3 ways to use your leftover pumpkin after Halloween – and why you should never leave it out for wildlife to eat

IN the week of Halloween 2023, Google searches for ‘leftover pumpkin’ rose by 244.8%.

Indicating that people were looking for ways to use pumpkin leftovers, rather than just throw them out.

So if you’ve bought and carved your pumpkin already – don’t bin it when November 1 hits.

Graham Smith MCIHort from LBS Horticulture, spoke exclusively to Fabulous about how you can reuse your pumpkin after Halloween.

Make a fertiliser

Graham said: “Making fertiliser with leftover pumpkins after Halloween is a great way to minimise household waste.

“Like many other homemade fertilisers, pumpkins are rich in nutrients that will benefit next season’s plants.

“Pumpkins contain vitamin A, which can help to protect plants against diseases and pests. They also contain Beta Carotene, which is an essential nutrient for photosynthesis.”

How to make a pumpkin into fertiliser

1. Remove seeds. 
2. Break the pumpkin into smaller pieces.
3. Dig a hole where you will be planting spring blooms next season, and then place the pumpkin pieces inside of it.
4. Cover the hole back up with soil to prevent pests reaching the pumpkin as it decomposes.

Graham warns that care needs to be taken when using leftover pumpkins in the garden, as they attract rodents and other pests that could cause damage.

“Pumpkins can be attractive to rodents and other pests that may visit your garden and damage plants,” he said.

To combat this, you should ensure that the pumpkin is hidden in the soil instead of scattering the leftover pumpkin pieces on the ground.

Burying the pumpkin in your garden soil will also allow the soil bacteria to speed up the decomposition and release the nutrients.

Can you make a liquid fertiliser?

“Pumpkin can be used to make a liquid fertiliser for flowering and fruiting plants to strengthen plants and improve their taste,” the expert said.

How to make a liquid fertiliser

1. Mash up the pumpkin and combine it with sugar in a 1:1 ratio, e.g. for every kilogram of pumpkin use a kilogram of sugar.
2. Mash the pumpkin and sugar together, and then pour the mixture into a jug or other container, and cover it loosely.
3. Allow the mixture to ferment for at least seven to ten days, but it may need longer if the weather is cooler.
4. After the mixture has fermented, drain the liquid, as this is what can be used as fertiliser.

To use the fertiliser, add around a tablespoon of the mixture to a gallon of water, and this can be sprayed directly onto the foliage of plants or as a soil drench. 

Make a bird feeder

After carving your pumpkin, you can use the seeds to feed birds but you need to prepare them first by washing them and drying.

The expert said: “You can speed up the drying process by placing the tray of seeds into the oven on a warm setting.

“Once the seeds are dried, they can be stored in the freezer until you are ready to use them to feed the birds.”

Then, once Halloween is over, use the pumpkin and make a bird feeder.

Graham said: “Cut off the top of the pumpkin to turn it into a bowl, then add bird seed.

“Hang this up with twine to create a bird feeder that can be composted once birds have finished with it.”

Grow your own pumpkin next year

“You can use the seeds from fresh pumpkins to grow your own,” the expert suggested.

1. Clean any leftover pulp from the seeds and rinse them in cold water.
2. Allow the seeds to air dry on a paper towel.
3. They can then be planted when they are dry or stored in an envelope until you are ready to plant them – the biggest seeds stand a better chance of flowering.
4. Ideally, pumpkin seeds should be planted in May or June for an October harvest.

Donate your pumpkin

Check if any local farms or zoos are accepting donations of leftover pumpkins, or if you have chickens, or someone you know has chickens, they love pumpkin!

Graham said: “Chickens can eat the leftover seeds and flesh that you scrape out of the pumpkin when initially carving it, as well as the remainder of the pumpkin after Halloween.”

Painted your pumpkin? No problem

Graham explained: “If the skin of the pumpkin has been painted, the type of paint used will determine what you need to do with it.

“If you used natural paints, these should be biodegradable and will be fine to leave on the pumpkin when you turn it into fertiliser or compost.

“However, synthetic paints are often made with petrochemicals and these should be removed before using a pumpkin for fertiliser or adding to a compost bin.”

How to remove paint from a pumpkin

1. Some paints may be easily removed when rubbed with water and a rag, such as washable paints often designed for children.
2. You can try to use vegetable oil as a biodegradable solvent to remove the paint. Apply the paint to the skin of the pumpkin, and rub with a rag. You can use other household oils, such as olive oil, but these may not work as well.
3. Use a knife to cut away the painted areas of the pumpkin, or use a vegetable peeler to peel away the painted skin. Dispose of the painted peelings and then use the remaining pumpkin for fertiliser.

What about if you’ve put a candle inside your pumpkin?

Graham said: “If you are able to remove the candle from inside of the pumpkin, it can still be used for composting or to make fertiliser.

“If you have used candles that are made from unscented, uncoloured beeswax or soy wax, any candle wax that may have gotten onto the pumpkin from these will not need to be removed as they are biodegradable and can be composted.

“However, if you have used paraffin wax candles, any candle wax from these should be removed as it can harm the environment and it is not compostable.”