Pumpkin patches feel the heat after summer drought

Pumpkins have become an essential part of Halloween, whether as haunting Jack-o'-lanterns or warming soups and pies, but has the extreme heat during the summer affected this year's harvest of the much-loved fruit?

Summer 2026 was the UK's hottest on record, with five widespread heatwaves and 40 days of temperatures above 30C (86F), beating the previous record of 34 days.

As a result of the drought conditions, growers have reported pumpkins, which need a plentiful water supply while growing, being smaller in size and ripening earlier than usual.

Eleanor Gilbert regularly shares her experiences of life on her family's Rookery Farm on the Hampshire-Berkshire border, on her Berkshire Farm Girl social media accounts.

The 24-year-old said her pumpkins were "50 or 60% down" on previous years.

She said: "I always overplant so I'll have enough but not the extra which I'd use for wholesale or for decorations.

"They're a lot smaller in size - pumpkins are 90% water and if they have had no water, they just haven't grown.

"As well as the drought, we're seeing potential issues with pollination - some of them have flowered again as they've tried to grow late. It could have been too hot for the bees during the summer.

"We've also seen a lot of weed issues. I've not seen this much weed before, normally the pumpkins can outgrow weeds."

As well as a tough summer for pumpkin growing, the family farm also suffered a dramatic field fire, which her stepfather tackled by using a combine harvester to create a fire break.

Rookery Farm is among many turning to staging pumpkin-picking events to generate extra income. Its Pumpkin Patch & Big Bale Play features pumpkin carving, a "magical golden pumpkin carriage" and other Halloween-themed attractions.

"Farmers have had such a tough time, three bad harvests in six years," she said. "With yields down, without the diversification, there wouldn't be an income.

"There's definitely going to be a different feel to the pumpkin patch this year - more bare patches and more weeds - but that's the authentic view of farm life, people will see the real impact of the drought."

Greg Klaes, a native of Detroit in the US, moved to a small holding near the Oxford Canal in the 1970s.

He specialises in growing Native American varieties of squash, sweetcorn and culinary pumpkins, selling to high-end and Michelin-starred restaurants in London.

He said he was "absolutely flabbergasted" that he managed to grow some 10 tonnes of pumpkins, given the weather conditions, which he put down to his organic farming practises and "regenerative methods".

"The crop came through, reduced by half on what I'd anticipated," he said. "I'm already planning irrigation for crops for next year."

His crop of multi-coloured Hopi sweetcorn was also down by a third on what was expected.

The National Farmers Union said it had been an "exceptionally challenging" season for pumpkin growers.

Horticulture and Potatoes Board chairman Martin Emmett said: "The prolonged hot and dry conditions created significant pressures, from establishing crops in the spring through to maintaining quality and yields as harvest approaches."

He said there would still be "plenty" of British pumpkins in the shops for carving but added that the heatwaves had been a "stark reminder" of the impact of the extreme heat.

"Ensuring growers have the confidence and support to invest in the future of a resilient and profitable British horticulture sector remains essential if we are to maintain domestic production and strengthen national food security," said Emmett.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said farmers had experienced a "difficult summer".

A spokesperson said: "Many have adapted innovatively by saving water for their crops but the drought brought huge challenges for the south of England.

"We are strengthening domestic food production and making it more resilient to future shocks."

Gardeners and domestic growers have also faced challenges trying to grow their own pumpkins this year.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said the crop of pumpkins at RHS Wisley in Surrey appear to have "matured earlier than usual" after growing very quickly in the heat in August.

It said: "Fruits are on the small side but quality does not seem to have been affected and the fruits have coloured up well."

As pumpkins are native to the Americas, the society said they are well adapted to heatwaves, dry soils and future warmer, drier climates.

"They love heat and sunlight so the conditions were very good this summer," it added.

"They are not as thirsty as the closely-related cucumbers and courgettes, having surprisingly powerful roots.

"However, once the soil began to get dry in July, watering was very helpful although fair crops were possible without watering on good soils.

"Scientists are unravelling how these crops cope with drought and this will help breed more tolerant forms in time."

• Add compost or rotted manure before planting, ideally as mulch 3-5cm (30-50mm) deep.
• Sow or plant on level ground and make a pond for watering around the plants.
• Mulch or manure should be enough feed but on poor soils, or if the plants are not growing well, add some seaweed fertiliser when watering.
• To help with watering, grow in a shallow trench in sandy soils
• Water at base of plants to discourage powdery mildew, a fungus disease encouraged by dry soil
• Where space is very limited, consider the mini-pumpkins like Munchkin or Jill Be Little.
• Let fruits ripen fully on the vine but once the neck is dry and cracking and fruits have a hard skin and ring hollow when tapped bring indoors into a cool but frost-free place.
• Always harvest before frosts - they are ruined by even the slightest frosty nip.
• Planting pumpkins on reasonably sunny compost heaps can give mighty crops as the pumpkin roots search the compost for water and nutrients.
• With warmer early summer temperatures, consider sowing seeds direct in the soil instead of in pots, which should give better roots.

Source: RHS

Nick Folkes, from Weston near Southampton, is one of the country's leading pumpkin carvers, each year creating designs for parties and corporate events.

Every autumn, he buys up to 20 pumpkins to carve, with many displayed outside his house on Halloween night.

"I like to push the boundaries, pushing it into more of an art form," he said.

He takes his inspiration from movie scenes, art works, celebrity faces or even places, but thinks this year could bring "challenges".

"In terms of size, looking at the fields, the pumpkins do seem smaller.

"There just hasn't been the rainfall. The ones in the supermarket will be smaller.

"You are constricted in the size of design and it tends to be more fiddly - the bigger the pumpkin, the more detail you get get on.

"For most people, doing eyes, nose and a mouth, you might need to find a smaller, sharper knife."