Half of Halloween pumpkin crop ruined by heatwaves

A pumpkin farmer says he is "gutted" after heatwaves and persistent dry spells left half of his crop ruined.

Chris Sadler, from Sandy Bottom Farm in Hedon, East Yorkshire, said: "It's just frustrating because you try so hard and you try and find your way to getting a good crop then, at the last minute, you just get blazing heat."

He said the weather would have an impact on how many pumpkins the farm would have for Halloween, but was confident they could still put on a good show as they had planted more pumpkins than needed.

Meanwhile, Marie Morrell, who co-owns Tattershall Farm Park, near Lincoln, has invested in irrigation which she said has been "an absolute lifesaver" for her pumpkins.

Sandy Bottom is a family-run arable farm that launched a pick-your-own pumpkin patch seven years ago.

Sadler said a lot of the farm's income comes from pick-your-own events, as commodity prices are poor compared to the price of arable farming.

"We've just had to diversify," he said. "We're glad we did when we did seven years ago. It's very important, but every year is a challenge."

However, Sadler said a lack of rain meant this year had been his worst yet for pumpkin farming.

Out of all the seeds that had been planted, he said only about half had emerged.

"It's gutting really," he said. "Everything's not all lost, but the potential's gone.

"We will have plenty of pumpkins one way or another, but it's just not as many as we should," he said.

Sadler said he had been looking at investing in irrigation - the artificial application of water to supplement rainfall - to avoid further struggles.

"We've always got something on the go, trying to diversify and make sure that we can sustain the business for our children's future," he said.

Despite her irrigation system watering the plants to keep them growing, Morrell, who is relatively new to pumpkin farming, said it was still hard work to keep the pumpkins healthy during dry spells.

"Pumpkins are the hardest work of the whole season," she said. "It's been a real baptism of fire."

Morrell said her husband had been waking up at 04:00 BST and going to bed at midnight to make sure the pumpkins are watered properly.

"It's constant. You can't take your eye off them," she said.

Despite the tricky season, Morrell remained hopeful.

"Fingers crossed, despite the weather, it's going to be amazing this year."

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