FALL PORCH DECOR FOREVER: how to make pumpkins last all season.

Every fall I find myself staring at porches covered in pumpkins and thinking, okay, this is the year I'm finally doing this properly.

I love everything about it — the piles of pumpkins on the stairs, the mums, the little lanterns, the warm lights, the whole slightly ridiculous abundance of fall. And this year I finally went for it and decorated our porch with a whole bunch of pumpkins. There was just one tiny problem: I had no idea how to keep them alive.

Because apparently, buying pumpkins is only half the job. If you leave them outside and do absolutely nothing, at some point they can get moldy, start rotting, crack from the weather, or become a very generous snack for the squirrels.

I am definitely not a pumpkin expert, and this was my first time decorating a large porch, so I went down a complete pumpkin-care rabbit hole and researched how people actually manage to keep these things looking good from September all the way through Thanksgiving.

The internet will tell you that pumpkins ideally need shade, a dry surface (wood is better than concrete), and protection from squirrels and other small animals. We had none of those. We live in LA, where our porch gets plenty of sunshine, the stairs are concrete, and there is almost always a squirrel or two somewhere in the bushes. So instead of trying to create perfect conditions, I decided to at least make sure I was doing everything else right. And, as it turns out, there are a few very simple tricks that can make a surprisingly big difference.

CONDITION YOUR PUMPKINS

If you're planning to keep your pumpkins outside for most of the fall, giving them a little pre-treatment is worth the extra few minutes.

The idea is simple: clean the surface, let the pumpkins dry completely, and create a little extra protection against moisture and mold. Vinegar-water solutions are commonly used for this because the acidity can inhibit mold and bacterial growth.

You'll need:

• a bucket big enough to submerge your largest pumpkin

• water

• apple cider vinegar

• paper towels

• Vaseline or WD-40

Here's how to do it:

1. Make the vinegar solution.

Fill a bucket with water and add vinegar. I use roughly 1 tablespoon of vinegar per 3 liters (about 3 quarts) of water. You can also put some of the mixture into a spray bottle — we'll use it later for maintenance.

2. Give each pumpkin a bath.

Submerge each pumpkin in the vinegar solution and let it soak for a couple of minutes.

3. Let them dry completely.

Take the pumpkins out and place them on paper towels. Let them dry completely before putting them back outside. Keeping the surface dry is important because moisture speeds up mold and decay.

4. Add a protective coating.

Once they're completely dry, you can apply a thin layer of Vaseline or WD-40 to the surface.

DON'T CARVE THEM TOO EARLY

This one is probably the easiest: if you want your pumpkins to last through the fall, don't cut into them. Once you do it, you've basically started the countdown. A carved pumpkin can last only a few days outdoors, depending on the weather.

So if you want a Jack-o'-lantern for Halloween, I would wait until the very last minute.

Personally, I decided not to carve any of mine and used a couple of fake light-up pumpkins instead. They give the glow without turning my entire fall porch into a race against decomposition.

If you do carve your pumpkins, you can also spray the inside with the vinegar solution to help slow down mold and deterioration.

GIVE THEM A LITTLE MAINTENANCE

Even after the initial treatment, your pumpkins are still sitting outside in the actual weather, so a little maintenance doesn't hurt. Rain, moisture and generally unpredictable fall weather can wear down whatever protective coating you've applied. That's why I keep some of the vinegar solution in a spray bottle and give the pumpkins a quick mist every now and then.

You don't have to obsess over it. Just refresh the treatment occasionally, especially after a particularly rainy or wet day.

And, obviously, keep an eye on your local wildlife. Squirrels, chipmunks and other critters may decide that your carefully styled fall porch is actually a beautifully arranged buffet. Vinegar can help deter pests, but it's not a force field.

So the basic formula is:

keep them as dry as possible + protect them from direct sun and animals + give them a little maintenance.

That's pretty much the whole pumpkin survival strategy.

And honestly, I love decorated stairs so much I can't even explain it. Before moving to LA, I had never had a porch to decorate, so getting to finally make one of those very American fall setups was ridiculously exciting for me.

If this is your first porch too, or you're simply tired of watching your beautiful pumpkins slowly turn into a pumpkin graveyard halfway through October, hopefully these little tricks will help. 🎃