NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR SEPTEMBER 26,
2015
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PUMPKIN WEIGH-OFF IN PAWNEE CITY
BY GEORGE EDGAR
Last year the Pawnee
City Chamber of Commerce sponsored the 1st annual Harvest Bash, a fall
celebration that included a giant pumpkin weigh-off in the town square.
The turnout was outstanding, and growers hauled their giant pumpkins
from as far away as Des Moines, Iowa, Manhattan, Kansas, and Omaha to
compete for cash prizes. The first place pumpkin tipped the scales at
over 1,100 pounds!
According to a news release from the Pawnee City
Chamber of Commerce, “Harvest Bash 2015 will be held on October
10th, and growers will be competing for $5,000 in prize money. Pawnee
City is the hometown of Dan Whitney, a/k/a Larry the Cable Guy, and the
1st prize 'Git-R-Done' pumpkin will win $2,000. This is the only
sanctioned weigh-off in Nebraska, and will include giant watermelons and
also traditional field pumpkins.”
‘The state record in Nebraska is 1,399 lbs. and was set last year
by a man from Bellevue, Nebraska. The world record was set last year in
Germany--2,323.7 lbs!”
“Giant pumpkin seeds have a hard seed coat, so filing the edges
and soaking them in water helps with germination. Plants are
started indoors and moved to small huts in the garden very early in the
spring. Pumpkins are very susceptible to cold weather and many
insects, and lots of diligence is required to launch a healthy plant in
the garden. Protecting the plants from the wind is very important
until the vines have a chance to root down and grab hold of the earth.
Giant pumpkins are usually pollinated by hand and the blossom is then
tied shut to keep out other pollinators. Irrigation systems are
usually used. A single vine covers about 900 square feet and will
need 80 gallons of water/day during dry periods. Because giant
pumpkins grow so fast, it's important to protect the fruit from the sun
so the outer surface remains soft and pliable and doesn't split.
Most growers install a tarp over the pumpkin to shield it from the sun's
direct rays.”
Growing giant pumpkins is not easy and takes a lot of time, work,
and water. “Atlantic
Giant” seems to
be the only variety of pumpkin that will create an enormous pumpkin in
the home garden. One record pumpkin grower says he needs at least 900
square feet per plant and applies 100 gallons of water per day. When the
pumpkins are about 30 pounds or the size of volleyball, he selects the
one or two best and removes the rest. During the hot summer he even puts
a tent over the pumpkins to keep them from getting sun scald.
Fall soil preparation is very important and includes adding lots
of compost and/or composted manure to the bed.
I do not try to
raise giant pumpkins but have had fun raising mini-pumpkins for our
granddaughter and our friends. I have had the best luck with “Jack-Be-Little” (orange) and “BABY BOO” (white) varieties, and
PIE PUMPKIN (Small Sugar Pie). I plant
Butternut Squash
(Waltham) and ACORN SQUASH
(Table Queen) every year in the garden and they take over a large
section of my garden. I have enough room thanks to my neighbor who lets
me “farm” his garden space. So if you grow pumpkins or squash, make sure
you have enough room.
Copyright 2015 |