The candy has been eaten and the costumes are put away – with spooky season drawing to a close, you may be wondering what to do with your pumpkin decorations that now sit forlornly on your porch steps.
A popular, seemingly sustainable solution that has been making the rounds on social media is to leave pumpkins in the woods for wildlife to consume, particularly deer. While this may seem a kind, easy way to get rid of them, the harm outweighs the good. There are plenty of better ways to dispose of your pumpkins!
According to the PA Game Commission, intentionally feeding wildlife brings animals unnaturally close together and can spread disease. Of course, disease happens naturally to wildlife, but concentrated feeding locations significantly increase the spread of diseases, such as Chronic Wasting Disease.
Feeding wildlife like deer, raccoons and groundhogs can also encourage them to become unnaturally habituated to humans. Especially if you live in a more urban area, you can likely speak to the bold attitudes some deer seem to have, eating plants on porches and patios and wandering very close to buildings and people. Feeding wildlife exacerbates this issue and can make unwanted garden munching a bigger problem in the future.
You may now be wondering what you should do with your pumpkins – the good news is that several better solutions exist.
First, why is pumpkin waste a problem? Like all organic waste, Pumpkins emit methane gas as they break down when disposed into landfills. Landfills create anaerobic environments (no oxygen) for organic waste to break down, which results in the production of methane. However, properly managed compost piles are aerobic environments (containing oxygen) that do not produce methane.
Methane is a greenhouse gas that is around 30 times more detrimental to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. With well over 1 billion pounds of pumpkins grown in the United States every year, that’s potentially a lot of harmful methane pumped into our air.
To determine how to best dispose of your pumpkins, assess their age and condition.
Whole pumpkins that have not begun to sag, rot, or smell are best used for eating or donating. Carved pumpkins are often best for composting; cutting into their flesh jumpstarts the decomposition process, and it is very unlikely that they will be good for consumption anymore. Painted pumpkins are a bit trickier; unless you used a biodegradable paint, they shouldn’t be composted. If the pumpkins are still in good condition, you can remove the painted areas and use the rest.
Contrary to common belief, all varieties of pumpkins can be eaten, not just those labeled as “pie pumpkins,” but some are certainly tastier than others. Traditional large, orange pumpkins sold at big-box stores are usually more stringy and less flavorful than other varieties, but they can still be used! Some more decorative or funky-looking pumpkins, such as Cinderella, Musquee de Provence or Blue Hubbard, can contain some of the sweetest, creamiest flesh. Don’t judge a book by its cover!
Making homemade pumpkin puree is one of the best ways to use them. Remove the skin, seeds, and string, and dice the pumpkin flesh into 1–2-inch cubes. Roast in a hot oven until they are fork-tender.
Then, use an immersion or regular blender to puree the cubes and transfer the puree into pint jars or freezer bags. Frozen pumpkin puree lasts for about a year and can be used in any recipe calling for canned pumpkin or as a nutritious supplement for dogs.
If you’re not ready to venture into pumpkin-roasting territory but want a better disposal option, consider donating them. Check with local farmers or wildlife rescues in your area, as many like to feed them to pigs, sheep, or even chickens. “Pumpkins for Pigs” is a website listing farms and other organizations that accept donations sorted by state – there are several options in PA. Visit pumpkinsforpigs.org.
If you have your own compost pile at home, this is an excellent option for disposal. Chopping or smashing pumpkins a bit before composting can help speed up the process – and be sure to build your pile appropriately, with plenty of “browns” to balance out the “greens.” If you don’t have your own compost pile, check with local farmers, as many keep large compost piles, or your municipality to see if their green waste recycling program accepts pumpkins.
There are plenty of better ways to dispose of pumpkins rather than feeding them to wildlife or pitching them in the trash. Pick your favorite, and help keep wildlife wild in our communities!
Lyndsay Feather is Penn State Master Gardener Coordinator in Beaver County.
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