Compost Pumpkins!
Did you grow pumpkins this year for Halloween jack-o-lanterns? Get some extra life out of your pumpkins and compost them! Your garden soil will thank you next spring when you reap the compost harvest. 
Are pumpkins good to compost?
Yes, they are! Pumpkins are compostable, seeds and all. Used jack-o-lanterns make the best compost and break down quickly into nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden.
How long does it take for a pumpkin to compost?
Not long! Whole pumpkins can take 8-12 weeks to start decomposing, while a cut up jack-o-lantern will break down much faster, if you cut it up, it will take about 5-10 days to start decomposing. If you put your used jack-o-lanterns in your backyard compost bin or pile, it will definitely be composted and ready to add to your garden come spring.
Why should you not throw away pumpkins?
Rather than filling up the landfill, composting your pumpkins recycles all the nutrients to you can use them in your garden.
Rather than filling up the landfill, composting your pumpkins recycles all the nutrients to you can use them in your garden.
What happens if I bury a pumpkin?
You can bury your pumpkins too, if you don't have a compost pile or bin. They will decompose over the winter months and provide lots of nutrients in the soil for your plants next year, so this is also a great way to recycle your used jack-o-lanterns.
Can you carve green pumpkins?
If you grew pumpkin seeds and your pumpkins didn't turn orange before Halloween or the first frost, you can still carve them! Typically they will keep ripening even off the vine and will continue to turn to orange if given enough time (and they're ripe enough). So don't worry if they're not totally orange before you have to harvest due to an early frost, they'll still be great for jack-o-lanterns and even eating!
You can bury your pumpkins too, if you don't have a compost pile or bin. They will decompose over the winter months and provide lots of nutrients in the soil for your plants next year, so this is also a great way to recycle your used jack-o-lanterns.
Can you carve green pumpkins?
If you grew pumpkin seeds and your pumpkins didn't turn orange before Halloween or the first frost, you can still carve them! Typically they will keep ripening even off the vine and will continue to turn to orange if given enough time (and they're ripe enough). So don't worry if they're not totally orange before you have to harvest due to an early frost, they'll still be great for jack-o-lanterns and even eating!
You can also carve giant zucchini!
They are fun for minions, cyclops and other fun characters. Easy to carve, you just cut them in half, then hollow them out from the bottom and then get creative!
They are fun for minions, cyclops and other fun characters. Easy to carve, you just cut them in half, then hollow them out from the bottom and then get creative!
Homemade compost is gardener's gold!
You can compost all your kitchen scraps in your compost – as compost makes great fertilizer and can help you grow more giant pumpkins and peppers next season. Homemade compost is way better than store-bought compost as it is teeming with beneficial microbes that will feed your plants. Homemade compost is a living sponge, full of life and water storing properties. Many commercial composts are sterilized or pasteurized to kill off pathogens, weed seeds, and soil creatures as it's hard to sell it in a bag at the store if there are critters still living in it! That is why homemade compost beats store-bought compost hands down... bagged compost has Low to dormant microbial life, as pasteurization minimizes active biology. Homemade compost has extremely high and diverse soil life,and it actively populates the soil food web.
Learn more about growing peppers with compost »
Happy composting and growing!
Want to grow your own Jack-o-lanterns?
Our Howden's Field Pumpkin seeds grow into large vines that produce up to 25 pound pumpkins! These pumpkins have sweet solid flesh is great for pies – but they are also great for making jack'o lanterns!
Want to grow your own Jack-o-lanterns?
Our Howden's Field Pumpkin seeds grow into large vines that produce up to 25 pound pumpkins! These pumpkins have sweet solid flesh is great for pies – but they are also great for making jack'o lanterns!
