Bumper crop for Garsons pumpkins

25th September 2019

With the countdown in full swing for Halloween, Garsons of Esher is celebrating a bumper pumpkin season.

More than six acres of its Pick Your Own fields have been dedicated to this Halloween hero and they will be ready for picking from the end of this month (September), leaving plenty of time to hone pumpkin carving skills ready for October 31.

This year the family-run farm has grown more than 30,000 of these colourful gourds with the impressive orange Racer variety as the main crop. However, for the first time it has trialled a new white variety nicknamed Ghost – a giant of a pumpkin reaching in excess of 20kgs and the size of a large beach ball.

“We have only grown 500 of this white variety so they may live up to their nickname and disappear by the time we reach Halloween. However, we have grown three times more of the traditional orange pumpkins than on previous years so there will be plenty for all. It has been a fantastic growing season for many of our crops, but particularly pumpkins,” said Ben Thompson, director of Garsons.

The pumpkin fields are open seven days a week throughout October, weather permitting.  Visitors can drive to the fields and then select their favourite specimen which has already been carefully cropped by Garsons staff. There will also be a huge array of sizes and colours available to buy from the Farm Shop.

Whole pumpkins will store for up to eight to 12 weeks if kept in a cool, dry and dark place, but not below 6oC degrees.  When choosing the perfect specimen, ensure there is no damage to the skin and the handle is strong and in place.

• This Halloween, Garsons has plenty of fun activities for children during October half term including a guess the `Ghost’ pumpkin weight competition, in-store word trail and a spooky magical story time day on Monday, October 28, plus more. The garden centre will also be stocked with spooky Halloween decorations.

www.garsons.co.uk