Swafford’s father raised tomatoes and other produce and passed his passion down.
“Pumpkins are fun to grow,” Swafford says. “They are pretty to look at (and) can be used in decorations. And they have a lot of holistic purposes.” He adds that they’re very healthy for humans and livestock to eat. In his experience, chickens, cows and pigs have a particular affinity for the popular fruit.
Gourds are fun for Swafford, too. “There’s so many different kinds,” he says. “You can put them on trellises or the ground. There are so many different things you can do.”
Choosing Varieties
Swafford’s excitement for the subject makes it easy to see why he feels that pumpkins and gourds can be a great addition to any farm. The fun starts with choosing which varieties that you will grow. Pumpkins grown for decoration have a wide variety of options to choose from. “It’s your preference,” he says. “You can get them with wrinkles, tall or oblong, short and squatty, or where they look like the traditional jack-o’-lanterns,” he says.
There are even choices with the stems. You can choose a variety with stems that grow as much as 20 inches long, curly and 8 inches thick. While the long-stem jack-o-lantern varieties are one of Swafford’s favorite types to grow, he cautions that they aren’t a high-yielding pumpkin variety. But, whatever you want in a pumpkin now, they have it bred up and you can find it.
この記事は Hobby Farms の March - April 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Hobby Farms の March - April 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Meet Li Schmidt
At Cultural Roots Nursery, in Winters, California, Li Schmidt grows more than 100 Asian-heritage vegetables, herbs, fruit and trees on 1⁄4 acre.
A DUCK FOR ALL Seasons
Care for ducks throughout the year with this seasonal guide.
Turkeys for the Home Table
Raise your own birds for a tastier and healthier holiday meal.
FLERD is the Word
Explore the benefits and barriers of multispecies pasturing.
raise STRONGER CHICKENS
Look around your kitchen, and you'll likely find some natural poultry supplements.
Winter's Last Stand
Early warm weather followed by a late frost can easily ruin an orchard harvest.
FOWL FACTS
Let's explore some random poultry facts ... from a possible bird brain!
Pumpkins & Gourds
Tyler Swafford’s enthusiasm for raising pumpkins and gourds is contagious. The lifelong farmer, himself the descendent of a lifelong farmer, makes his home on Dayton Mountain overlooking Tennessee’s Sequatchie Valley.
Climate-Resilient Crops
Farmers operating large commercial outfits and smaller, hobby growers alike are facing new challenges season after season.
WHEN THE Queen Abdicates
Without a queen to rule, your hive can't survive.