West Tennessee Pumpkin Crop Preview
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JACKSON, Tenn.-West Tennesseans will get a preview of Fall as temperatures cool over the next several day and for many that means heading out to the pumpkin patch. So what does that mean for West Tennessee’s crop? Pumpkin season is back and better than ever right here in West Tennessee as the crop looks exceptionally well. “The pumpkin crop this year is really good cause we had good rainfall. Maybe a little bit behind cause the cooler weather we’ve had but overall I think its gonna be a good year for the pumpkins.” Jason Reeves, Research Horticulturalist for the West Tennessee Agriculture and Research Center, said. This season West Tennessee may even have the chance to produce a bumper pumpkin crop despite the excess rain which has created concerns for diseases such as “Downey Mildew” on the crop. “Well, good growing conditions will be low humidity but good rainfall, roughly an inch of water a week would be ideal. But the low humidity would keep down the diseases on the pumpkins.” Reeves said. With great growing conditions many wonder how pumpkins get their size, shape, and colorful characteristics. “Fall and Halloween in particular are becoming some of the top profit holiday’s in the last two years. You know the public is demanding all this unique and odd stuff. So the pumpkin breeders are actually going after trying to grow this weird funky stuff because the people just love it.” Denton Parkins, Owner and Operator of Green Acres Farms, said. The peak of the season is now just 13 days away from the first official day of Fall which is slated to take place on September 22.
