Lancing farm celebrates one of best yields yet despite "abysmal" year for pumpkins
It comes as National Trust gardeners find poor weather forced an early harvest for many
In what's being called an "abysmal" turn out for most pumpkin patches, a Sussex farm's celebrating some of their biggest and most diverse pumpkins yet.
National Trust gardeners found bad weather over the past month and a so-called "army of slugs" caused many pumpkins to stop growing early, forcing an early harvest.
However, that wasn't the case for Lancing based Sompting Pumpkins, who's Farmer Caroline tells us they've been "lucky".
"We planted sixty thousand seeds at the beginning of June when the soil was warm.
"Then we got some rain to wash the seeds in, and throughout the summer, which I know has been frustrating for a lot of people.
"There's been a lot of rain - but that's benefited our pumpkins."
The farm has since managed to yield a variety of pumpkins - from traditional orange ones, to both tiny and huge yellow, green and white crops.
Caroline continues, "We have from the tiniest little munchkin here, to the ugly sort-of gourds that you wouldn't eat, to the huge pumpkins, orange and white ones.
"Polar bear ones, that are enormous, plus the huge big orange ones."
However Rebecca Bevan, plant health and sustainability consultant at the National Trust, says 2024 was a challenging growing season for most vegetable gardeners.
She adds: "But the rain was great for many garden plants, meaning they experienced no drought stress."
Ms Bevan advised placing copper tape around pots, and using a mulch of gravel, wood shavings or sharp sand can help keep slugs and snails away.