Jeff's Great Pumpkin Challenge

I took the "Emree" pumpkin to the Kansas State Fair on September 6.   It taped (measured) at an approximate weight of 1,152 points.  On the scale it came in at 1,116.6 pounds and was heavy enough to take 3rd place at the fair.  The 2nd place pumpkin was 1,167 pounds (near Macksville) and 1st place was 1,235 pounds (from Stilwell).     My biggest pumpkin in 2021 was 1,187 pounds so this one was not quite as big but was the "prettiest".   When I loaded it up, I almost couldn't get it fit in the back of my pickup! After the fair concluded I picked the pumpkin up and the next day headed to Woodward, Oklahoma via a route from Kingman to Dodge City to Woodward.  I had a doctor appointment in Dodge - thus the long trip.  The Emree pumpkin will be displayed at Kenny Farms (petting zoon / pumpkin patch) until the 26th of October when it will be used for a pumpkin drop in downtown Woodward.  That should be quite a sight.  I will ga...

After moving to Kingman (Kansas) in October, I wasn't sure if I would continue the giant pumpkin growing.  Alas, I succumbed to the addiction and broke out some ground here at the new place.  I got a soil sample and added the suggested nutrients specific to the Atlantic Giant.  On April 11th, I started 8 seeds under grow lights, which were: 1) A seed that granddaughter Emree brought me from Oklahoma (Bryan Baker from Woodward). He wasn't sure which seed it might be but the most likely pumpkin it came from was a cross between the 2015 Ford crossed with the1020 Ailts 2) Two seeds of my own 1187 pounder I grew in 2021. However, the seeds were crappy as I didn't get them out of the pumpkin due to work commitments (conference) and the pumpkin was starting to rot. 3) Three seeds from my own 822 pumpkin that I took to the Kansas State Fair in 2021 and took 2nd with. 4) Two seeds from my own 505 pumpkin I grew in 2020. Only 1 of the 1187 seeds germinated (surprisingly one did g...

Last year ended up being my best giant pumpkin growing season ever! Click here to read about the results that I posted last fall. To recap - the largest weighed 1,187 pounds but had a crack in it so I couldn't take it to the Kansas State Fair.  Another smaller pumpkin was taken instead and it came it at 822 pounds and took 2nd place.  The bigger one would have taken first and would have been a record for the fair. This season started out earlier than any previous growing season.  However, I've never encountered such brutal weather!  It's been ridiculous.  Going from near freezing to 100 degrees and then back to cold.  Hardly any rain has fallen with severe drought conditions continuing.  Then there is the wind; the friggin wind. It's been AWFUL and has beat the pee-wad out of the plants and I have lost one plant already. In May alone there were 19 days with 40 MPH or higher winds and 6 days above 50 MPH! The plants... During the winter I bid on specif...

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 circumferen...

 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 ha...

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 o...

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 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.  ...

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...

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 i...

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 o...