An Evaluation of Eight Pumpkin Varieties in Central Virginia

Pumpkin production is on the rise in Virginia. Pumpkins make up 8.4% of the total market value of all vegetables sold in the state and acres in production of pumpkins increased by 5.2% from 2007 to 2012. Types of pumpkin production methods, insect, disease, and weed management, pollination, and harvest and post-harvest management all must be considered by pumpkin producers. Unfortunately, pumpkin cultivar performance in the Mid-Atlantic is not well documented. Thus, a variety study was performed using eight different pumpkin varieties over the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. The study took place at JETT Farms, Inc., located in Madison County in the Central Virginia area. At harvest, pumpkins were counted and weighed, and then an average and total fruit weight was calculated for each cultivar.