Used machines for Pumpkin

About second-hand machines for Pumpkin

There are few vegetables as diverse in cooking as pumpkins. You can stew them, bake them, deep-fry them, make pasta with them and even soup. Plenty of options for consumers. The popularity of this vegetable has skyrocketed recently; in the past 10 years, pumpkin sales for consumption have increased fivefold. This does not even include the cultivation of ornamental pumpkins. So pumpkin cultivation is on the rise.

Much of this crop is organic, as much as 60% of pumpkins are grown organically. The cultivation and processing of pumpkins requires many different machines, such as sowing machines, harvesting belts, water dumpers and washing machines and, finally, sorting and packaging machines. So starting to grow pumpkins can be quite expensive, especially for the often more small-scale organic farms. This is where used machines offer a solution. 

Duijndam Machines' used machines are much cheaper than new models, but you do not have to compromise on quality. All our machines are extensively inspected and our mission is for the buyer to be able to use our machines for years to come. Below is a detailed description of the machines we sell for pumpkin cultivation.

Pumpkin seeder

Growing pumpkins starts in spring by sowing the crop. Pumpkins are sown by means of a pneumatic seeder. These seeders work by means of a vacuum. Inside the seeding element is a rotating seed disc which, due to this vacuum, sucks the seed onto the seed disc. There is a hole to fit a seed at a fixed distance. The seed is then blown clean by compressed air before being placed in the soil, after which it is covered and pressed down.

The seeding distance is partly determined by the number of holes in the seed disc, and can be adjusted by gears. The size of the holes the seed enters determines the type of seed that can be sown with the pneumatic seeder. Fortunately, these seed discs are interchangeable, which makes it possible to sow multiple types/sizes of seed with this pneumatic seeder. 

Harvesting pumpkins 

Like courgettes and broccoli, pumpkins are also harvested by hand. To speed up the job and make it less labour intensive, different machines can be used. Think for example of harvesting belts in combination with a harvesting trolley. 

The harvesting belt hangs just above the pumpkins so that harvesters harvesting the pumpkins can easily place them on the belt. The harvesting belt then takes the pumpkins to the harvesting trolley where the pumpkins are put into cubic crates. At Duijndam Machines, we have several harvesting belts for sale that are also suitable for harvesting other vegetables besides pumpkins.

Depending on the type of pumpkin, pumpkins will keep for 3-5 months in a storage shed after harvesting. 

Washing the pumpkins

After harvesting and storing in cubic crates, it is time to wash the pumpkins. Emptying the crates and washing pumpkins is done using a water dumper. This water dumper plunges cubic crates into a water bath. As the pumpkins float, this empties the cubic crate in a product-friendly way. The water also has a cleaning effect. The water dumpers used for emptying cubic crates are similar to water dumpers for apples.

The pumpkins then float to the extraction belt that takes the pumpkins to a drying and/or brushing machine. 

Sorting machine for pumpkins

The pumpkin sorting machine is generally placed directly behind the washing line and water dumper. This way, the pumpkins can go straight from the extraction belt to the sorting system. Generally, pumpkins are sorted by weight. As with many machines for pumpkins, sorting machines can also be used for other fruits and vegetables. An overview of all used sorting machines from Duijndam Machines can be found here.