10/27/08 Pumpkin Time Part 2

Pumpkin Time Part 2. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. At this time of year the pumpkin does triple duty. It's a fall decoration, carved it's a Halloween Jack-O-Lantern and of course there's pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. Pumpkin's are grown all over the U.S. but at this time of year it is becomes a family event when everyone visits a U-Pick pumpkin patch like the one north of Oak Harbor, Washington. Case Farms has been growing pumpkins for over 20 years and owner Sheila Case-Smith says there are different kinds of pumpkins for different uses. CASE-SMITH: People like to make pumpkin pie and other food items out of pumpkins. Those carve-able ones aren't as nice for that project. Case-Smith recommends a variety called Autumn that are easy to carve and have a nice glow when you put a light inside. Pumpkins are not that hard to grow, but planting takes timing. CASE-SMITH: If you put your seeds out too early  especially in the Pacific Northwest  you can get a lot of rotten seeds and no pumpkin vines. She also says you can "orange-up" a pale pumpkin by bringing it inside for a few days. One burning question I've always had was&is a pumpkin a vegetable or a fruit? Are you ready? CASE-SMITH: That's a good question. If you are looking at it from a botanical aspect, the fruit of the pumpkin vine is the pumpkin. The seeds are included. From a botanical realm, it is a fruit. There you have it. Now I'd like mine with a big dollop of whipped cream. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.