That’s what you call a PUMPKIN!
Growing the fruit couldn’t be simpler – just don’t expect all your efforts to emulate this Travis Gienger 2,749lb monster
IN October, a gardener from Minnesota used a skid-steer loader to lift a gargantuan ‘Atlantic Giant’ pumpkin on to a flatbed trailer and then drove 2,000 miles to the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Half Moon Bay in California.
At the hotly contested event, Travis Gienger’s mega-gourd (measuring 7ft wide by 6ft long) weighed in at 2,749lb (1,247kg) to take first place and become the Guinness World Record-holder for heaviest pumpkin.
Equal to the average black rhinoceros, Gienger’s pumpkin was the result of 30 years spent growing the fruits — and few of us would have the time, dedication, skills or inclination to emulate his feat.
But anybody can raise their own pumpkins. Seeds that are started off indoors over the next few weeks will form young shoots ready for planting outside in late spring. These will grow vigorously over summer to provide pickings in autumn.
Seeds can also be planted directly into the ground when the weather warms up, but as it takes six months from sowing to harvesting, it’s best to get ahead.
Once plants are mature they’ll deliver two to 12 pumpkins, depending on the variety and the extent of their fruit — culinary types for home-growers vary from cricket ball to football-size.
At this point I should explain to new gardeners why I keep referring to pumpkins as fruits. They are technically a berry and, therefore, botanically speaking, labelled a fruit. But when it comes to using them in the kitchen, we tend to treat pumpkins as vegetables.
The gourds are a member of the cucurbitaceae family — a large group of plants that are cultivated for their edible fruit, such as melons and cucumbers. All are native to North America and have been cultivated for thousands of years, with seeds discovered in a Mexican tomb dating to 7000BC.
Of course, it would be impossible to write about pumpkins and not mention Halloween. The tradition of carving faces began in the
United States during the 19th century with the arrival of migrants from Ireland. These folk had long etched faces on turnips to mark the pagan festival of Samhain, but the absence of the root veg meant pumpkins were used instead.
Today there are scores of different varieties split into two main groups based on the plant’s habit of growth. Trailing types tend to produce larger fruit and need a lot of space for tentacle-like stems to extend to 8ft or more. Bush pumpkins are more compact and often have smaller fruit that are held closer to the centre of plants.
Whichever you choose, start seeds indoors before late April. Fill a 3in pot with seed compost, firm and level. Next, make two half-inch deep holes in the surface and pop in a seed. Cover up the holes, water gently and add a label for identification — this is essential if you’re growing several varieties.
Aim to add seeds into the compost so the long edge sits vertically. This will reduce the odds of them rotting as water won’t build up on the flat surface of the seed. You
can use this technique when starting off other edibles in the cucurbitaceae family, no matter where you sow the seeds.
Place pots inside a heated windowsill propagator or improvise by placing a clear plastic bag over each pot, holding it in place with an elastic band. After seeds have germinated, remove pots from the protected environment and place on a light windowsill or find space on a bench inside a greenhouse.
When seedlings are a couple of inches high, pinch out the weaker one to allow the remaining shoot to flourish. Water the developing plants regularly, ensuring compost never dries out completely. Move them into slightly bigger pots whenever their roots emerge through the drainage holes, to ensure they grow vigorously.
Plants will be ready to go outside in late spring or early summer, when there’s no longer any danger from frosts. Give them a sunny spot with well-drained soil about 3ft to 5ft apart. Once plants start to
grow in earnest it can be difficult to know where to apply water, so mark the centre of each plant with a small cane.
As for looking after plants, water regularly and feed every couple of weeks with high-potash fertiliser. Harvest fruits
when the foliage starts to die back. Either eat immediately or store for future use. They’ll last for six months in a cool, dry and frost-free place, as long as you ‘cure’ the fruit in a sunny spot indoors for two weeks to allow skin to harden.