Halloween’s Over, Compost Your Pumpkin!
Halloween has come and gone, and you’re probably ready to get out the Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. But what to do with the jack-o-lantern that has lit up your balcony for the last week?
One popular option is compost, as pumpkins are considered organic waste like any other fruit or vegetable.
Every year, a staggering one billion pounds of pumpkins are produced in the U.S. Photo: Flickr/elana's pantry
First, remove any candles or non-organic decorations, as well as any remaining seeds so you won’t start growing new pumpkins in the pile.
But what if you don’t have access to a compost bin in your backyard? In Bluemont, Va., the week after Halloween is Pumpkin Chunkin’ time at Great Country Farms.
Residents can bring in a pumpkin to be smashed or dropped from various heights, and you can even smash it yourself. This year’s Pumpkin Chunkin’ lasts from Nov. 1-8.
In Mundelein Park, Ill., the laws of physics participate in the composting process. The District held its second annual Pumpkin Drop on Sunday, where anyone can roll their pumpkins down a hill and let it break apart at the bottom. Any remaining pumpkin pieces are then smashed and turned to compost.
While you may not have access to a unique pumpkin disposal event, it’s likely you’ll be able to find a yard waste facility nearby that accepts them.
Jen
posted on November 2nd, 2009 at 10:46 am
I’m a worm farmer, and yesterday I picked up a lot of neighborhood pumpkins for use as worm food. Wow, a billion pounds is insane. Check out the pic here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EmeryvilleOakland/Mamas-Worm-Composting/120504747038?ref=nf
beautifullyused.com » What to do with that Halloween Pumpkin?
posted on November 4th, 2009 at 12:46 am
[...] out some aggression by smashing it first. There are are actually a number of communities hosting smashing pumpkins events throughout this [...]
Claudia
posted on November 5th, 2009 at 11:55 am
If you do compost your pumpkin dont be surprised if you end up with your own pumpkin plant growing out of your compost pile…that’s what happened to me, along with a bunch of tomato plants from all the tomato scraps :))
Mel
posted on November 15th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
My mom smashes them on the compost pile and lets the birds and squirrels eat them.