://delawarelive.com/del-farm-grows-pumpkins-to-save-colorado-business/

I encourage you to visit Greg's YouTube Channel to witness the flourishing progress of the pumpkin patch and his captivating explorations of intriguing locales.

Visit Greg's Youtube Channel :

Seed Catalog Requests & Expanding Inventory

From our humble beginnings on Etsy, our journey has been nothing short of remarkable. While we've made a few attempts to gain our independence from Etsy, our efforts haven't yielded the results we were hoping for as we have realized the core of our business still thrives within its virtual walls. As we look to the future, the upcoming year will be one of dedication and innovation. Our aim is to enrich our website with a captivating array of seeds and explore additional offerings like bulbs, merchandise, and more.

The demand for seed catalogs has been heartening, and rest assured, they're in our plans. However, we want to curate a catalog that truly captivates, showcasing a diverse selection of captivating varieties. Thus, we're momentarily postponing the catalog's launch until our assortment is extensive enough to ensure a truly enriching experience.

Your requests have not gone unnoticed. This fall, we're excited to unveil a selection of new garlic varieties, catering to those who've expressed their interest. Moreover, an exciting partnership with an esteemed seed company has opened doors to a treasure trove of unprecedented hybrid pumpkins. Anticipate a grand introduction to these novel pumpkins on January 1st, 2024, perfectly timed for the upcoming gardening season.

We can't thank our patrons enough for their unwavering support and the outpouring of positivity on social media. This period has been filled with challenges, yet your loyalty and enthusiasm have been our driving force. While distance separates us, we'd personally extend our gratitude to each and every one of you if we could. As we march forward, our sights are set on progress and a shift towards eco-friendly paper envelopes, once we've cleared our current commitments.

Your desires are our motivation. If there's a particular product you wish to see or a specific seed you're keen on, reach out to us. Our network of connections with fellow seed farms across the U.S. has grown remarkably this year, allowing us to explore and potentially source what you're looking for. Together, we're cultivating not just plants, but a community passionate about growth and nurturing nature's wonders.

Fall Garden Plans

As we direct our efforts towards preserving the fruits of this season's labor, I am committed to initiating a fall garden, and providing regular updates as the hail season subsides by late August. Our formidable team, comprised of Sarah, Alex, and my twin sister, Leslie, has been tirelessly managing a multitude of tasks, from gardening and storm cleanup to website maintenance and continuous enhancements. Despite the challenges, we are determined to cultivate a vibrant fall garden and anticipate sharing exciting progress in the near future. Stay engaged for more updates!!

Ask your question

Change Image

• 0%Do you plan on growing a fall garden this season?
• 0%Yes
• 0%No
• 0%I haven't decided yet

You can vote for more than one answer.