Don’t Throw Away Pumpkins After Halloween

HARRISONBURG, Virginia. (WHSV) – For many people, by the time Halloween hits, the pumpkin lantern on the porch may look a bit droopy.

It’s time to get rid of them soon, but throwing them in the trash is not the best option.

“It’s our choice to throw it in the bin, or throw it in the compost, or in the dirt, or whatever,” said Katie Yoder of Vine and Fig.

Yoder said you should make the most of your pumpkins while you can. With only oil and a little seasoning, the seeds make a great snack, and they’re good for you. Seeds can also be saved for gardening when the time is right.

The flesh inside the pumpkin can be roasted or used in dessert recipes if the fruit is in good condition. Once you’ve used everything inside the pumpkin, it’s time to get rid of it.

If you throw a pumpkin in the trash, it will end up in a landfill, where methane gas, which is harmful to the environment, will be released. However, when pumpkin is composted, it becomes a new nutrient for the garden or soil.

“It’s scary to think about a landfill and how it will be filled with pumpkins. Two billion pounds of pumpkins are sold after Halloween. It’s crazy to think that all this food waste is going to the landfill,” Yoder said.

If you already have a composting space in your backyard, pumpkin can go there. A backyard composting system is often a single container that can be purchased from a big box store like Lowes, but they can also often be found at local garden centers. If you have such an urn, you can put a chopped pumpkin in it, along with chopped leaves and other leftovers.

If you don’t have a bin in your backyard, composting a pumpkin is easy.

Yoder said to just dig a hole and either smash the gourd or cut it up. Burying the gourd allows the nutrients back into the soil. Crushing or crushing the pumpkin helps microorganisms break it down more easily.

Many Valley farmers say that pumpkins are also very good for them. For a list of farmers who say they can use pumpkins, see Click here.