What to do with Decorative Pumpkins

Don’t let your jack-o-lanterns and other decorative pumpkins go to waste after you are done with them in the fall. Here are a few things you can do with those decorative pumpkins.

Don’t let your pumpkins go to waste

Even though pumpkins make great fall decorations they can also be used for many other things. Instead of letting them go to waste here are a few things you can use them for.

Feed them to your chickens

The best thing you can do with old pumpkins is feed them to your chickens! Chicken love to eat the centers of the pumpkin and they can help deworm your chickens.

Just split your pumpkins in half and let your chickens devour them! This is a great treat right before winter and it also helps you get rid of your pumpkins.

You can even save a few of the whole pumpkins in your basement and then feed them to your chickens over winter as a great boredom buster. Your chickens can literally convert pumpkins into eggs!

A great idea is to let your chickens carve your pumpkins. It has become a viral trend to let your chickens carve pumpkins.

To do this trace out the carved design you want on a whole pumpkin. Then cut the first layer of pumpkin skin off.

Set the pumpkin in the coop and watch your hens eat away at the parts without skin. Once they eat to the center you have a chicken carved pumpkin!

Compost those pumpkins

You can add your pumpkins to your compost pile so you can put those nutrients back into your garden. In fact compost is one of the best organic fertilizers for your garden.

You can learn how to start your own compost pile here. If you have a garden, grow any plants, or own chickens, then you need to start your own compost pile, you won’t regret it!

Compost is great at improving and building your soil, and it can help you grow your best garden ever.

Smash them in your garden

If you don’t want to compost your pumpkins you can just leave them in your garden. The pumpkins will naturally decompose and by spring you won’t even know they were there.

To help the pumpkins decompose quickly it is a good idea to crush them first. You will want to move them off your porch before you get a freeze because pumpkins get really squishy when they thaw!

Eat your pumpkins

Some of the pumpkins that are decorative can also be eaten. While some pumpkins are better suited for pies, most have edible parts.

For those pumpkins that are sweet and suitable for eating you can make pumpkin puree from them. You can either freeze it or use it right away.

If your pumpkins aren’t the best for eating you can still eat the seeds! Roasted pumpkin seeds are not only delicious they also nutritious.

Feed your pumpkins to the wild life

If you aren’t going to use your pumpkins the local wildlife would be happy to take them off your hands. If you have deer, squirrels, or rabbits on your property you can just cut your pumpkins in half and put them in high traffic areas.

If you don’t have a lot of wildlife in your backyard you probably still have birds in your yard. You can carve a whole in the side of you pumpkin and fill it with bird seed.

The birds will love coming to your homemade bird feeder while they migrate south for the winter season.

Give them to a homesteader

If you don’t have a garden or chickens and you don’t want to eat your pumpkins, you can give them to someone who will use them.

You can either find a farmer who wants to use them or a local homesteader. Goats, chickens, pigs, and other animals love to eat pumpkins.

If you have a neighbor with backyard chickens or you know a local farmer ask them if they want to take your pumpkins!

What do you do with your pumpkins?

There are so many things you can do with your pumpkins after the fall season has passed and I would love to hear what you do with yours. Comment below and let me know what you do with your pumpkins!

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