Composting Pumpkins this Haloween

Are you one of those people that let your Halloween pumpkin rot on the side and then just end up throwing it away? Why not make the soil and the planet happy this year and compost that Halloween pumpkin? By composting it, your pumpkin will not be added to the waste at the local landfill.


Here's how to have fun smashing pumpkins and then recycling them.

1. Remove the Insides

If you want to really reduce waste make sure you use up all the flesh from the pumpkin for delicious soup first, and you can even remove the seeds for roasting.

For a carved pumpkin, remove any candles or wax from the inside of the pumpkin as these wont compost down!

2. Smashing Pumpkins

This is the fun part, smashing pumpkins. Literally.  Go ahead and have some fun with smashing pumpkins. They will turn into a nice mushy orange mess, but its really worth doing if you can because it speeds up the rotting process because this will open them up to the air and to the bacteria and other organisms who will help with the composting process.

3. Find a quiet corner in the garden

Find a place in the back garden with access to the ground where you can make a pile of natural materials like leaves and smashed pumpkins.

4. Add Leaves

The pumpkin will compost nicely of its own accord but its better when added to some fallen leaves, or other autumnal garden waste which are probably all over your garden right now.

5.  Sit back, relax, eat your pumpkin soup and just let nature do all the work

The easiest type of composting is called "passive composting." This is when you just let nature, and the worms, do the work. There is no need to check on the compost, or to mix it up, or do add anything but natural materials to it.  Come back in six to eight months time and your pile will be about a third of the size and starting to become nice earthy brown compost.

It couldnt be easier.  For more tips visit www.homecomposting.org.uk or www.shropshire.getcomposting.com