For many of us , spill means a bounty of pumpkin for pies and jack - o’-lanterns , along with a gathering in of the respite of the autumn harvest . But for thousands of backyard gardeners , descent is the time of reckoning and – for a golden few – glory . These are the growers of the giant . For them , Cucurbita pepo growing is a free-enterprise sport . As recently as 16 age ago , the heaviest ( official ) pumpkin librate a mere 403 pounds . Since then theworld recordhas been broken nine times . Other thanHoward Dill , who held the world phonograph recording from 1979 to 1982 , no one has ever won the world championship more than once . And almost all the world - record pumpkins since 1982 have been get in smallbackyard gardens .
Well , not too minor . To really apprize the effort of grow these 800- , 900- or 1,000 - pound behemoths , it ’s necessary to see one up closely . Consider the measurements of the second - largest pumpkin grown in the world in 1994 . Its girth was 176 column inch ( that ’s more than 14 - 1/2 feet around ! ) . When carve , these beauties will hold a candle for luminosity , as well as two or three member of the family . Or you may broil some 900 pumpkin pie from a exclusive fruit . At the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield , Massachusetts , it took the strength of 12 adults to move a 914 - lbf. autumn pumpkin to the scale . I ca n’t pass a Honda Civic any longer with- out think that 10 or 12 men could probably swan it onto a tarpaulin and cart it away , too .
Now , with this class ’s contention just by and predictions that thelargest pumpkinsare likely to pass the benchmark half - ton next season , is a beneficial time to brush up the a la mode techniques required to grow “ the liberal ones . ” Believe it or not , you ’ll probably need to startle now , in the fall , ready the grunge .
The guru of behemoth pumpkin vine acquire isHoward Dill . His behemoth have won more world records than any other grower ’s . HisAtlantic Giantis the variety of choice for anyone who wants to grow a boastful pumpkin .
How To Grow A Giant Pumpkin
If you enquire 10 competitive pumpkin vine growers how to acquire a giant pumpkin vine , you ’re potential to get 10 different solvent . It seems everyone has his or her own way of coaxing the most weight out of these giants . But there is a yarn of consistency that runs throughout all the instructions , and stick to three canonical tenet will get you well on the direction to a world record book . Above all else , you need good ejaculate , honorable soil and beneficial luck .
Good seed
If you want to arise a world - record pumpkin vine , you may forget about everyvariety of pumpkin vine out there except Howard Dill ’s patented Atlantic Giant . Since 1979 , no otherpumpkinvariety has been a world champion . Goodsoil Pumpkins are large consumers of all the major plantnutrients ( nitrogen , phosphorus and K ) , as well as many pocket-size nutrients like calcium and atomic number 12 and other trace elements . The key for big growth is soil well amended with organic matter . In the dip or early spring , contribute two to five yards perplant of compostand rot manure . Cow and horse manure are best . Use chicken manure slenderly and only in the evenfall . Cover crops of wintertime rye , plow down in the spring , are fabulous . The soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8 .
Good luck
If you may grow a dear veggie garden , you have the accomplishment to grow a world - phonograph recording pumpkin . I ’ve reckon newcomersgrow 500 - pound pumpkins their first yr with safe seed , some rudimentary service from an experient agriculturalist and a mass of chance . With the proper readiness and strategy now and in the spring ( see the text on page 40 for tips on planning your rape on the human race phonograph record ) , next year you might just be a rival for the globe championship !
1. PREPARE THE SOIL
Start with a pH test in fall and adjust your pH to between 6.5 and 6.8 by bestow sulfur to bring down the pH or lime to raise it . use three to five yards of composted manure per 30 - metrical unit - diam roofy where you expect to institute next spring . Plant a covering fire craw of wintertime rye in fall to be turned under in early spring , broadcasting one to two pounds per 1,000 - solid - foot area .
2. SOW SEEDS
depart come indoors in six - inch peat pots about four weeks before your last spring hoarfrost engagement . Plant the source with the pointed end of the germ facing down . Keep the soil temperature at 85 to 90 arcdegree F. Most seeds will emerge within five day .
3. TRANSPLANT SEEDLINGS
Transplant seedlings into the garden once the first dead on target leaves come out or when origin lead off to mature through the peat pot ( usually seven to 10 day after germination ) . Handle with care because pumpkins are easily define back during transplanting .
4. PROTECT SEEDLINGS
Place a “ mini - greenhouse ” over the seedlings for six weeks to harbour plant from wind and freeze . These miniskirt - greenhouses can be as simple as two storm windows nail together to mold a teepee or as elaborate as a four- by four - foot wooden structure made from 1×2 lumber nailed together with 6 - millilitre exculpated plastic stapled to cover the frame . Once seedlings outgrow the mini - nursery , apply a temporary fencing to screen breaking wind . I apply “ conservation ” fence , which is bought with wood conclusion stakes attached and is unremarkably used at new grammatical construction site . A 100 - base roll cut into three piece is enough for three 11 - foot - diam areas .
5. POLLINATE FLOWERS
Eight to 10 weeks after come starting , the first distaff flowers will appear . They ’re well-heeled to secernate because they have a small pumpkin at their base . If you want to get a jumping on your competitor , you ’ll need to hand - pollenate the flowers . In the other morning , locate a freshly opened manful flower . Pick it and remove the out heyday petals , display the stamen and bracing pollen . Locate a newly opened female flower and mildly swab the stain ( inner parts ) of the female flower with the pollen - laden stamen .
Getting a Cucurbita pepo set as early on as potential , preferably before July 10 , is key . The sooner you set a pumpkin , the longer it has to raise until harvest home . Since these monsters can realise 25 pound sign a day , fall behind 10 days in the early part of the season could put you well down the list at your local pumpkin weigh - off .
6. REPOSITION SET PUMPKINS
Once a autumn pumpkin has set , its position on the vine becomes extremely important . Most often the fore grows at a very acute angle to the vine . However , for optimum long - condition growth , the best position is to have the stem perpendicular to the vine . If yours is not at right angles to the vine naturally , palaver it gradually , over about a calendar week ’s metre , until it is in that position . Be deliberate , because at this former stage pumpkin may still abort or you may offend the fragile stem .
7. SELECT THE MOST PROMISING PUMPKIN
If one plant has three strong vine , you could have as many as seven or eight pumpkins set and growing by July 20 . Now you must choose the practiced pumpkin and remove most of the rest . quantify each pumpkin ’s circuit at the encompassing full point hebdomadal or daily with a cloth measure magnetic tape . Choose the one that ’s acquire fastest . Also , keep an middle out for the optimal shape . youthful pumpkins that are circular and specially tall grow the largest .
8. PRUNE VINES
Begin pruning vine betimes in the time of year to warn random growth and an out - of - control patch . rationalize each main vine when it has reached 10 to 12 metrical foot beyond a fixed fruit . If you have a pumpkin on a vine that is 10 foot from the principal root , thin out the destruction of that vine once it is 20 to 24 foot long . Let side shoots off the primary vines get no longer than eight pes before cutting off hint . Train side shoot so they are vertical to the independent vine to oblige admittance to the vines and pumpkins . Bury the end of cut vines to keep down water loss .
9. FERTILIZE
During the growing time of year , most fertility demand of Cucurbita pepo can be met by use water - soluble works foods once or twice a week over the entire industrial plant orbit . Give seedling a plant food that stresses phosphorus , such as 15 - 30 - 15 . Shift to a more balanced formula , such as 20 - 20 - 20 , once fruits are set .
By late July , use a chemical formula that accentuate potassium , such as 15 - 11 - 29 . I use H2O - soluble fertilizer at the charge per unit of one to two Irish punt per week per flora from fruit set until the goal of the growing season . Some competitory growers will mistake on the side of overfertilization . But too much fertilizer can suffer more than help . If the pumpkins commence growing too fast , they will literally shoot themselves from the vine and explode . A very all right raiser in New England told me , “ Slow and easy wins the backwash . ” Remember this whenever you palpate the urge to overfertilize .
10. KEEP TRACK
Measure your pumpkins at least weekly . addition in circumference can average four to six inches in a 24 hour period of time . Measure the circumference of your Cucurbita pepo first parallel to the ground around the entire autumn pumpkin , from blossom end to stem . Next , measure over the top in both focus : from ground to grind along the axis from stem to blossom end , then perpendicular to the stem - bloom - end axis of rotation . Add these three measurements together , then manifold by 1.9 to give an approximation of the Cucurbita pepo ’s weightiness .
Don Langevin is the author of the book How - to - Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins ( Annedawn Publishing , Box 247 , Norton , MA 02766 ; 1993 . $ 17.95 ) . Mary Leontyne Price can vary .
10 Steps to a Giant Pumpkin – by Don Langevin
