Co. Armagh-based vegetable and fresh produce processer, Gilfresh Produce, has grown 150ac of pumpkins within its own farming operation this year.
The company’s head of farming operations, Richard Gilpin explained:
“Crops are planted out as either seed or transplants as soon as the threat of frost has abated. This means a May planting date.
“Pumpkins normally follow a brassica or scallion crop in the context of the rotation that we follow on the farm.
“The variety of the pumpkin used dictates the output of the final crop. In the first instance, varieties are very location specific.”
Gilpin added that varieties of pumpkins “that grow well under the conditions that prevail in Co. Armagh may not be suited to other parts of the UK or Ireland.
“Varietal type also dictates the size of the pumpkins that are finally harvested. Some varieties will produce one large pumpkin: others will produce a number of smaller pumpkins.
“We aim to produce a range of pumpkin sizes to meet the demands of the market.”
Pumpkins
According to the Gilfresh representative, one of two pre-emergent herbicides can be used to chemically control weeds within pumpkin crops that are grown in Northern Ireland.
“Once the plants have germinated it’s a case of hand or mechanically weeding the crops.
“Pumpkins tend to grow out in a very random manner. This severely restricts the use of machinery within fields once they are well established.”
Gilpin said that there is a “window of opportunity to spread chemical fertiliser on pumpkin crops during the month of June. Here the focus is on trace elements”.
“Pumpkins leave a very heavy weed burdens in field post harvest. This is why we tend to follow these crops with the likes of forage maize, where high levels of weed control can be secured,” he added.
Gilfresh will be supplying 50,000 pumpkins to 16 Asda stores across Northern Ireland in the run-up to Halloween. The fresh produce business has partnered with Asda since 2008.
Over the past 16 years, the relationship has flourished, with the retailer placing its first ever order of 15,000 pumpkins in 2019, which has now increased to over 50,000 pumpkins grown over 20ac of land, just five years later.
Gilfresh is located in the very heart of Co. Armagh. The area benefits from having an ideal climate and agricultural land for growing pumpkins.
Orchard counties, like Armagh, often have good pollinator activity, which is very important as pumpkin crops on the likes of bees to deliver optimal yields.
