WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The number of pumpkins in Indiana is down this year due to dry conditions, particularly early in the growing season.

However, producers in the state with irrigation systems report average to above average yields.

Pumpkin seeds planted in late spring and early summer have trouble germinating in dry soil, said Stephen Meyers, an assistant professor of weed science in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University’s College of Agriculture.

Not only was there limited rainfall during June and July but it was one of the hottest June’s on record in the state, he said.

Meyers said his family’s one-quarter of an acre pumpkin patch, which doesn’t have an irrigation system, had to be replanted in spots where seeds failed to germinate.

“We planted and didn’t receive much, if any, rainfall for June, which doesn’t encourage much growth for the pumpkins starting out,” he said.

Last year, Indiana was the second leading producer of pumpkins in the United States with about 25,000 pounds per acre harvested on 7,500 planted acres, according to USDA.

Leading the nation was Illinois with about 40,000 pounds of pumpkins per acre harvested on about 15,000 planted acres, USDA said.

Tuttle Orchards near Greenfield in the central part of the state has about 20 or so acres of pumpkins that are mostly not irrigated.

James Kriner, a manager of the farm store on the property, said yields were slightly down, primarily with specialty and decorative pumpkins. He said all the pumpkins look nice but seem a bit smaller in size. “It was a pretty dry summer overall,” he said.

Kriner said it’s also been more challenging to find enough pumpkins to buy from wholesalers to supplement their supplies for customers. “We’re having more trouble doing that this year,” he said.

A vast majority of the pumpkins at Tuttle Orchards are offered in the store or out in the fields where people can pick their own.

Kriner said conditions were also dry enough for other crops at the farm, like some of the green beans and sweet corn, to have problems taking root.

“There was probably like a two-week period where we got hardly any rain,” he said.

Pumpkin yields from the irrigated fields of John and Jean Coulter from Westville were not impacted by the dry start to the growing season. “I think ours is at least average or above,” Jean Coulter said.

She also spoke highly about their quality. “Great. Wonderful,” she said.

The Coulters started raising pumpkins nearly 40 years ago and grow them on about 20 acres.

Jean Coulter said conditions at her farm in June and July were also dry but none of her seeds had trouble germinating because every acre of her pumpkins have an irrigation system.

She also noted pumpkins, once established, don’t require as much water as other crops.

The Coulter pumpkins are available at the store on their farm along U.S. 421 and out in the fields where customers are taken via hayrides to pick on weekends.

The Coulters also grow sweet corn on 20 acres, along with tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, eggplant, okra and beets on another 1.5 acres.

John Coulter, along with his son and grandson, also raised seed corn and soybeans on 4,000 acres.

Nearby Garwood Orchards, which irrigates all of their pumpkins on up to 10 acres, reported a good-sized crop. “We’re fortunate. Our pumpkins have done well,” Carey Garwood said.

There’s also a store offering pumpkins along with u-pick at the orchard, known primarily for close to 300 acres of apples.

Garwood said her farm is also being contacted more this year about filling larger orders of pumpkins.

She said some requests are for 100 to 200 or more pumpkins by people from throughout the region whose normal suppliers are apparently unable to meet their needs at places like nursing home and special events.

“I think that tells me some other farmers with pumpkins didn’t fare as well,” she said.

Michigan, California, Texas and Virginia are the other leading producers of pumpkins in the nation, according to USDA.