Gail Damerow - Grow giant pumpkins

Competitive pumpkin growing is big business, with prizes ranging as high as $10,000 and seeds from a record breaker worth as much as $10 each. A world-record pumpkin brings in several thousands of dollars more in display value. No wonder growers of giant pumpkins spend so much time studying soils, fertilizers, plant physiology, and even the effects of music on pumpkin growth.

The obvious question becomes why record-breaking pumpkins all come from northern states, mostly in the Northeast. One answer is that the biggest pumpkins are all the cool-climate-loving maxima. The man who took it upon himself to enhance the growth rate of maximas through genetic selection happened to live in Nova Scotia, so over the years Dills Atlantic Giant pumpkins have naturally become acclimatized to northeastern conditions.

Historian Mary Joan Barrett of Mallorytown, Ontario, gleaned the additional theories from competitive pumpkin growers:

The long hot days and short cool nights of late summer in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada are ideal for growing pumpkins, which exhibit their most spectacular growth rates from August 1 through September 15.

Phenomenal size has something to do with the effect of growing near a large body of water, perhaps because water acts as a heat sink to create the steady climate pumpkins love.

A tremendous camaraderie has developed among northeastern growers, who share tips and otherwise support one another in their efforts to achieve super results.

But the fun of growing giant pumpkins neednt be confined to northern climates. In 1988 Extension agent George Killgore of Fentress County, Tennessee, launched a giant-pumpkin contest as a way to encourage more fruit and vegetable entries at his countys fair. What started out as just a little fun to spark interest in the local fair has evolved into a countywide pumpkin-growing obsession that culminates with an annual Giant Pumpkin Festival in Allardt, Tennessee, complete with a pumpkin cook-off, along with the official weigh-off.

Sometimes people who see one of the big pumpkins for the first time are disappointed. Its true that these pumpkins are huge, but their shells look pale and washed out compared to the bright orange color youd expect of a proper pumpkin. Worse, the shape is somewhat flattened, as if the old boy had grown tired of the whole thing and was about to give up. Still, in size alone these big fellows are impressive enough.

As you might expect, prima donna pumpkins need plenty of pampering. Contradictory advice abounds, leading to the conclusion that the only road to success is to find the right combination of techniques for your unique growing conditions. Thats what makes the Big One such a challenge.

Among the easiest vegetables to start from seed, pumpkins are a long-season crop, usually requiring 90 to 120 growing days, depending on the variety you plant and the summers temperatures. If your growing season is short, plant one of the early-maturing varieties, or plant seeds indoors and transplant the seedlings after the danger of frost has past. If your growing season is long, you may plant a rapidly maturing variety later in the season, but the vines wont produce as much fruit and will be more susceptible to disease and drought stress than early-grown vines.

Pumpkins are also a warm-season crop. To sprout, the seeds require a soil temperature of no less than 60 F (16 C). The warmer the soil, the faster the seedlings will burst into life. Once sprouted, the tender young seedlings are easily damaged by frost.

The ideal daytime temperature for growing vines is 80 to 85 F (27 to 29 C); the ideal nighttime temperature is 60 to 65 F (16 to 18 C). Vines can tolerate cooler nights, provided the temperature remains above freezing pumpkin vines are extremely frost-tender.

Pumpkins should be planted as soon as the danger of frost is past and the soil is suitably warm. Depending on the part of the country you live in, ideal pumpkin-planting time can range from the beginning of March to the beginning of June. Two rules of thumb: