Farmers are warning that pumpkin picking patches are facing a threat this autumn after the scorching summer heat ruined growing conditions. Every year families flock to farms across the nation to pick pumpkins for their houses ahead of Halloween. But, after the relentless temperatures over the 2026 summer, farmers have said the popular squash picking could be facing the squeeze this year.
Farmers report crop losses
Eleanor Gilbert, 24, who works on her family's Rookery Farm in Thatcham on the Hampshire-Berkshire border, claims all farms local to her are struggling due to the summer's dry conditions. She estimates they have lost 50% of their crop and the pumpkins that have managed to grow have either been very small or have struggled to compete with weeds for light and space.
Having spent £6,000 on seeds alone, Eleanor says she will barely be able to break even with the pumpkins that have materialised. She said: "I am about 50% down on my average pumpkin crop. It is really quite devastating. It is not just me, it is farmers across the country. We are taking hits quite a lot lately."
Costs and challenges mount
"It is a lot more expensive this year to counteract the drought we have been facing. This year I am really feeling it, and I am not sure I am going to break even." One of the main money makers is her Pumpkin Patch & Big Bale Play events where people can pick pumpkins and explore a spooky maze. However, with the reduced crop, she says decorations are looking sparse for the event which opened on October 3.
The main issues have been the lack of rain, as Eleanor explained pumpkins are around 90% water, and field fires from the dry conditions. The heatwaves also impacted other plants such as wheat, which was down 40% this year, and has started costing her farm £50 an acre rather than being profitable.
Panic buying predicted
Experts in household trends and consumer behaviour, Showers to You are predicting that the combination of a reduced crop and heightened demand could see Brits rushing to get their hands on pumpkins earlier than usual, potentially sparking a bout of 'pumpkin panic buying' in the run-up to Halloween.
Martin Smith, founder of Showers to You, weighed in on the suspected pumpkin shortage saying: "With growers already reporting the impact this summer's heat has had on pumpkin crops, it's likely we'll see a knock-on effect when Brits start heading out to buy their pumpkins for Halloween. Whenever there's a suggestion that a much-loved seasonal item could be in shorter supply, we tend to see people get ahead of the rush and buying earlier than they normally would, and pumpkins are no different, particularly when people have a very specific idea in mind for their Halloween carving."
"If pumpkins are smaller, fewer in number or start disappearing from supermarket shelves earlier than usual, I wouldn't be surprised to see Brits panic buying their pumpkins well ahead of Halloween. Nobody wants to be left scrambling for a pumpkin the week before Halloween, only to find that the best ones have already gone. But if the pumpkin shortage does materialise earlier than expected, there's no reason to let it put a stop to Halloween festivities. There are plenty of household vegetables that can be carved instead, Brits may just require to think outside the pumpkin patch this year."
