(NEXSTAR) – Nothing dampens the mood of an early autumn afternoon like finding out your pumpkins are prematurely rotting on the porch.

Well, that, or finding out you’re running low on limited-edition pumpkin-spice-scented trash bags. That’s a real bummer too.

Picking out a hardy pumpkin isn’t exactly rocket science, but there are a few steps that folks can take to ensure a longer-lasting gourd, according to Dr. Rebecca Nelson Brown, the chair of Plant Sciences and Entomology at the University of Rhode Island.

The full article is available at ozarksfirst.com.

(Story by Michael Bartiromo, ozarksfirst.com)