At 9:21 this morning, we said goodbye to summer and hello to fall. With fall upon us, many of us are going to be decorating for the new season. One of the most common fall decorations is a pumpkin.
“The most typical pumpkin is the Jack-O-Lantern or Jack pumpkin. Those are the big orange ones that come in a variety of different sizes anywhere from volleyball size to on up,” said Michael Fiore, a manager at Smith’s Gardentown in Wichita Falls.
Jack pumpkins are typically used for carving and decorating. You can also eat the seeds. “Some people will even eat the flesh of them. Most of the pumpkins and squashes that we have out here are edible,” said Fiore.
If you’re not a fan of jack pumpkins, you still have a lot of other options: Knucklehead, Pumpkimons, Cinderella and Fairy Tale pumpkins.
Fiore said the Cinderella and Fairy Tale pumpkins are good for stacking because they are wider and not as tall.
Even though it’s fall, it still feels more like summer, and a lot of people are worried about buying a pumpkin so early in the season. However, there is a way to keep your pumpkin fresh.
“The best way is to wash it off… actually wash it off with a little bit of bleach water. That will kill the bacteria on the skin. The bacteria that is on the skin is what causes them to rot. So wash them off and keep them in the shade,” said Fiore.
Some people have even kept their pumpkins into the winter by doing this.
Fiore said crotons, cabbage, kale, and pansies are also very popular during fall.
– Newschannel 6
