ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

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THE QUEST FOR THE GREAT PUMPKIN

AUBURN, Feb. 27---It's no wonder why Linus waits for The Great Pumpkin in the pumpkin patch every year at Halloween. Apparently Linus knows the same thing Dr. Joe Kemble knows about growing pumpkins: with enough attention, a pumpkin patch can be quite profitable.

Kemble, a vegetable crop horticulturist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said there are roughly 600 acres in Alabama planted with pumpkins and the acreage continues to grow every year. In an ideal season, a pumpkin farmer could harvest seven to 10 tons of pumpkins per acre.

"You may not produce that much every year, but you should average that much two or three of every five years," said Kemble.

Kemble is working to establish the Alabama Pumpkin Association in order for pumpkin growers in the state to better serve buyers. The first meeting of the association will be March 7 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Currently, there are 20 founding members of the Alabama Pumpkin Association and more signing up every day. Membership is $20 and is open to anyone interested in the pumpkin industry, not just commercial growers.

Pumpkin growers in the association will work to pool their resources in order to collectively support the industry. "They can do a lot collectively they couldn't do independently," said Kemble.

Alabama climate is well-suited for pumpkin production. Since pumpkins are 90 percent water, your pumpkin patch may need extra irrigation during hot summers in the South.

For an October harvest, the best time to plant pumpkins is late June or early July. "Some people get the urge to plant their pumpkins in May and end up with pumpkins in August. Who wants a pumpkin in August?" said Kemble.

Pumpkins are somewhat forgiving in one respect. If you do plant too early, you can store them in a cool dry place away from sunlight a few weeks. Just don't leave pumpkins in the field too long after they're mature.

Disease is another big concern of pumpkin growers. Powdery mildew and downey mildew have severely damaged pumpkin crops in the past. A fungicide spray can help avoid these diseases. The pumpkin industry has quite a bit of potential as long as farmers maintain proper growing conditions and have a keen eye for problems.

Most pumpkins grown in Alabama are used for jack-o-lanterns. Kemble said buyers from as far away as Wisconsin have called him looking for pumpkins by Halloween.

Some growers consider themselves entertainment farmers. They offer a hayride through the pumpkin patch and let families pick their own pumpkin right off the vine.

Marketing is the key to success in pumpkin farming, said Kemble. "You have to sell your crop to the industry before you sow any seeds."