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(Des Moines, IA) -- Pumpkin patch season is officially here, but this summer’s wet weather has had a big impact on this year’s crop.
“Pumpkins are okay, lots of weeds too. I mean, you don’t get to use good herbicides when growing pumpkins, and the extra rain washed away whatever there was,” said Fred Howell of Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch.
In July, Iowa saw nine inches of rainfall, 4.33 inches above average.
Extreme heat can also damage pumpkin crops. If temperatures rise above 90 degrees, pumpkin blossoms may fail to develop properly.
Howell said many farmers struggled to get their crops planted and were worried they wouldn’t have any pumpkins for the upcoming harvest. Most farmers plant their pumpkin crops in May, but many had to delay planting due to the wet weather.
“Most pumpkins need 90 to 120 days, and my customers want to pick them out of the field. So in the past, I’ve planted them as late as the Fourth of July,” Howell said.
Despite this summer’s difficult weather conditions, Howell says there are still plenty of pumpkins available for the fall season.
Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch is now open and features goat cuddling, pumpkin and flower picking, and more.