Jeff's Great Pumpkin Challenge

The 2021 Atlantic Giant Pumpkin growing season came to a end earlier in September. My goal for the 2021 season was to grow a 1,000 pound pumpkin. Keep in mind that I'm in arid southwest Kansas and my pumpkins are grown outdoors, not in a greenhouse. There were periodic issues during the season such as a plant unexpectedly wilting, several plants with the main vine splitting open, HOT sun and wind withering the ends of the main vines of two the plants, a cracking pumpkin (more below). But, honestly since I made my goal I'm satisfied.  My biggest pumpkin grown from the 1990 Marintzer was a potential state fair winner. In August I was beginning to give thought of removing the pumpkin early to take to the Kansas State Fair. The entry had to be there in Hutchinson Kansas between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM. I knew the pumpkin would potentially be over 1,000 pounds and knowing that the current record for the fair was 1,034 pounds - I thought I had a chance. But misfortune struck. Aft

If you read the previous blog entry on the 30th (click  here ), you learned that I was denied entry into the Kansas State Fair.  The word was I was past the extended "late" deadline.  However, the website clearly stated that late entries would be accepted, WITHOUT a deadline listed.  I fought it with the competitions director and lost, initially.  When I pointed out, again, that a late deadline was NOT listed, she went to the General Manager of the Fair and after discussion I was granted the right to enter (but I had to pay a $50 late fee - which was acceptable).  That is the good news. So, now I wait!  The pumpkin has to be delivered to the fairgounds on the 9th with a 30 minute window. The  better news?  I taped (measured) the pumpkin this afternoon and came up with an estimated weight of 994 pounds!  I could be off because it is difficult to measure by myself.  The length was 94 inches, the width was 98 inches and the circumference was 160 inches.  It "seems" to

 In the previous post on the 17th (read it  here ) the 1990 Marintzer was gaining a putrid 10 pounds a day (that is low for an Atlantic Giant pumpkin) and as of this morning the average weight gain has dropped to around 5 pounds a day.  One reason is probably the brutal SW Kansas weather that has occurred this past 2 weeks.  This morning the pumpkin taped out ~923 pounds.  I had planned on entering the pumpkin in the Kansas State Fair on the 9th.  But, today I found out that the deadline to enter has come and gone (it was POORLY advertised)!  Boy that sucks!  Even removing the pumpkin by the 9th, I still think it will be close to 1000 pounds by then.  The taped measurement is a little difficult to make given the size so that 923 pounds is only an estimate.  On the other hand, the genetics of this pumpkin are "heavy" meaning it just might actually weigh more than the measurement would suggest.  UGH! As mentioned, the SW KS weather has been unfavorable for pumpkin growing.  The

In the previous post on the 10th (click  here ) the 1990 Marintzer pumpkin was gaining ~13 lbs a day, which is actually pathetic in the Atlantic Giant Pumpkin growing world, even at 61 days after pollination.  But since the growing plot is new without amendments and a soil analysis, I guess it's acceptable. This morning the plant was starting to show some insect/disease damage, thanks in part to a couple of days over 100 degrees last week.  But, it may still reach my goal of a half ton pumpkin.  This morning it taped (estimated) at 833 pounds and is now averaging 10 pounds a day.  Will it reach that 1000 pound goal?  I'm still optimistic barring any further or accelerated plant damage (let alone dealing with the stupid southwest Kansas August weather).  As of today, I'm heavily leaning towards taking it to the Kansas State Fair with the drop-off date of September 9.  If it could hold on to the 10 pounds a day then it would be around 1,063 pounds on the 9th (the KS State Fai

The blog posting on the 25th (read it  here ), I had a pumpkin that was approaching my personal best weight.  As of today that pumpkin has soared well past that size!  The approximate weight (based on the estimating chart) was 755 pounds!  It is showing just a bit of maturity but is still putting on ~ 13 pounds a day.  I was hoping for a greater daily weight gain but "it is what it is".  This is a new plot and I didn't have a soil test done so in a way I'm lucky to have it this big in the first place.  Here was that pumpkin on the 1990 Marintzer plant this morning.... In my original giant pumpkin plot, the 1989.5 Deletas plant had a pumpkin on that split vine/stem.  I previously posted about that issue.  I taped it up (using electrical tape) and it seems to have made a difference.  The pumpkin has been putting on about 17 pounds a day - again really low for a giant but I'm satisfied given the split stem.  That particular pumpkin was the result of bee pollination b

The last posting on the 9th (you can read it here ) I was pretty optimistic with the giant pumpkin growing for this season, up to that point.  The first pollinated pumpkin was up to about 150 pounds.  Today, 16 days later, I'm approaching uncharted territory! My biggest pumpkin I've ever grown was the 595 pounder produced last year, but well short of one of my goals of growing a half ton pumpkin.  That particular pumpkin 38 days after pollination (DAP38) was 339 pounds and that wasn't until Aug 22nd.  This year the1990 Marintzer pumpkin on DAP38 (today the 25th) taped at 534 pounds!  So, comparing at the same biological date - it's MUCH bigger!  More importantly it has put on 64 pounds in just the last 2 days!  Here is a pic of that pumpkin (and it's just barely showing any orange)... Certainly a lot could still happen (insects, disease, weather, split stems, etc.), but I'm liking  my odds that this will be my first 1000 pound pumpkin.  However, not every thing

The last posting on July 4 (read it by clicking  here ) the pumpkin plants were ALL vigorous and healthy.  As of yesterday (8th) they continued to flourish.  At this point all 4 plants have pollinated and growing pumpkins.  The 1990 and 595 plants have 1 each; the 1989.5 has 3 pumpkins; and the 450 plant has 5 pumpkins pollinated and growing.  Why so many on the two plants?  I'm trying to determine which one to keep and need a few more days of growing to see which ones will stay and which ones will be aborted (culled).  I'll be making that decision really soon. The winner plant so far is the 1990 Marintzer and its pumpkin was pollinated with the 1989.5 Deletas.  That pumpkin as of yesterday (8th) was 21.5 days old (evening) and taped at about 150 pounds as seen in the picture below.  On the 4th it was at 72 pounds.  More importantly it is putting on 20 pounds a day for the last 3 days! But for me to be perfectly satisfied I would want to see a daily weight gain of 30 to 40 poun

In my quest for the 1000 pound pumpkin, it would appear that I've made great strides this season based on the health and size of the plants and the fact that I had a pollinated pumpkin much earlier than previous seasons.   July 8th is the earliest date I've ever had a baby pumpkin that was left to grow.  This season I pollinated one on June 17th on the 1990 Marintzer plant.  However, that particular pumpkin had been growing at a much slower rate that even the 595 pounder I grew last year.  BTW, that one had a really good chance of reaching 1000 pounds had it not been for a split stem, that I was not aware of until the end of the season.  Anyway, this current growing pumpkin has really started to put on weight this past few days.  As of this afternoon (4th) it was taped at an approximate weight of 72 pounds. What is encouraging to me is that it's on a main vine and the plant itself is extremely vigorous and healthy.  Barring any setbacks, I think it could be putting on 20 po

In the previous post I did on the 17th (you can read it by clicking  here ) I had just pollinated a female that morning on the 1990 Marintzer plant.  The earliest I had ever had a pollinated pumpkin was July 8th.  As of this morning the plant was looking VERY good and the pumpkin had made progress, although not as far a long as a few previous pumpkins.  Today would be DAP7 (7 days after pollination) and was about 1.7 pounds.  Unfortunately, there is still a chance the pumpkin could abort on its own.   I did have a backup female that I pollinated 3 days later and it is growing nicely too.  The make-or-break decision will come early next week on whether I keep the DAP7 or the DAP4.  If it's going to make it, then it should be around 15 pounds on Monday. Here was the DAP7 pumpkin as of this morning.... As I mentioned, the plant is very impressive for the 24th of June. The other pumpkin plant in this plot is the 595 Hutton and that plant is the one that I had issues early on as it wilt

The first post of the 2021 giant pumpkin growing season can be read  here  if your interested. I've grown or attempted to grow Atlantic Giant Pumpkins for a number of years but started to get more serious and dedicated to the process in 2016 after I learned that seeds of GIANT pumpkins could fetch a pretty good price and after Donovan Mader of Garden City grew a Kansas State Fair record pumpkin in 2015 weighing in a 1034 pounds.  That following year (2016) my attempt was 243 pounds (previous pumpkins were less than 100 pounds).  I figured out a few things and in 2017 I grew a pumpkin that weighed 542.5 pounds and that one took 2nd in the Kansas State Fair (Mader's was around 725 pounds that year).  Then in 2018 I struggled with the upkeep but managed a 497 pounder but then in 2019 I basically gave up early after I neglected the patch for a few weeks (I was busy with life). Last year was a pretty good season considering there were many issues early on.  The two biggest pumpkins

 Last season, despite a lot of issues, I still managed to grow a personal best 595 pound Atlantic Giant pumpkin.  I also had one go 505 pounds (it also had issues).  Late last fall I broke out a new plot and in the original plot I added ~14 tons of sand and planted a winter cover crop.  I have yet to add sand to the new plot so I'm sure that will make a difference.  The winter cover crop (mostly crop or field rye) was consumed consistently by rabbits throughout the winter. Also during the winter I was able to purchase several pumpkin seeds with tremendous genetics but they came with a price. Through an on-line auction I was able to obtain a seed from the 1,990 pound state record Kansas grown pumpkin from last year!  Jacob Marintzer is the grower.  He was selling the seeds for $60 a seed but I was able to get it for $45 through bidding in an on-line auction.  That particular pumpkin was grown under a green house and I don't ever expect to have that type of result as mine are gro