What is a pumpkin patch and why are they used?
As you look through some of the pick your own pumpkin farms, you'll notice the majority will have a so-called pumpkin patch.
A pumpkin patch used to describe a small plot of land that was used to plant pumpkins. Nowadays, it's simply a phrase used to describe where picked pumpkins are stored.
It's all about the timing of Halloween. Most pumpkin farms will see their produce ripen around September, but September and early October are prone to overnight frosts. As big as pumpkins might be, they are extremely fragile. Even a small amount of frost can damage them.
As a result, many farms will harvest pumpkins before the end of September, ready for Halloween, ensuring they don't get damaged. They store them in their pumpkin patches, ready for us to come and pick the biggest, best and the ugliest ready for Halloween (or soup)!
