Journal of NACAA

Yield and Handle Quality of Twenty-One Carving Pumpkin Varieties

ISSN 2158-9429

Volume 13, Issue 1 - June 2020

Editor: Bindu Poudel

Abstract

We evaluated 21 varieties of 15-25 lb orange, smooth-faced pumpkins at 3 Pennsylvania locations in 2016-17 to provide farmers with recommendations for selecting carving pumpkins. Based on yield, no variety was consistently different than the standard ‘Gladiator’ with weight ranging from 13-27 lbs. Handle (peduncle) quality was assessed on a 5-point scale, with 5 being highest. Based on handle quality, all varieties except ‘Camaro’ (2.6), ‘Spartan’ (2.3), and ‘Challenger’ (2.3) are recommended as they were lower than ‘Gladiator’ (3.3). Based on these results, farmers have many high yielding options for carving pumpkin cultivars and may consider growing a combination of varieties with different ornamental qualities to accommodate consumer preference.