Did you buy pumpkins for Halloween? After they are carved and displayed for the holiday, most pumpkins are tossed in the trash, especially if they start to rot. But gardeners know better. Did you know every part of the pumpkin can be repurposed? You can feed your soil, attract pollinators, or keep pests away in…
pumpkins
10 Mistakes Gardeners Make With Pumpkins
You picture it every year: a patch full of plump orange pumpkins, glistening in the autumn sun, ready to become pies, porch décor, or neighborhood envy. But then reality hits—your vines wither, your pumpkins stay stubbornly green, or worse, your “harvest” looks more like a sad handful of orange baseballs. Pumpkins seem simple, but they’re…
Why Pumpkins Rot Faster if Left on Vines
There’s something magical about seeing a field full of plump, orange pumpkins basking in the autumn sun. They look invincible—sturdy, shiny, and ready for carving, decorating, or baking into that legendary pie. But here’s the surprise: the longer those pumpkins stay on the vine after they’re ripe, the faster they start to rot. Yep, your…
7 Composting Tricks That Only Work in Autumn
Ah, autumn — that magical time of year when the air gets crisp, your neighborhood smells like pumpkin spice, and your yard looks like a confetti explosion of red and gold leaves. It’s also the best time to supercharge your compost pile. While most people think composting is a spring or summer project, fall holds…
12 Plants That Benefit From Extra Compost in Autumn
Autumn isn’t just about cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice, and crunchy leaves—it’s also one of the most important times to pamper your plants. As temperatures cool and growth slows, your garden quietly prepares for winter. Adding extra compost in fall gives your plants the nutrients they need to tough it out through the cold and burst…
8 Compost Ingredients That Break Down Faster in Fall
There’s something magical about fall: the crisp air, the crunch of leaves, the pumpkin spice lattes… and, believe it or not, the speed at which your compost pile kicks into high gear. That’s right—autumn isn’t just a season for sweaters and hayrides; it’s prime time for making black gold out of kitchen scraps and yard…