From a Charlotte-area farmer, 5 things to know about pumpkins this season

There are two things farmer Doug Carrigan wants you to know before you make a pilgrimage to the nearest pumpkin patch this fall:

1) Pumpkins are like people: They come in different shapes and sizes. Some are big and wide; others are small and scrawny. Some are beautiful and attractive; others are homely and “plug-ugly.”

2) You can eat them: You can toss them in a stew or soup or mix up your own pumpkin glaze, sauce or gravy. If you’re looking for a gluten-free meal, pumpkins qualify. And they’re chock-full of vitamins and fibers and low in calories.

With fall in full swing – bringing with it much-needed rainfall in the Charlotte area – the Observer asked Carrigan, owner of the Mooresville-based Carrigan Farms, five questions about pumpkin planting. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity:

Q: How has the drought and now rain affected pumpkin-growing?

A: Well, it makes us work harder. We irrigate our pumpkins if we need to. If we’re not irrigated, it would be a disaster. We would not have any. But, because we irrigate, we have a pretty good pumpkin crop. We had plenty of rain earlier this year, and then it stopped. If we did not irrigate pumpkins, I would not plant them at all. This year, we would’ve had zero crop at all.

If you can get 1,500 to 2,000 pumpkins per acre, that’s a good crop.

Q: When do you start planting your pumpkins?

A: We plant after the Fourth of July, between the 7th and the 15th. That’s our window of opportunity to get the biggest and best (pumpkins). People want pumpkins in October, and we plant them so they get ripe in October. Some varieties of pumpkin, you can produce for 80 days. Some are 120-day pumpkins. It’s a science. You never get perfect. Mother Nature is our business partner, and she gives some and she takes away some, too.

It has to do with the genetics behind it, too. We plant certain varieties that will have the potential to get so-big. If you’ve got enough water and keep all your insects and diseases off, they can grow up and maximize their genetic potential.

Q: How do you safeguard your pumpkins from wildlife?

A: You plant enough so they get all they want to eat and you take what’s left. You can’t stop them (deer, especially). They’ve got to eat, too. It doesn’t happen too often.

Q: What’s some of your best pumpkin-planting advice?

A: Timing is key. I see a lot of people planting them too early. I see backyard gardeners (say) it’s warm, spring, maybe they’re ready to plant a pumpkin. I get phone calls every year: “My pumpkin’s getting ripe, what do I do?” You planted them too early. Plant them a little later.

Q: How do I find the perfect pumpkin?

A: Pumpkins are just like people. They come in all sizes and shapes. Each one is suited for somebody. Some like the ugly ones. I’ve had some kids come out (to the farm) and they’ve got a pumpkin and it looks plug-ugly. That’s what they like.

Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, they’re so ugly, they’re pretty. You’ll see some – the vine will go in the middle of the pumpkins and it will look like two butt-cheeks. Some double-blossom (two on a vine): We call them Dolly Parton pumpkins. You never know what you’re going to get out there.

(When shopping around) make sure they don’t have any rotten spots (soft and squishy areas) on them. They’re not meant to last forever. They have a shelf life. There is no perfection. You just get the one you like.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 2:57 AM with the headline "From a Charlotte-area farmer, 5 things to know about pumpkins this season."