🎃 What to Do With Pumpkins in Your Garden (Scotland Edition)
- info673
- Oct 27
- 3 min read
Smart, Sustainable Uses for Leftover Pumpkins This Autumn
As Halloween decorations come down and the nights grow colder across Scotland, many households are left wondering—what now?—about those carved and uncarved pumpkins sitting on doorsteps.
Rather than tossing them in the bin, there are plenty of practical, sustainable, and even creative ways to use pumpkins in your Scottish garden. Whether you're a wildlife lover, composting enthusiast, or budding grower, here’s how to make the most of every pumpkin.
🐦 1. Feed the Wildlife
Pumpkins are a tasty snack for many garden visitors, and they can be a brilliant boost for local wildlife during colder months.
Who eats pumpkins?
Birds: Blackbirds, thrushes, and robins may peck at the soft flesh and seeds.
Hedgehogs: Not ideal. Pumpkin can upset their stomachs—so if you have a hedgehog-friendly garden, skip this one.
Squirrels and rodents: They’ll help themselves if you leave pumpkins out, especially seeds.
How to offer it safely:
Cut pumpkin into chunks or halves and place them on a raised surface like a bird table or stone.
Remove candle wax, glitter, paint, or anything artificial first.
Avoid mouldy pumpkins—only fresh or slightly soft ones should be left out.
🐾 Top Tip: If you grow pumpkins organically or know yours are pesticide-free, they're safer for garden wildlife.
🌱 2. Compost It
Pumpkins are perfect compost material. They’re rich in nitrogen and break down quickly—ideal for your compost heap or bin.
How to do it:
Chop it up first: the smaller the pieces, the faster they rot.
Remove seeds if you don’t want surprise pumpkin plants next year.
Mix pumpkin with brown material (like dried leaves, straw or shredded paper) to balance moisture.
Avoid painted or wax-coated pumpkins—they don’t break down well.
🌿 Scottish Garden Tip: Add your pumpkin just before covering with an autumn leaf layer—it’ll kickstart decomposition nicely before winter sets in.
🍂 3. Use It as a Mini Planter
Before your carved pumpkins fully collapse, you can turn them into temporary planters for autumn bedding plants, herbs, or even spring bulbs.
How:
Hollow out the inside (if not already carved).
Poke drainage holes in the base.
Fill with compost and plant with:
Heathers
Cyclamen
Violas
Dwarf narcissus (for a quirky spring surprise)
Place your pumpkin planter on a patio or garden step. Once it begins to rot, compost the whole thing.
🪴 4. Mulch Your Soil
Pumpkin flesh and skin, when broken up, make an excellent organic mulch to protect soil and feed microbes.
How to mulch with pumpkins:
Break it into small pieces.
Spread it directly onto bare soil (e.g., veg beds you’re resting over winter).
Top with a layer of straw, bark, or leaf mould to stop pests and slow decay smell.
🍁 Why it works in Scotland: The cool, damp climate helps mulch decompose slowly and enrich soil with nutrients over winter.
🧪 5. Make Liquid Fertiliser (Pumpkin Tea)
Got a mushy mess on your hands? Turn it into “pumpkin tea”—a quick, homemade plant feed.
DIY method:
Add chunks of pumpkin to a bucket.
Cover with water.
Leave for 3–5 days, stirring occasionally.
Strain and pour the liquid around plants, compost heaps, or borders.
It’s packed with potassium and organic matter—great for autumn feeding or giving overwintering plants a gentle boost.
🌼 6. Grow More Pumpkins (From Seeds)
If your pumpkin was a healthy, local-grown or organic one, save some seeds to grow your own next year.
How to save pumpkin seeds:
Rinse and dry seeds thoroughly.
Store in a paper envelope in a cool, dry place over winter.
Sow indoors in April or directly outside after the last frost (late May or June in Scotland).
Water well, give them plenty of sun, and watch them sprawl!
🎃 Tip: Not all shop-bought pumpkins are ideal for eating or growing. Try to save seeds from edible varieties or locally grown pumpkins for best results.
❌ What Not to Do With Pumpkins
Don’t leave them to rot on the lawn: You’ll attract slugs, rats, and spread mould to nearby grass.
Don’t feed to hedgehogs or pets: It may cause digestive issues.
Don’t compost painted or glittery pumpkins: These materials are not biodegradable.
🎃 Final Thoughts
In Scottish gardens, pumpkins are more than just spooky decor. Whether you're composting, feeding birds, or prepping for next year's harvest, there’s no need for any part of your pumpkin to go to waste.
By making the most of this seasonal squash, you're keeping nutrients in your garden, supporting wildlife, and embracing a more sustainable way to celebrate autumn.
📌 Quick Ideas Recap:
Use | How to Do It |
Wildlife food | Chop and leave for birds/squirrels (not hedgehogs) |
Compost | Break up, remove seeds, mix with dry matter |
Planter | Fill hollowed pumpkin with compost and plants |
Mulch | Chop and spread on veg beds or flower borders |
Liquid feed | Steep in water for 3–5 days, use as fertiliser |
Save seeds | Rinse, dry, store for spring sowing |
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