Patch-Match and Plant Your Perfect Pumpkin Patch!
We’re so pumped every time we Patch-Match.
From small city shared-gardens to out-of-town sprawling Lender’s market-garden sized plots up for grabs, what ever sized garden you’re sharing, growing pumpkins can be a blast! Whether you’re dreaming of a pumpkin spice paradise or growing a gourd-geous business, finding your perfect patch doesn’t have to be a horror story. Check out our guide to garden-sharing and get ready to be Patch-Matched!
If you’re the lucky one tending a new shared garden, congratulations—you’ve been Patch-Matched! Now, let’s dive into how you can start a fun (and potentially profitable) pumpkin patch. Whether it’s for your local community or a full-blown “pick-your-own” adventure, here’s how to grow your way to success.
Oh my gourd! It’s that time again! Picking pumpkins is a primetime pastime right now.
1. Where do I start? 🤔
Whether you're considering growing a personal patch or one that’ll be visited by the public, pick a spot with great soil drainage, lots of sun, and easy access for your future pumpkin-picking fans. Even if that’s just your mum! Big plot or small, your pumpkin patch can shine. Just make sure that before you start a pumpkin patch, of course, it's important to get permission from the garden/land owner about having any visitors - 1 or 81, let alone starting a business on their property. It’s imperative you also check all local convenances about trading, think about local footfall, including anticipating any parking issues that could arise. Do some market research to assess your local competition, too!
2. Prep the Patch ☀️
Pumpkins love loads of space—think 20 to 30 feet to spread out and no thank you shade! Don’t choose a spot under a tree or in the shadow of a building. Full sun is key! Avoid soggy spots; pumpkins hate standing water. Ensure you’ve got good drainage. Clay-based soils don’t absorb water quickly, and aren’t as conducive to growing pumpkins. A good way to find out if you have claggy ground, is that there will be standing water after heavy rains. A work around of course would be a no-dig method or growing in raised beds. - If growing in the ground, before planting, work compost into your soil a week before you intend to plant for a nutrient boost to get ready for growth!
3. When to Plant? 🗓️
Pumpkin seeds don’t like cold soil, so wait until the frost risk has passed. Plant in late spring to early summer for a glorious autumn harvest to get them ready for the Halloween season.
4. Pick Your Perfect Pumpkin Seeds 🛒
Pumpkins come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Choose varieties that suit your soil and garden size. So if you’ve a mini city garden, grow some cute mini varieties like, Jack Be Little or if you’ve got the space, go for a mix: medium flavourful pie pumpkins for baking, massive ones for carving, and mini pumpkins for décor. You may even get some cross pollination and end up with a hybrid variety.
5. Planting Time! 🌱
When it’s time to plant, create little mounds of soil. The mound helps improve soil drainage and allows the sun to heat the soil faster, speeding up germination. Plant seeds about 2.5 cm deep about 2-3 inches apart incase some don’t germinate. Generally, creeping pumpkin vines grow at least 12 feet, or 8 feet for bushier types. So you may need to pinch out if your planting grows prolifically. Mulch around where seeds start to emerge to keep weeds at bay and with a bit of sunshine and TLC, your plants should shoot off in no time!
6. Pump up the pumpkin pampering 🚿
Thirsty pumpkins need a lot of water, but not too much, don’t drown them! Aim for deep, infrequent watering. And don’t get the leaves soaked—wet leaves result in powdery mildew, which is bad! Weed regularly and watch your pumpkins grow!
7. Say ‘Hallo-wee’re Here!’ 🤳🏽
Tell the world about your patch! Get creative with signs, flyers, and social media. Highlight what makes your patch special: think family-friendly fun, beautiful views, and hand-picked pumpkins. Tag @LendandTend in your posts and we’ll help share the message!
8. Get people pumped 🧙🏻♀️
Create signage, flyers, and social media posts to advertise your pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Highlight the benefits of visiting your patch, such as family-friendly activities, scenic views, and the opportunity to handpick fresh pumpkins. Give your, friends and neighbours a marvellous experience! Maybe a few fun extras like could help add a bit of fun or help create a bit more cash. Think, selling seasonal jams you might have foraged for, face painting or organising fancy dress events!
9. Harvest Time ✂️
Pumpkins are ready to pick when they’re bright orange (or the right colour for their variety) and have a tough shell. Don’t harvest pumpkins that are still soft. Use a pair of sharp shears or secateurs to cut stems, leaving it a few inches long. Don’t break off the stems, since this may cause the pumpkins to rot. Store in a cool, dry place. Keep them away from humidity, damp, and direct sunlight. Or of course let your friends or customers pick their perfect pumpkin straight from the patch. Make sure to price them right—organic and regeneratively grown pumpkins can also attract a higher price for your noble efforts.
10. Be the Halloween Host(ess) with the Mostest 🧡
Help your visitors find their perfect pumpkin, offer artwork or flyers with storage tips, recipes and fund carving ideas to boost appeal. The fact that you’re transforming a shared-garden might also attract the likes of local journalists, so you might want to be ready for the pumpkin paparazzi this time next year!
So you’ve read this guide. Still not convinced?
Profit potential
Pumpkin patches can be lucrative! On average, the cost of pick-your-own pumpkins in the UK varies by location and the size of the pumpkin, but typically ranges from £1 to £12:
Looking at Instagram, it’s loaded with Pumpkin Patch ideas.
Scrolling through some featured Instagram posts featuring the search term ‘PYO Pumpkins’
For inspiration: Some UK patches and how much they cost.
Cattows Farm, Leicester: Entry fee of at least £2 per person, with pumpkins sold by weight starting at 20p
Copas Farms Fruit Fields, Iver: Entry fee of £3 per person plus 50p admin, with a 20% discount on pumpkins you pick
Crockford Bridge Farm, Surrey: Entry fee of £4.50
East Grange Pumpkin Patch, Durham: Entry fee of £5 per car, which is redeemable towards the cost of pumpkins
Forage Farm Shop, Cowbridge: Entry fee of £6 per person
Hurley's Pumpkin Forest PYO Pumpkin Picking, Wickford: Entry needs to be pre-booked, with pumpkins and squash starting at £1 each
Lowerdrayton Farm, Nr. Stafford: Entry fee of £13 per person, which includes a pumpkin, up to four carrots, a sweetcorn, and four potatoes
Millets Farm, Frilford: Entry fee starting at £2 per person, with PYO prices varying by pumpkin size
Many PYO pumpkin farms also offer activities on-site, such as mazes, and some have farm shops and food.
Challenges of a Pumpkin Start-Up
Growing pumpkins can be rewarding, but weather and pests can throw curveballs. For instance, fewer bees mean less pollination. So avoid pesticides, even ‘natural’ options like neem oil can harm animals like bees. So make sure you grow plenty of pollinator loving wildflowers in surrounding areas. Then there’s the energy required. Planting a patch can be labour-intensive at the start. How far away is your patch? Can you commit to visiting regularly, by foot, public transport or by bike preferably. What about time? Have you got the time to visit your shared garden at least once a week? More in drier months, where you’ll need to water…but not the leaves, remember.
If after all things considered, you want to go ahead. Yay! With all of the exercise and time outside you’ll get, just think of all the benefits to your physical and mental well-being, not to mention to joy you could bring to locals and your garden Lender!
Why stop at pumpkins?!
Halloween-themed events, like face painting, fancy-dress days and photo booths could help boost foot-fall and adding a locally foraged jam and pickles stall could also bring in extra cash. What about serving hot chocolate to warm up even the scariest sad soul?
For fun, for funds, or for charity—your pumpkin patch could be the perfect way to grow something amazing!
Whether you're looking to boost your bank balance by growing some pumpkins or raise money for a cause close to your heart, a pumpkin patch of any size could offer more than just a crop—it could be a community hub or a personal haven. Or bring people together, whether it’s your whole neighbourhood or just your next door neighbour, let them pick pumpkins, and make a difference at the same time. Just think, if you encouraged a few other local garden owners to Lend their gardens and garden-share you could also grow different crops around the year, a-maiz-ing! You could start crop swapping or even create a wholesome community trick or treat pumpkin picking trail. The possibilities are positively endless!
Whatever your goal, it’s a win-win!
Ready to get growing? We'd love to see your Patch-Match and pumpkin pics—send them to photos@lendandtend.com!
Check out some of our featured gardens which are big enough for growing pumpkins, for other locations check out the map on the LendandTend.com homepage. If you think your garden would make a great pumpkin patch, why not feature your garden and raise the visibility of your garden along with the chance of finding a Patch-match sooner, here:
In the meantime. Happy planting, and may your pumpkins be plump! 🎃