Summer heatwaves are now causing havoc for Halloween pumpkins
You can blame the long, hot British summer for potentially scuppering your Halloween plans as experts reveal abrasive weather has possibly proved detrimental to pumpkin growing efforts.
The Met Office confirmed earlier this year that the 2026 summer season was the hottest on record, with data stretching all the way back to 1884.
The heat caused supermarkets to temporarily ban disposable barbecues; various Greggs stores across the country shut their doors as experts claimed the buildings weren’t ‘safe’ for customers or staff; and wonky vegetables became more common, forcing farmers to call for major changes.
Another casualty of the blistering sunshine is the humble pumpkin.
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Millions of pumpkins are sold annually in the UK; many are purposely purchased to carve scary faces that supposedly ward off spooky spirits.
However, you may need to find another way to keep in with old Irish traditions this year, thanks to the heatwave.
Pumpkins are smaller and riper earlier this year
As a result of poor growing conditions, pumpkins have ripened much earlier than usual, according to the Fresh Produce journal.
Questions have been raised whether the crops can be held until Halloween at the end of October
Moreover, they are apparently ‘materially smaller’ than in previous years, according to UK growers.
Jonathan Smales, grower at PD Smales & Sons, a leading Halloween pumpkin supplier based in Salisbury, said: “The crop has ripened very early however we have zero signs of rots as yet, and the quality looks very good.
“Normally a hot or dry summer helps the skins and stalks harden which aids disease reduction,” he explained.
A report from foodservice supplier Fresh Direct said that small pumpkins will be ‘plentiful’ and medium-sized squash will be ‘limited in volume’.
However, large pumpkins are ‘not expected to be available at all this season as crops continue to struggle’.
“The pumpkin is smaller than last year even after three lots of irrigation, and some varieties have done better than others. Varieties such as Munchkin haven’t been as prolific, however, Polar Bear has performed very well,” claimed Smales.
If you’re dead-set on carving a large pumpkin then be prepared to visit various pumpkin farms, warned farmer Ed Godsall, who runs a pick-your-own pumpkin patch in Herefordshire.
He told the BBC that he was concerned about keeping his crop ripe until the end of October, but that other farms may be better equipped.
One of which is Fiona Beards of Pumpkins R Us in Warwickshire.
She added to the BBC that she expected her pumpkins to keep ‘for months’.
So, if it’s a gigantic Jack-o’-lantern you’re after, you know exactly where to head!
What to do with leftover pumpkin
Waste management company Waste Managed has previously reported that around 18,000 tonnes of uneaten pumpkins are thrown away after Halloween each year.
To avoid waste, buy your Halloween pumpkin as late as possible and cook it at the end of the month, Caroline Harriott, who runs Sompting Pumpkins in West Sussex, told the BBC in 2024.
“Because we have all different shapes, sizes and colours, they look so beautiful around your living room," she said.
“They’re such a good way of making your house look pretty in autumn. At the end of it, you can eat them as well.
"We’re really hoping that with everyone so aware of the environment and how to look after it, they will utilise their pumpkins to their full potential."
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has suggested turning your natural Halloween decorations into homemade Pumpkin Spiced lattes and roasting the seeds with chilli and fennel.
He also recommended turning your leftovers into cranberry and pumpkin-seed crispbreads, or a chocolate and pumpkin loaf cake.
Ella Scott