Pumpkin picking yay or nay?

[Voodooplum101]

I’m generally a make the most of it kind of person when it comes to days out.

I’ve always avoided pumpkin picking as I know you’re just going to end up paying through the nose for a pumpkin, but ds wanted to go this year so we went for it.

Aibu to think pumpkin picking is one of the most mediocre experiences you can do.

We went to a farm place, so paid entrance for that, there were a few animals to see and feed so they part was pleasant. Then there was a field where the pumpkins were all dumped 🤣 they weren’t grown there, there were some hay bales so was able to get a few nice photos of ds. The actual pumpkins were no bigger or better than you can buy from the supermarket.

It felt a bit ridiculous choosing our very expensive pumpkin from the field where it had been dumped.

Ds enjoyed seeing the animals and he enjoyed pushing the wheelbarrow round.

Perhaps there are nicer places we could have gone, there were so many places doing these pumpkin patches we just went with somewhere local.

Aibu to have found it very mediocre and quite a strange experience?

How hard is it to grow your own? I’m not very green fingered but love the idea!!

Ours used to be good value, £3 each to get in and there are loads of activities as well once in plus food and drink you can buy. It’s gone up to £5 each this year and some of the activities you now have to pay for but for us it’s still a fairly good value day out.

It’s like going strawberry picking and getting there to find sad looking punnets of Aldi strawberries on the grass for five times the price. Yes, you can ‘pick’ the one you want but it’s a bit rubbish.

It's not super hard to be honest, you could get a large pot and let the vines grow on to the floor if you're short on bedding space.

BUT they drink water like buggery. If you want any hope of getting fruit off them then you'll need to be chucking water at them regularly, especially if it's hot and dry like this summer.

Thank you so much!! I’m going to give it a go next year think my little girl would love it!!

Watering I can handle 😂

If you grow them in a pot make sure you use a decent compost (any standard compost will do).

Whether you do this or whether you plant them in the ground, start the seedlings off in trays on a windowsill inside first, then plant out in early summer once the risk of frost is gone. But most seed packets will have instructions on anyway. Good luck!

We grew this year from seeds from last year's which was super fun but did still go pumpkin picking - I think you've had a bad experience. We go to our local farm, free entry and we paid £8 total for 5 pumpkins! The kids love running around finding the best one!

We went yesterday to farm where they grow the pumpkins in a huge field. No entry free, get ro wander amongst the vines finding many a non-photogenic pumpkin, then paid a tenner for 4 large pumpkins and off home to carve them (we could have carved them at the farm if we wanted to).

We did it a few times when the kids were smaller.

Mostly before the patches really took off into massively expensive experiences with tons of extra as well as the actual pumpkins. It was quite nice and got your outdoors and made the kids happy, so that’s something.

It is a bit silly for all the reasons you say, though. The pumpkins clearly not being grown there being the main one! That and the cost.

We don’t do it any more now they are older.

DS mostly wants to go to Halloween Scout Camp, and Thorpe Park, and DD is grown up now, so that’s kind of all behind us now.

We go every year and we love it! We go to a pumpkin patch where they actually grow the pumpkins, we love the whole experience of it. Yes we pay more for the pumpkins than you’d pay in the supermarkets but they actually last longer than the supermarket pumpkins, plus we’re supporting a small business

Where I live it’s £18 for an adult and 13 for child. No free pumpkins 🤯

We go to one where they grow the pumpkins, we often have to cut the stalks. They have loads of Halloween themed games, a pizza van and a carving barn. Our kids love it and we like supporting a local business, they also do pick your own strawberries and raspberries in the summer.

We go to one every year, usually with friends and their kids too. I put out down as one of those things that is more expensive than it's really worth but the kids enjoy dressing up and climbing on the hay bales, running round the maze, choosing a pumpkin etc, and it's a bit different than the usual playground/soft play/country park trip. Just a bit of fun.

This is our experience. Used to take the kids for free about 10 years ago, buy a pumpkin and a hot chocolate and was lovely and non commercial. Proper, hack them from the field growing.

Now it's boo boxes and pumpkin picking where they have been dumped in a field with Instagram backgrounds and handmade wooden house backdrops and...nah. Will get pumpkins from supermarket and do at home.

I suppose as long as the children had a nice time, that’s what it’s all about hey?

My local one is free. They are still attached to the vine so not just dumped there fortunately.
we purchased 6 as we were visiting with nieces and nephews and paid £21. I do think there’s a massive variance in value at these places.

Went once, will never go back, but someone places do it better than others.

I suspect that we often go to the venue that you live near. If it is the same one, they do actually grow their own, which is partly why we keep going back. It's nice to see the evidence of the vines and know they haven't just been dumped. The farm grow loads of different varieties and we tend to buy a few for cooking, too.

Having said that, it is a monstrosity of an event incl. funfair rides and I do often think it's got somewhat out of hand... (while reminding myself that it's partly my fault as the consumer! 🤦‍♀️) However we don't have extravagant days out (which this is, for us) very often and it's pretty reasonably priced if you stay the whole day and make the most of all the activities (vs. going to other "family days out" e.g. farm parks that cost a fortune in comparison).

I took my DC, they were free to get in as under 16, I paid £2 for me. We went off with our wheelbarrow to find some pumpkins and I paid £20 for 7 pumpkins. We had a drink and a snack in the cafe and a look round the farm shop. It was great!

I think look around and try somewhere else next time as it’s so easy to get ripped off at these places.

Attempted to grow our own again

All plants died in the heatwave

You have to hand pollinate with pumpkins as there’s just not enough pollinating insects (thanks to people paving over gardens & lawns!) and there’s only a very tiny window to do it. Heat doesn’t generally kill pumpkin plants unless they’re dehydrated as they thrive on heat, but I guess it’s possible.

My DC & I grow our own

I think its about where you choose.

We go to a local farm shop to pumpkin pick. Its a token couple of quid entry fee per car. Then pay by weight so is expensive or as cheap as you make it. They grow on the field you pick - although they do 'top up' with other pumpkins grown elsewhere. They have quite a few photo opportunities setup. Usually spend an hour there as they have alot of different types of pumpkins to choose between.

We never do it with somewhere that is expensive paid entry like a farm or other attraction as it always is never worth it. I'd rather spend the money in the farm shop cafe on lunch.

We do it for the experience not the cost. We started in lockdown year as a way to get out but now its tradition. Much nicer than picking one from a supermarket.

We had a fab time this morning. Got there at 9am and had the entire place to ourselves. Kids ran amok with little wheelbarrows choosing their pumpkins, then went on all the inflatable slides and bouncy castles while we had a coffee. Really misty but dry here so perfect weather.

Like I say I usually have the mindset of just make the most of it and you’re paying for the experience.

It wasn’t bad, it just felt a bit ridiculous. It’s the way the pumpkins were all just placed on the ground as if to make it look like they’d grown there 🤣

Some of the places people have been sound lovely. If we do go next year I’ll research a bit more and go somewhere where they grow the pumpkins, but definitely going to have a go at growing some myself as they would be great if it works.

Kids of all ages do seem to love it though don’t they.