MONTGOMERY-Whether you like to carve your pumpkins or leave them whole, when the season ends, many people are left with the question of what to do with them next. This year, instead of tossing your old pumpkins in the trash or letting them rot, consider using them to spruce up your garden or as a seasonal treat for backyard wildlife.
As you clean out your pumpkin and prepare to carve it, if you don’t have time to roast them up for yourself, consider roasting them for wildlife. Numerous wildlife will eat pumpkin seeds too! The seeds should be dried out, either naturally or in the oven, to make it easier for birds to break into them, but do not add any salt or seasoning.
Carved pumpkins tend to decompose much faster than whole pumpkins, 
which is great news for macroinvertebrates in your garden! Pumpkins breakdown quickly in the soil since they are 90% water, which makes them a great addition to a compost pile. If you don’t already have a compost pile, you could also chop the pumpkin into small pieces and bury them in the garden. Worms and other macroinvertebrates will love you for it, and the soil will be more fertile for growing native plants next year.
Lastly, for those that don’t have decaying or painted pumpkins, the pumpkin flesh itself can be used as a backyard snack for many wildlife species. You can leave the pumpkin whole, cut it into pieces, or cut out access holes to allow wildlife to reach inside the pumpkin and scoop out the flesh. However you choose to serve your pumpkin snack, place it away from the house, near trees and other cover and enjoy viewing your Alabama wildlife.
