That's a wrap - 2021 season was sucessful!

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. After several days with temperatures of 100 and higher, a thunderstorm dumped a good amount of rain and that night the temperature dropped into the upper 40s. I didn't even think about it until the following day when I noticed a large crack in the top of the pumpkin. I'm sure that I could have prevented the crack (not certain) by covering the pumpkin with a heavy blanket since I knew (hey I'm a meteorologist) that the temperature that night would plummet. Here is the crack in the pumpkin.... 



I tried to prevent the crack from getting larger by applying peroxide and alcohol with fans blowing on it 24 hrs a day. The hope was if the crack was less than 3 inches deep that I could take the pumpkin to a GPC (Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth) weigh-off in Oklahoma or Colorado. The Kansas State Fair was out since they don't' allow ANY crack. But, it didn't matter. The crack got bigger. So, I went ahead and removed the pumpkin and took it to the local COOP to get it weighed. On their scales it weighed 1,187 pounds but could be off 20 pounds either way (1,167 to 1,207). At least I made my goal. 



I ended up taking a smaller pumpkin to the fair instead and it was grown on the 1989.5 Daletas plant. That particular pumpkin grew on a secondary vine and really wasn't babied at all. Plus when it was about 150 pounds, the stem split. Who knows how big that pumpkin could have reached. On the state fair scales it weighed 822 pounds, good enough for 2nd place. 



Had I been able to take the 1,187, it would have taken 1st and would have set the Kansas State Fair record! The other pumpkin plants produced smaller fruits. The 450 Clements produced two (yes I left two on - one on the main vine and another on a secondary). The pumpkin on the secondary reached 485 pounds and the main vine pumpkin ended up at 434 pounds. Both were very orange (see the image below), as was the parent pumpkin. The other pumpkin plant was from my 595 pumpkin from last year. That plant initially wilted early on and then the stem split down the main vine. I went ahead an allowed 3 pumpkins to grow since the fruit was very misshaped, maybe because of the vine issues but probably from the genetics. I probably will not grow that one again. 

The 822 in the background, the 485 in the foreground...


From front to back...Hutton 253, 214, 434 and the Clements 434



Preparing for 2022, I planted rye in two locations. Thanks go out to Ehmke Seed company for graciously supplying me with the seed! 



I will get the rye tilled in during the early spring and get a soil test done that is specific to the Atlantic Giant Pumpkin cultivar...and try again!

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