Plenty of pumpkins this autumn

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Indiana's pumpkin crop has mostly survived the drought conditions experienced throughout the state this year.

According to experts at the Purdue Extension office, there should be no shortage of the jolly orange fruits this autumn.

Despite dry conditions, seeds planted in June were able to germinate properly. The dryness actually protected pumpkins from disease that might normally affect pumpkins in wetter years, according to Dan Egel, a Purdue Extension plant pathologist.

Virus diseases in pumpkins cause dimples and extra green in the coloring.

"Usually, the fruit will go ahead a ripen and turn orange, but there might be green patterns mixed in with the orange, or maybe some dimples that you can run your hand over and feel," Egel said in a release.

Pumpkins with a disease doesn't affect carving quality, according to Egel. "Personally, I think the patterns caused by virus give the pumpkin individuality. Mild virus symptoms shouldn't affect the marketability of pumpkins."

A healthy pumpkins stem, according to Egel, should be full and green. A stem that is brown and thin could mean it's not grown locally, or has been off the vine for a longer time.

"Knock the dirt off and check carefully because a pumpkin with soft spots would definitely be one to pass on. You don't want that sitting on your porch," Egel said.