When you think of pumpkins, the bright orange variety most likely comes to mind – the kind you cut for Halloween.
Most people don’t realize there are hundreds of varieties of pumpkins in many colors, textures and tastes, said Mike Mayfield, owner/operator of Mayfield Farm and Nursery. Some are ideal for pies, while others make perfect jack-o’-lanterns.
Each year, his Athens, Tenn., farm sells an average of 5,000 to 6,000 pumpkins for cooking and up to 4,000 for jack-o’-lanterns, he said.
Mayfield offers the following tips on growing pumpkins for eating or carving.