18% Heavy on the Scale! Great End to a Tough Pumpkin Season.

Yesterday I took my pumpkin to the Old Colorado City Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off.  I've never been to this event before and had heard good things and since my pumpkin was growing slow I figured I would give it as much time as possible to grow, as this is the last weigh-off of the season in Colorado.

To my pumpkin's credit it grew long.  Was still growing when I picked it and considering I thought I lost the pumpkin 75 days before when I had irrigation problems and it never did over 11 pounds a day after that and it had the biggest Dill Ring I've ever seen, I am amazed by that.

My pumpkin was estimating in the low 600s by the measurements, but ended up at 747 pounds.  Although that is about half of what I was hoping for this year, it as a lot heavier than I expected.  A pumpkin that goes 5-7% heavier than what the charts indicate in my book is very heavy pumpkin, but for this pumpkin to go 18% heavy is crazy.  My pumpkins typically, like most Colorado growers, go a little light.  A very nice suprise on the scales.

It makes me wonder now what this plant could have done if I didn't have all of the problems that I did.  When you look at the picuture above it isn't difficult to image how the lines of the pumpkin would be different.  This pumpkin grew on a side vine because I lost the main and then it got really jacked up by the water issues.  Would love to have another shot with this seed again.  I'm considering very strongly growing the seeds from this pumpkin next year.  I liked the 282 pollinator and this plant was the best looking plant I've ever had the first part of the season.  May give it another shot.

Now it is time to start prepping for next year.

The Night Before the Weigh-off

I think late September and October are awesome for multiple reasons, but the weigh-offs can make them amazing.  Great weather, football,  and the winding down of another pumpkin season really caps off the fall.  I'm not taking my pumpkin to the Jared's Nursery weigh-off tomorrow, but I thought I would talk about what the night before a weigh-off is like and give some advice to newer growers.

First thing, make sure you load up your pumpkin tonight!  Don't wait until Saturday morning to load up the pumpkin.  Too many things can go wrong and you don't want to wait until morning to have the pumpkin loaded.  Along with that, put the pumpkin on a pallet so it can be easily unloaded at the weigh-off. Also, leave a little of the vine on the stem and attach a water bag to it.  You can gain a few extra pounds that way.

Second, make the pumpkin loading experience a party.  My first year I had a 755 pound pumpkin in the patch and I wasn't sure how I was going to load it up.  I got my self a lifting tarp and then invited a bunch of friends to a "pumpkin party" which was my rouse to get a bunch of strong guys to come over and get the pumpkin on a pallet on a trailer.  The next year, everyone was asking if they could come to the pumpkin party so it has become an annual event, even though we now use backhoes to lift the pumpkins.

There is a lot of hard work in growing a pumpkin.  Too many hours to count.  So celebrate the cutting of the vines with friends.  Honestly, they seem to love to come see the pumpkin every year.
 
Third, enjoy the weigh-off!  Again it is a celebration, regardless of how big your pumpkin has grown, so enjoy the time with the other growers and ask the better growers lots of questions.  You'll get advice that will probably add hundreds of pounds to your pumpkin the following year.  No pumpkin is too small for the weigh-offs if you tried as hard as you could try.

Fourth, you may find yourself strangely anxious as your pumpkin goes to the scale.  Even the years that I thought my pumpkin was small, I hoped for the best.  Nothing wrong with that.

Sixth, be prepared for your pumpkin to weigh less than you hoped.  This can be a very hard thing.  Especially if you thought you had a personal best going to the scale.   The estimation charts are just that:  "estimations."  Not only that, they are an average.  Which means 50% of the pumpkins are going to go heavy and 50% are going to go light.  Remember you've already got a 50% change of going light, so expect it and then be surprised if it goes heavy.

Two years ago, I grew what was the 2nd biggest pumpkin ever grown in Colorado in terms of the inches.  It was a fun season.  However, on the scale, the pumpkin ended up 18% light.  That is massively light.  7% below the charts would be considered a lot light and I couldn't have been prepared for 18%.  It kind of hurt at the time.  By the next day, I realized I had grow a pumpkin that was hundreds of pounds bigger than anything I had grown before that was a personal best.  That made if feel better, so keep everything on the positive side.  Some things aren't in your control.

Enjoy the weigh-offs and may all of your pumpkins go heavy!

Go see one of the RMGVG weighs this fall and see pumpkins over 1,400 pounds. 

How to Beat Your Friend/Family Member in a Pumpkin Weigh-off

Every year I get a message from a few people saying they are in a competition with a friend, family member or neighbor in a friendly pumpkin weigh-off competition.  It always brings a smile to my face when I hear their excitement at the beginning of the season.  I'm a fairly competitive person myself and can understand when a reputation and household pride is on the line.

So you want to win?  I'll give you a few giant pumpkin growing secrets:

1. Start with the right pumpkin seeds.  The only way you can grow a truly big giant pumpkin is by growing Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds.  They are the only variety that can grow a pumpkin over 400 pounds.  Now not any atlantic giant pumpkin seeds will do.  You can buy Atlantic Giant seeds at most garden centers, but the seeds you really want are seeds that have had controlled pollinations where you know who mama and daddy are using the best genetics available.  You can get these competition seeds right here.
2. Read this Blog.  It is packed full of tips and techniques to grow a big pumpkin. During the season I'm going to tell you everything I do with my pumpkins.
3. Ask questions.  Websites like bigpumpkins.com have growers on them that are some of the best growers in the world.  You can ask questions on the website as well as see answers to questions that other growers have post that will help you grow bigger.
4. Prepare your soil. Big pumpkins come from world class soil.  It takes some research to figure out how to build a great soil and it can take years.  However, if you send your soil sample off to a lab like A&L Western Labs they can tell you what you have in your soil and what your soil needs.  Too often growers throw down some fertilizer without knowing what the soil needs and it can be more harmful than helpful.  Along with that, sometimes less is more.  Spoon feeding your plants frequently with small amounts of fertilizer is often better than all at once.
5. Start your seeds indoors.  Start your seeds in a bright warm place indoors in a big pot.  That will help get your plants going early.  Don't keep the plant in the pot too long however or else the plant will get root bound.  2-3 weeks in the pot at most.
6. Move your plants to a hoop house outdoors.  In most areas springs can be too cool for the pumpkin plants to be perfectly happy.  A hoop house (like a small green house) will help keep the plants warm and protected from the wind.  A hoop house, like a car in the sun, can heat up very quickly when the sun comes out so you usually need to keep it open during the day and closed during the night wit a light bulb in it to keep the plants relatively warm.
7. Watering.  Keep the ground lightly moist.   How much you water will depend on your soil type and temperatures.  You don't want the ground mucky but you don't want it dry either.  If you go down an inch mid-day after a morning watering it should be lightly moist.
8. Bury the vines.  When the vines start growing on the plant bury the vines.  At each leaf node the plant will put out a root.  The more your bury the vines the more roots you will have and a bigger pumpkin as a result.

There are lots of other pumpkin growing tips for growing a giant pumpkin, but if you do the ones listed above you should beat your friend, neighbor or family member come October.  Keep reading this blog for more tips and advice.

One More Weigh-off to Go

Yesterday I took my 335 Scherber pumpkin to the weigh-off at Nick's.  It ended up at a respectable 511 pounds which in my book isn't bad considering that plant was diseased and the pumpkin was picked in mid-August and then was just sitting in the patch for 1 1/2 months with a tarp over it.  None the less it was a disappointing season.

I'm going to be taking the 335 Scherber to one more weigh-off along with the kids pumpkins next weekend.  Also will be hauling with them a nearly 1,300 pound pumpkin grown by Joe Scherber which he was kind enough to give to my wife.  All of the pumpkins are in front of the house right now.  If you've never seen a 1,300 pound piece of fruit, swing on by.

My Son & Daughter Took the Top Two Positions in the Weigh-off Today

Congrats to both of them this year.  They worked hard in the pumpkin patch and it paid off, taking 1st and 2nd place in the weigh-off.  Of course it helped they were the only two kinds in the kids division this year.  Regardless of that, a 401 pound pumpkin is good regardless of how many people where in the competition.  Both of their pumpkins were nailed by hail twice and lost the main vines on their plants.  My son's pumpkin was pollinated the beginning of August if I remember right so to end up at 325 pounds in less than 1 1/2 months on a 150 square foot plant I think is pretty commendable.

Jared's Weigh-off Tomorrow

Early this morning I put down 1 1/2 yards of some nice compost on the patch.  I hope to till that in this next week.  This evening I loaded up both of the kids pumpkins.  My daughters is going to go heavy.  My sore back proves it.  I'm grateful for neighbors that are willing to help me heft these things around this time of year.

Colorado Giant Pumpkin Weigh-offs

Want to see some giant pumpkins this fall?  Pumpkins well over 1,000 pounds?  Visit one of the Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable growers weigh-offs and see the biggest pumpkins in Colorado.  Fun for the whole family.

Jared's Nursery Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off & Festival
September 27th (2014)
10500 W. Bowles Ave, Littleton, CO 80127
303-979-6022

Nick's Great Pumpkin Weigh Off
October 4th (2014)
2001 South Chambers Rd, Aurora, CO 80014
303-696-6657

Flower BinOctober 11th (2014)
1805 Nelson Rd., Longmont, Colorado 80501
303-772-3454


Old Colorado CityOctober 18th (2014)
Colorado Avenue and 25th Street
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904

Big Thanks to Chris & Jose

Loaded up the last pumpkin this evening.  Storm is coming in tomorrow and the weigh-off is Saturday.  Elbert is a nice looking pumpkin (a little bumpy but very orange) but not as big as Stanley.  A big thanks to Chris for letting me grow on his land again this year.  You couldn't ask for a kinder neighbor.  Also a big thanks to Jose for driving the backhoe last Friday and helping to load up the pumpkin this evening.  Last Friday lifting that big pumpkin in the rain and mud was a nightmare.  This evening's lift took maybe 10 minutes.  See you at Nick's Nursery on Saturday!

Stanley Lift in the Rain

Elbert and Stanley

 

Colorado Giant Pumpkin Weigh-offs 2013

The following is a list of the GPC official weigh-offs in Colorado.  This is where you will see the biggest pumpkins in Colorado being weighed.  Bring a pumpkin or bring your family.  Most of the weigh-offs have a carnival like atmosphere and is fun for kids of all ages.  Come say hi to me if you stop by.

Jared's Nursery Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off & Festival
September 28th (2013)
10500 W. Bowles Ave, Littleton, CO 80127
303-979-6022

Nick's Great Pumpkin Weigh Off
October 5th (2013)
2001 South Chambers Rd, Aurora, CO 80014
303-696-6657

Flower Bin
October 12th (2013)
1805 Nelson Rd., Longmont, Colorado 80501
303-772-3454

Old Colorado City
October 19th (2013)
Colorado Avenue and 25th Street
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904 (719) 392-3715

The Home Stretch

We are coming to the end of the season now. 1 1/2 weeks until we cut the pumpkin off the vine. Gave the plant some seaweed today along with a little SO-PO-MG (sulfur, potassium and magnesium) 0-0-22 to squeeze a few last pounds out of the plant. The plant looks pretty hammered these days. A few new vines are keeping the pumpkin going but probably half of the leaves are on the verge of death. Hot summer days and powdery mildew that popped up over the last three weeks have taken their toll. Last I checked the pumpkin was still putting on 4 pounds a day. I suspect the pumpkin will be estimating around 970 pounds by the weigh-off next week.

If you would be interested in giving this a try next season visit my Pumpkin Growing Store.

I Hope Sulfur Powder Isn't Overly Toxic

Four weeks from today is the vine cutting. At this point I'm just hoping that I have a pumpkin at that time. The 1204 pumpkin is still holding together but I'd give it a 40% chance that it will still be around by the weigh-off at Jared's on September 24th. Growth has slowed down considerably. I'm praying that it will make it.

The 868 pumpkin is growing slow as well but still growing. I continue to get splits on the face of the pumpkin and those splits have now started to go into the stem area where I found a little rot forming. I am hoping that sulfur powder isn't overly toxic because I've used a fair amount of it and bleach around the stem. I also re-covered pumpkin face area to help it dry out.

We have had three days in a row of record heat in Denver. You can't water the pumpkin plants enough when it gets this way. I watered 25 minutes more than I usually do yesterday and when I was checking the soil this morning there were still areas that were a bit drier than I would prefer. Hard to get the pumpkins to do to much growth when it is this warm. Looking forward to some relief.