2024 Pumpkin and Fall Ornamentals to be on the Lookout For!
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Pumpkin and Fall Ornamentals to be On the Lookout For!
Chuck Bornt, CCE ENYCHP
At the beginning of January, I was asked by my colleague to give an update on new pumpkin and fall ornamentals that growers might want to take a look at. Now, we haven't done a pumpkin variety trial since 2020 and I know that many of you probably already have your seed orders in, but in my experience, there is always room for a couple more! With a couple of quick emails to our seed industry representatives, my inbox was flooded with a slew of new fall ornamentals that either released this year or are due to release in 2025. To view the slide show of the variety update, click here.
One of the most exciting things for me to learn about is the number of new releases with Powdery Mildew resistance/tolerance. It was also nice to see that there are quite a few new all white varieties being release as well as some new munchkin types. The warty craze is still going strong with some new release in that category as well and of course lots of new Jack-O-Lantern types. Reviewing all of these new varieties got me thinking about the possibility of doing a variety trial this summer, so if any of you reading this is interested in hosting us on your farm for a variety trial, please let me know!
I would like to thank all the seed companies that sent me information on their new lines: Seedway, Outstanding Seed, Rupp Seed and Stokes Seed.
Pumpkin and Fall Ornamentals to be On the Lookout For! (pdf; 7406KB)

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New Farm Manager Skills Day - Get the Tools You Need to Grow Your People (Hudson Valley)
March 10, 2026 : New Farm Manager Skills Day - Get the Tools You Need to Grow Your People
Millbrook, NY
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March 11, 2026
As part of our multi-state SPARC SCRI project on mitigating orchard heat and cold stress, the WSU Tree Fruit Heat School will focus on understanding and managing heat-related challenges in apple and pear production. The program brings together research-based insights and applied discussions on sunburn physiology and mitigation, red color development in apples and pears, and the impacts of heat on postharvest storage and fruit quality. Each session will include an expert presentation, followed by a panel discussion with panelists from across the US.
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