It's The Great Pumpkin!

Here is something just in time for Halloween!

Have any of you dreamed of growing a gigantic pumpkin? Many people do! A contest for the biggest and best pumpkins in Southern California was recently held at the Heritage Museum of Orange County.

This year's winner? Michelle Lofthouse with a 903 pound beauty. (That is her winning pumpkin in the picture - Photo credit: Pumpkinmania Blog)

But that is not even close to the world record!

The largest pumpkin on record in the United States was recorded in Ohio this month. That monster weighed 1,725 pounds! Christy Harp was the grower.

She said that she and her husband have a private competition each year to see who can grow the largest pumpkin. Last year he beat her by 200 pounds. But this year, she beat him by 400 pounds! Christy prepares the soil with coffee grounds, manure and compost and then carefully selects her seeds. I'm sure that she does a lot more than that, but she's not telling! She won $2,500 for her efforts. (Photo credit: GrowGiants)

If you want to see the other contestants from the Orange County contest, check out the Pumpkinmania: a blog for the Southern California Pumpkin Growing Community. Their motto is: "Changing the world, one pumpkin at a time."

If you need tips for growing some of your own giants next year, here is a basic article by Organic Gardening - just to get you started.

Comments

[Teresa]

I always watch these pumpkin competitions with horrid fascination...as one would watch an accident scene. I mean, on the one hand, Wow!! On the other hand, why put so much time and energy into growing something that's really rather obscene (as nature goes), and that one can't eat (well, maybe something can eat it, but it'd not make a good pie pumpkin). :}

[Theresa Loe/GardenFreshLiving]

I totally get what you are saying...It is a bit over the top. At least they get a lot of compost out of the deal. LOL And I bet they could sell those seeds for a hefty profit.

~Theresa

[Robin]

We grow flowers that don't do anything more than make us smile. Pumpkins do the same thing. If it gets us outside and moving it's a good thing.

The seeds are expensive. One pumpkin can earn a few thousand dollars for its owner.

[Jill]

Wow! That is great. My mother-in-law and her husband, grow big things, too. They have a lemaon tree that grows 4lb. lemons. They are so big that while they are growing on the tree, they have to prop them up with poles under the fruit and limbs. Their lemoms are nothing compared to that pumpkin. No wonder why thy won the prize.