UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- If you haven't yet picked up a pumpkin for this year's Halloween decorating, you shouldn't delay. A horticulturist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says if you wait until the last minute, a smaller-than-normal crop may limit your selection.

"This year's cool, wet weather has been in sharp contrast to last year's drought," says Michael Orzolek, professor of vegetable crops. "But its effect on the pumpkin crop has been similar.

"Because of rain and clouds this growing season, very little pollination took place in many fields," he says. "As a result, the vegetation looks great, but the number of fruit per acre is down. This year's pumpkin crop is probably 20 to 30 percent below normal."

Orzolek explains that pollinators, such as honey bees, are not as active during cool, cloudy and wet weather. And without pollination of female flowers, fruit will not form on the plant.

About 6,000 acres of pumpkins are grown in Pennsylvania, ranking the state second in the country.

Orzolek says pumpkin growers in other states fared even worse. "In New York and New England, heavy rains early in the season prevented some growers from even planting their crops," he says.

Despite Pennsylvania's smaller-than-normal crop, Orzolek doesn't expect a serious shortage. "There should be enough pumpkins to go around," he says. "But if you wait until the last minute, you might not find the size and color you're looking for."

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EDITORS: Michael Orzolek can be reached at 814-863-2251.

Contacts: Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-865-1068 fax