Can Pumpkins Sit Out in the Rain? Keeping Your Display Dry
Fall in Ohio means rain, sometimes for days at a time. So it is fair to wonder whether your porch pumpkins can handle it. The good news is that a pumpkin's rind is tough, and a passing shower will not hurt a healthy one. The real trouble is water that sits.
Rain is fine, puddles are not
Pumpkins grow outside in the rain all summer. What shortens their life on a porch is moisture that stays in one place, usually under the pumpkin where you cannot see it. A pumpkin sitting in a puddle, on wet mulch or on a soggy doormat stays damp on the bottom for days. That is where soft spots and mold get started.
Mississippi State University Extension recommends avoiding wet areas and choosing a well-drained spot for pumpkins. University of Georgia experts also recommend keeping them in a dry, cool place.
Lift them up
The easiest fix is to keep the bottom of each pumpkin off the wet surface. A few simple options:
A flat piece of cardboard, which you can swap out when it gets soggy
A slatted wooden board or pallet piece, so water drains through
A rubber-backed mat with a raised texture
A hay bale, which also adds height to the display
University of Illinois Extension recommends keeping stored pumpkins off bare ground and using cardboard under them on concrete. The same idea works on porch steps. Lifting pumpkins also protects your steps, since a pumpkin that starts to soften can leave a stain on concrete and wood.
Use the porch roof
If you have a covered porch, put the pumpkins you most want to last under the roof and save the open steps for sturdier, larger pumpkins. Carved jack-o'-lanterns especially belong under cover. Rain collects inside a carved pumpkin, and the wet, open flesh breaks down quickly.
Give them a dry start
Before the pumpkins go out, wipe them down with a weak bleach solution, about 1 1/2 teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water, to remove the mold and bacteria that cause rot. Then let them dry completely. Iowa State University Extension also stresses drying pumpkins well after washing. A pumpkin that goes out wet starts out behind.
Handle them gently too. Iowa State and Illinois Extension both point out that cuts, bruises and broken stems are where decay begins, and a wet week gives that decay a head start. Never carry a pumpkin by its stem.
After a rainy stretch
When the weather clears, take a few minutes to check your display.
Lift each pumpkin and look at the bottom. A little dampness is fine. A dark, wet-looking or soft patch is not. Swap out any soggy cardboard. Tip water out of carved pumpkins and let them dry in the air. If a pumpkin has gone soft, pull it right away so the rot does not spread to the pumpkins it is touching.
What about humid weather?
Damp air can be as hard on pumpkins as rain. Illinois Extension notes that high humidity encourages decay in stored pumpkins. You cannot change the weather, but good airflow helps. Leave a little space between pumpkins instead of packing them tightly together, and do not cover them with plastic, which traps moisture.
A rainy fall does not have to cut your season short. Keep the bottoms dry, give carved pumpkins a roof, and check the display after every wet spell.
Questions about your pumpkins?
If you have a pumpkin question we did not cover here, we would be glad to help. Call or text us at (513) 409-0005, or send a message through our contact page. We are a family-run business right here in the Springboro, Dayton and Cincinnati area, and we are always happy to talk pumpkins.