All-Things-Pumpkin at Hicks Nurseries

October is the most popular time of year to visit farms and nurseries and load up on pumpkins and all things fall. One of those places to visit on Long Island is Hicks Nurseries in Westbury and it has been around for over 150 years.

Now Hicks is mainly in three different businesses: the garden center business (which is the biggest and most important to the Hicks family), the fall harvest and entertainment business between hayrides, pumpkins, apples, farm animals and Otto the Ghost, and the holiday home decorating business.

Being that it is the fall harvest season, Hicks shared his expertise on all things pumpkin.

“We get pumpkins from all over; we get some from down South, some from up North, occasionally from Canada and usually in season we may fill in locally if we can get that,” Owner Stephen Hicks said.

This year has been particularly difficult to get the product because of the pumpkin shortage due to the heavy rains and Hurricane Irene, but Hicks said they’ve gotten enough.

“We’ve been able to get pumpkins because we’ve been able to draw from fairly far and wide, but what it means is that this time as we get closer to Halloween  it’s a real juggling act because you can’t just call somebody up local and say, ‘I’d like four or five bins of pumpkins,’” Hicks said.

The excess rain disables the pumpkins from producing properly, they don’t set flowers properly and Hicks said there is basically a crop failure or reduction.

The demand for pumpkins is usually the busiest between Oct. 5 and Oct. 15, but come Nov. 1, nobody really needs or wants them anymore.

“The challenge is keeping the tables full and fresh so that when people come with their children they find the pumpkins they want and at the same time not ending up with a lot of pumpkins the first week in November that don’t have a home,” Hicks said.

Unfortunately, because pumpkins are a perishable product, all pumpkins not sold have to be thrown away.

“If they are damaged or bruised you can compost them — they are biodegradable — but whatever doesn’t sell has to go,” Hicks said.

Hicks Nursery held their annual pumpkin weigh off and recently, which included the categories scariest pumpkin, funniest pumpkin, best children’s pumpkin and more. All winners received a gift certificate to the nursery.

Pumpkins generally last several weeks and Hicks makes sure to keep his pumpkins fresh by keeping them dry, covering up the ones in bins with tarp and to handle them with care.

“If you put them on a table where there is a nail or something that punctures the skin…any damage in handling can cause [them to] rot,” Hicks said.

This is why carved pumpkins usually perish faster than un-carved pumpkins, but Hicks said making jack-o-lanterns is part of the fun.

“I’m not an expert on cooking with pumpkins, but pumpkins are certainly edible, so you can make homemade pumpkin soup or pumpkin pies and I know a lot of people like to take the seeds and bake them, put a little oil and salt,” Hicks suggested. “Cooking and carving are the most popular uses.”

Overall, Hicks hopes that when his customers come to his nurseries that they are happy and enjoy themselves.

“Unlike some of the other places we don’t charge admission, so we want people to come out and have a good time and hopefully they’ll buy a few pumpkins and decorations for the house,” Hicks said. “Hopefully people enjoy coming out. We see a lot of families that come year after year and we run into folks who say, ‘I came here as a child!,’ and now in some cases they’re bringing their kids, so that’s always great to see.”