Gordon Johnson, Extension Vegetable & Fruit Specialist; gcjohn@udel.edu
Pumpkin growers and retailers are always looking for ways to expand fall sales. To that end, breeders have developed more and more specialty pumpkins and winter squash. We have had demonstration plantings in 2021 and 2022 at the University of Delaware to show off some of these types and assess consumer demand. Ratings will be shared in a future article
The white group has expanded to include tabletop, flat, and giant types. The giant ‘Polar Bear’ is a favorite and the small white types are also favorites for painting.
A variety of shapes and sizes of white pumpkins
There has been a proliferation of warty and bumpy types.
Warty pumpkin varieties ‘Grizzly Bear’, ‘Red Warty Thing’ and ‘Warty Goblin’ (l-r)
Warty pumpkin variety ‘Knucklehead’
A cupboard of Hubbards that are also good eating.
Various colors and sizes of Hubbard squash
Heirlooms, doll, wheel, cheese, and “Harry Potter” types are popular and are good eating.
Blue and green colored cheese pumpkins.
Pink and orange colored cheese pumpkins.
Heirloom type Long Island Cheese pumpkins
‘One Too Many’ (l) is a favorite as is ‘Porcelain Doll’ (r)
There are new colors of pumpkins, some with splashes and thick stems.
Large yellow ‘Lemonade’ pumpkins are also a favorite as are smaller ‘Sunlight’ tabletop pumpkins