However, Mottram said there were still thousands of pumpkins ready for picking, because his family “spread the risk” across multiple fields and those on lower ground had received more water.
A woodland walk, maize maze and café are among other ways that Mottram’s family have diversified their event to entice visitors.
Not all growers have seen their crops shrivel, but saving them can be costly, reducing profits.
Josh Wilson said an irrigation system “unique to pumpkins” saved his crop of 50,000 from shrivelling in East Yorkshire.
“The drought and the heat have been really challenging,” admitted Wilson, who runs Scalby Grange Pick Your Own, in Gilberdyke.
Josh and his father, Pat Wilson, buried “trickle tape” with the pumpkin seeds, a system that feeds a constant supply of hydration.
“We’re on mains water,” explained Josh, “so it costs us quite a lot”.
Stephen Shields, a spokesperson for the NFU, admitted that while individual fruits might be smaller than usual, “there should still be plenty of British pumpkins available for carving and including in meal ideas this Halloween”.
Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire or Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.