9New's TaRhonda Thomas with Pumpkin

I think giant pumpkins are one of the most beautiful things in the world.  The one way to make them more beautiful is to have modelesque TaRhonda Thomas pose with your pumpkin.  Thanks for stopping by TaRhonda.  You guys are a lot of fun.

A Real Jack-o-lantern.

I kind of got into giant pumpkin growing because of a jack-o-lantern.  The first pumpkin plant that I bought at a local nursery was because I wanted to have the biggest jack-o-lantern on the street.  This year, for the first time, I carved my own pumpkin.  We've done the kids pumpkins in the past but I never got around to carving my own either because of rot issues or a lack of time.  I can be 99.9% sure I'll have the biggest jack-o-lantern in Arvada this year.

Compost for the Pumpkin Patch

Today I picked up 2.5 yards of compost and put down two nice piles into the patch mixed with some shreaded leaves from the yard and grass clippings from the neighbor.  I hope to till these in next month.  In the spring I'll put in another 2.5 to 4 yards.  I'd like to see my organic matter come up another 3% by planting time next year.  The compost that I got today wasn't fully composted but was very nice horse manure with a lot of alfalfa in it.  Should be ready in another 1.5 months.

Now is the Time to Start for Next Season

Seems like the season is done, but next season is already starting.  70% of your success or failure right now is going to be determined by what you do right now.  Getting the soil ready during October and making sure the nutrients that you need for next season's plants are in the soil is going to determine in a big way how big that pumpkin is going to grow next year.  After getting a soil test you are going to want to add the appropriate organic material to your patch.  I'll be adding some compost and shredded leaves to the soil and tilling that in during the next couple of weeks.  If the weather is good, I hope to plant a cover crop as well.

The Giant

Pumpkin with the 2nd biggest measurements ever comes out of the weeds today!

I've known Thad Starr for almost 4 years now and have been to his home in Oregon twice now.  I built him a website 4 years ago and he has always been real good to me.  His pumpkin is going to the scale right now in Half Moon Bay and I wish him the best of luck.

About three weeks ago we were talking about some of the big pumpkins (and claims for big pumpkins) that were out there.  And then it occurred to me me that Thad had been pretty quiet about his own pumpkins.  I said to him, "I know you guys had a cool spring but you've had a great summer up there in the Pacific Northwest.  I'm guessing there is another big one growing up in Oregon that SOMEONE isn't talking about."  His reply, "Ya, but my pumpkins always go light."  I had to laugh.

After a few more conversations he hadn't ever elaborated but when I told him that I would be up in Oregon and that I would probably swing by he slowly revealed that he had a pumpkin estimating over 2,000 pounds!

I told him that I would help him load up his pumpkin that he would be taking to Bauman's Farm the next day.  I didn't realize that this year Half Moon was the next Monday and that I would be helping him load a potential World Record with the other pumpkin.  That is both an honor and kind of scary.  Big prize money this year for a world-record pumpkin over one ton.  Potentially $20,000-40,000 on the line as well as the claim to fame.

His pumpkin measures 459.5" OTT.  That estimates to something like 2,060 pounds which would easily break the current record of 2009 pounds set this year by Ron Wallace.  The pumpkin was grown from a 1725 Harp seed and it is just a great looking pumpkin.  In photographs pictures don't do this pumpkin justice.  It is so symmetrical that in photos it doesn't show it's real size.

I shot some video and while at the airport I made this video because I didn't have anything else to do.  Below are some pics of the pumpkins.

 

 I've already given Thad a bubble.  Lol

They Grow Em Big In Oregon

I conveniently arrange for a business meeting to be the same time as the big Bauman Farm weigh-off in Oregon.  It is an amazing experience to be able to see multiple pumpkins over 1,700 pounds.  The following are some of my pics from the trip.  More to come.

The first pic is of Steve Deletas 1,799.5 pounder.  This one went down to rot around the stem a month ago.  The pumpkin went from 18 pounds a day down to 14 and then two days latter it drop to 2 pounds a day.  As you can see in the third picture it was thick inside.  Steve claimed the pumpkin had lost 50 pounds since it was initially weighed.  They dropped this pumpkin latter that day from a crane.  The earth must have rippled.

The second picture was the winning pumpkin.  Also over 1,700 pounds and also grown by Steve Deletas.  Not nearly as big but it went very heavy.

Thanks to Thad Starr and family for putting me up over the weekend.  Had a great time with them.