File this Halloween hack under a happy accident. Lindsey (@mamanowwhat) recently discovered that throwing old pumpkins in her garden was a super easy and effective way to start her own pumpkin patch. Now she's documenting her pumpkin journey on Instagram.
The scoop
Lindsey explains in a video showing her new pumpkin patch that she heard of this unique gardening hack last year.
"I saw this video where you take your old pumpkins, put them in your yard, and then next year, they'll decompose and then they'll just start growing pumpkins," she explains in the video.
And it worked. Lindsey proudly shows off nine new pumpkins growing in her garden.
"Every day, I'm excited to see them grow and change under the sun," she wrote in the caption. "I can't wait to find out if they'll be orange, yellow, green, or even white!"
How it's helping
Recycling your Halloween pumpkins this year could save you some cash when next fall rolls around, but it also helps cut down on a massive amount of waste caused by the season. After Halloween, a surprising 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins end up in landfills. Pumpkins, like other organic materials in landfills, produce methane, one of the leading climate-warming gases.
Repurposing your pumpkins means you won't have to throw them away. And if you choose your pumpkins carefully, they can also act as a new food source for you or your family — straight from the garden.
What everyone's saying
Lindsey wasn't the only one who knew about this handy hack. Many commenters had stories about how they ended up with backyards full of pumpkins, whether it was on purpose or an accident.
"I figured this out by chance when suddenly squash started growing in my yard that I didn't plant!" one person commented. "So cool!"
"I 100% vouch for this," another said. "It happened accidentally to me. Now I have 9 pumpkins in my front yard."
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