(WKYT) – A mix of summer heat and heavy rain has tested pumpkin patches across central and eastern Kentucky as farmers prepare for fall festivities.
Stephen Fister, family owner of Bi-Water Farms, said this year’s pumpkin crop faced more difficulty than usual.
“Pumpkin growing this year has been a little challenging. You never get the perfect year, but this year’s been a little more challenging than some of the others,” Fister said.
Many people are preparing to visit pumpkin patches this fall, but a rainy and hot summer in Central and Eastern Kentucky has affected pumpkin growth. When pumpkins are still green and softer, excessive rainy days can lead to disease and rot.
Fister said the farm typically has a surplus of pumpkins left over in good years, but that will not be the case this year.
“And normally good years, you have pumpkins that are left over. This year, they’re going to use that surplus pumpkins that we usually have normally because it was probably, got about 70% stand now is what we’re looking at, but we still got a lot of pumpkins so it’s just a matter of the 100% stand is not there this year,” Fister said.
High heat interrupts the pollination process, but Fister said the heat did not affect his pumpkins as much as the rain did. He said the farm is still prepared for fall festivities.
“The rain came out just the wrong time of the year, but that doesn’t mean everything bad. We still got a good crop of pumpkins here and so the ones that are here, are here and they’re really good,” Fister said.