Growing a Giant Pumpkin

Question: My son wants to grow the biggest pumpkin ever? What do we need to know?

Answer: Growing a giant pumpkin is a big project. Pumpkins need full sun and lots of nutrients, water, and space. Start with a large garden area (a 20-foot diameter space is realistic), then have your son help prepare the soil. Pumpkins grow best in a soil rich with organic matter. A cubic yard of compost and well-aged manure would not be too much to add!

Together, dig a hole several feet in diameter and a foot or more deep. Fill the hole with your rich soil mix, mounding it a bit on top. Plant 5 or 6 seeds in the center of the mound, then later thin the seedlings to the strongest two.

Next, mulch around the plants and remember to water them regularly. After a few more weeks, select the plant that looks healthiest, and remove the other. Teach your son how to dig his fingers into the soil to check to see how moist it is between waterings. Keep the soil evenly moist but not sopping wet throughout the season.

Once the vine has set pumpkins, begin fertilizing it weekly with a water-soluble fertilizer and/or putting compost around the plants. Mark the family calendar to help your child remember to do this important job. You might want to take a picture of your son and his prize pumpkin every few weeks!

Watch for the first pumpkin to form. Then when the vine has grown ten more feet, trim the tip to keep its energy directed at the early pumpkins. About midsummer, help your child select the best pumpkin and remove the rest. Also prune side shoots or lateral vines to about 8 feet to help direct all the energy to the primary pumpkin.

As the season progresses, encourage your son to measure the pumpkin every few days; you should almost be able to see it grow! Finally, in mid-September, pinch off the vine tips to encourage the pumpkin to mature. Good luck!