Weighing more than two pigs! How was this champion giant pumpkin grown?

Author: Duan Yuechu and Huang Yanhong

In Northern California, an annual pumpkin weigh-off competition came to a close on Monday, October 14, 2024. Travis Singer, a gardening teacher from Anoka, Minnesota, once again took center stage, with his giant pumpkin winning the championship for the fourth consecutive year.

Singh beat his nearest competitor by just 6 pounds (2.7 kg) with his 2,471-pound (1,121-kg) pumpkin at the 51st World Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco. That was below his previous world record of 2,749 pounds (1,247 kg) set last year, but still impressive.

Singh, 44, said that as always, he has been committed to cultivating healthy soil and providing rich nutrients for plants. However, this year's record rainfall has brought considerable challenges to his pumpkin planting. He said: "We encountered extremely bad weather, but I still persisted in my efforts. In the end, we achieved our goal, but the results were indeed not as much as expected." After that, Singh and his family took a 35-hour drive to transport the giant pumpkin to California. The next stop for this pumpkin will be Southern California, where a group of professional carvers will perform 3D carving on it during the Halloween event.

If you're also interested in growing giant pumpkins, here are some practical tips and tricks.

Variety selection

Choosing the right variety for growing giant pumpkins is a critical first step. Some well-known varieties are popular because of their large growth potential and plump fruit. You can ask experienced growers for advice, or check professional gardening books and websites to choose proven varieties with a good reputation.

Soil Preparation

Giant pumpkins have high requirements for soil. They need fertile, loose and well-drained soil. Before planting, you can add well-rotted organic fertilizers, compost, etc. to improve the soil and enhance its fertility and water retention. You can also conduct soil tests and make targeted improvements based on the results. At the same time, deep plowing of more than 30 cm is carried out in the planting area to break up the soil compaction, increase air permeability and water retention, and level the land after deep plowing for easy watering and management.

Sowing and seedling raising

Choose the appropriate sowing time according to local climatic conditions and the characteristics of the selected varieties. Generally, sowing can be done when the temperature is stable above 15℃ in spring. Greenhouse seedlings or direct seeding can be used. Greenhouse seedlings can be sown in advance to extend the growth cycle. Select full and pest-free seeds and disinfect them before sowing. Use seedling trays or seedling pots to ensure seed germination rate and seedling growth quality. Keep the temperature at around 25℃ and the humidity at around 70%, and provide sufficient light but avoid direct strong light to promote seedling growth.

Field management

In terms of fertilization and watering, giant pumpkins grow rapidly and need to be fertilized regularly. Organic fertilizer or compound fertilizer should be applied every 10-15 days. Watering should be appropriate to keep the soil moist and not waterlogged. Increase the amount of watering during the flowering and fruiting period. In terms of plant adjustment, remove side branches, old leaves, and diseased leaves in time to reduce nutrient consumption. Use brackets or hanging vines to support the plants to prevent the fruit from contacting the ground and causing diseases and insect pests. When preventing and controlling diseases and insect pests, it is necessary to strengthen monitoring, because giant pumpkins are susceptible to powdery mildew, downy mildew, aphids, etc. Biological, physical and chemical control methods can be used in combination, such as using natural enemies, yellow board trapping, and reasonable spraying of pesticides, etc., and pay attention to safety.

Post-management

When pumpkin fruits begin to swell, they should be protected from external damage, such as by placing straw mats or foam boards under the fruits. They can also be covered appropriately to prevent direct sunlight and rain from affecting their quality. The harvesting time is determined by the variety characteristics and the maturity of the fruit. Generally, the fruit can be harvested when the skin becomes hard, the color becomes darker, and the fruit stalk dries up. Be careful when harvesting and use cranes, forklifts, etc. to ensure safety.

Growing giant pumpkins requires patience, care, and expertise, but following these tips will help you increase your success rate and fruit quality. Who knows, you might be the next pumpkin champion.