I recently started taking a painting class out at The Jessel Gallery. It is a fabulous place if you ever have the chance to go! On this particular class, we were going to a pumpkin farm, which is run by the gallery owners husband. This trip sounded like so much fun.
We met in the early morning on a fairly foggy day. Jessel's husband, Gary Miller, showed us around the property, ultimately showcasing his giant pumpkins. I did not know anything about growing pumpkins or all of the competing people do, so I started doing some research. Gary won the Word's Top Weigh Off in 2013, with his pumpkin weighing in at 1,985 lbs. Apparently the GPC (Great Pumpkin Common Wealth's) award has been going on since 1993. Most of the competitors use Dill's Atlantic Giant seeds. There are other pumpkin varieties, but this one seems to produce the largest. They take 120-130 days to mature. You can start your seeds indoors to get a head start in early spring. Once the chance of frost has passed and are ready to plant out, a hoop house or cold frame is recommended. After planting, the plants require fertilizer every 2 weeks with compost, manure or some other fertilizer. The soil needs to be moist at all times, but not soggy. In order to put your energy into one main pumpkin, pick off the flower buds until the vine is about 10'. As the pumpkin gets larger, place a piece of cardboard under the fruit to avoid any rot or insect damage. Add a canopy of shade cloth to your chosen pumpkin. Full sun is required for maximum growth, but keep in mind this will also harden the skin of the pumpkin earlier, which could reduce it's ultimate size. Harvest at the end of the season. Some of the pumpkins Gary grows are sold to the Bellagio in Vegas. These pumpkins were already gone, but here are some of the pictures I too on the trip. What a fun hobby!