Pumpkins love warmth - the dry summer should therefore have little effect on crop yields. But if the rain stays away, it could still make itself felt.
Munich/Bonn (dpa/lby) - The pumpkin harvest in Bavaria starts about a week earlier than usual. Despite the dry summer, the Bavarian Farmers' Association expects an average harvest - only the size of the pumpkins could be a little smaller. In contrast to many other types of vegetables, pumpkins are heat-loving, said Franz Wöhrl from the farmers' association on request. On good soil, pumpkins are therefore comparatively frugal and "put the drought away a little better".
Nevertheless, it was too dry for pumpkins this year, said Wöhrl. In order to ensure a harvest of good quality pumpkins of an appropriate size, additional irrigation was required. The weather was "a challenge", said horticultural expert Michael Koch from the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) based in Bonn. If it stays this dry for the rest of the year, it could still be reflected in slightly below-average yields.
After all, according to the experts, the heat has the advantage that there were fewer diseases on the plants and hardly any pesticides had to be used. Wöhrl, who is also a board member of the Bavarian Association of Field Vegetable Farmers and Vegetable Farmers, fears that the ornamental pumpkins will ripen early because of the hot days. "We hope they hold out until Halloween."
Across Germany, Bavaria is "a step ahead" when it comes to pumpkin cultivation, as horticultural expert Koch said. With around 1040 hectares, Bavaria has the largest cultivation area, closely followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 969 hectares. According to Koch, by far the most commonly grown type of pumpkin is the Hokkaido pumpkin. Because of the variety of preparation options, this variety has established itself in retail and among consumers.
