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WASHINGTON — Fall officially begins on Sept. 22 at 2:19 p.m. If you’re wanting to stock up on fall decor, but afraid your pumpkins won’t last the season, fear not! We gathered up a few tips and tricks to keep your fall displays looking sweet and not spooky.
Handle with care
First, be gentle with your pumpkins and don’t touch them more than necessary. The oils from your hands can actually speed up the rotting process. And when you do pick up your pumpkin, gently grab it around the middle or bottom instead of picking it up by the stem. A broken stem will shorten your pumpkins life.
Location, location, location
Picking a good location is key to keeping your pumpkin healthy. Place them in a dry, shaded spot – like a covered porch – if you can. The hot sun will speed up the pumpkin’s decaying process. You also want to try and keep it dry. Moisture from rain can lead to mold.
Wash your pumpkin
Before you set your pumpkin in its perfect place, give it a bath! Washing your pumpkins with a diluted bleach solution will help neutralize bacteria and mold and slow down the decomposition process. You’ll want to mix one part bleach to 10 parts water in a large bucket and let the pumpkin sit in the solution for two minutes. If it’s a smaller pumpkin that floats, stir it around to ensure that all sides of the pumpkin are covered. Make sure you let them dry completely before setting them outside.
Make a pumpkin spray
You can bottle up your bleach water solution and use that as a spray to keep your pumpkin healthy, but you can also make a peppermint-based conditioning spray by mixing a peppermint scented soap with a few drops of peppermint essential oil. Peppermint has anti-fungal properties that will keep your pumpkins soft and smooth when they start getting dry. It also smells really nice.
Clean (and dry) before you carve
When it comes time to turn that pretty pumpkin into a spooky jack-o-lantern, there are a few things to keep in mind. When cleaning out your pumpkin to carve it, make sure you get all of the guts out. And before you start carving, let the cavity dry out. Moisture paired with air from the cuts will make it rot faster.
Keep pests away
You probably already know this, but squirrels, deer and other pesky critters love pumpkins. Can you blame them? It’s food! The best effective way to deter furry friends and pests is to keep your pumpkins off the ground. You can try setting them on a windowsill or on top of a cute hay stack. If you find that bugs like ants and fruit flies are swarming your pumpkins, try putting a fruit fly trap behind them.
Avoid candles
Last but not least, while everyone loves a spooky flickering candle in a carved pumpkin, try swapping a flame for a battery operated light. A flame inside the pumpkin will dry it out quicker and cause it to rot faster.
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