Mr Fothergill's 17826 Vegetable Seeds, Pumpkin Atlantic Giant

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When the pumpkin reaches football size, place it on its side on a bed of straw. Giant Pumpkin Varieties In the winter before you begin this project, or at least 6 weeks before planting, you should aim to improve the soil in the area in which you plan to grow your pumpkin. Compost with higher nutrient levels, such as well-rotted horse manure or enhanced green compost, should be used. Organic fertilizers should also be used to give the soil an extra boost. To grow a truly giant pumpkin it’s very important to start off with the right seed. Good genetics is vital if you’re trying to end up with a potential prize winner. The seed to have is from an Atlantic Giant, and the best seeds can be bought on the internet or acquired direct from a past grower.

Transplant your seedlings into larger pots of compost when their roots start to come through. This will give them more space to grow. Different composts can also give your pumpkins added nutrients. Consider using well-rotted horse manure for fast soil warming, or enhanced green compost with food waste for higher nutrient content.

A giant pumpkin is an orange fruit of the squash Cucurbita maxima, commonly weighing from 68 kilograms (150lb) to over 910 kilograms (2,010lb). [1] History [ edit ] Watering the pumpkins daily will help maximize their size and keep them healthy. To prevent pumpkin rot, avoid wetting the plant's leaves. Miller, Tracy. "Record-breaking pumpkin thought to be world's largest weighs in at 1,725 pounds". NY Daily News. Allow plenty of space, for giants you need at least 8 feet between plants. The foliage feeds the fruit so you’re going to have a lot of it. Keep weed free and well watered in wet weather.

As it grows, the pumpkin will need some protection from the wind and sun so that the skin does not dry out and remains supple enough for growth. Cover it with a white sheet, or erect a mini tent or umbrella shade over it. Many winter Squash / Pumpkins like to sprawl out and need plenty of space. Vining Squash / Pumpkins require a larger area to run, whilst semi-vining and bush varieties of winter squash / courgette can be well contained. It weighed in at a whopping 867kg, beating the previous record for Australia’s heaviest pumpkin of 743kg, also held by Oliver.You’ll notice that there are two different types of flowers on your pumpkin plant. At each node there is a male flower, but sometimes you will notice it’s a little different – it’ll have a ‘baby pumpkin’ about the size of a golf ball at its base. This is a female flower, and when pollinated they’ll go on to form pumpkins.

However, you need to pinch off ALL the female flowers, apart from one on the main vine when it appears at a minimum of 10 feet out. The female flowers usually open at sunrise just over a week after they first appear. When they do open, pollinate it as early as possible in the morning with one or more of the male flowers, either from the same plant or another Atlantic Giant. Make sure plenty of pollen is rubbed over the stamen. Then tie up the flower petals with some string to prevent water getting in, contamination, dehydration etc. Dig a hole about 2 feet square and deep, fill with good compost or mix well rotted manure into the soil. Add a few handfuls of general purpose fertiliser like fish, blood and bone or Growmore into the mix as well. The soil should end up slightly mounded. Firstly, choose the best quality seeds from a reliable seed supplier. Soak the giant pumpkin seeds in tepid water for around 30 minutes before sowing.

Langevin, Don (2003). How-to-Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins, III. Annedawn Publishing. ISBN 0963279319. Once the fruits start to swell feed every 14 days with a tomato type fertilizer, these are greedy plants. Limit larger fruiting varieties to 2-3 fruits (for giant pumpkins 1). After the vine’s 10 feet long, allow several flowers to develop into pumpkins, but remove all but the largest fruit after several weeks of growth.

Australian Kathy Ffoulkes, from Shoalwater in Western Australia, was also entered into the Guinness World Records in 2020 for growing the world’s longest snake melon, which measured 136cm. a b c Andres, Thomas (October 26, 2010). "Origin of the Giant Pumpkin". Plant Talk. New York Botanical Garden . Retrieved April 11, 2021. Gerald Short kindly sent me this piece on growing really giant pumpkins. In 2019 he grew a 1495lb pumpkin which came 2nd in the UK and he tells me that in 2020 he grew the UK record for largest pumpkin on an allotment, if such a record exists, 1558lbs! Millward, Adam (October 28, 2021). "Monster pumpkin heavier than a small car breaks world record". Guinness World Records.For an early start (Mid / Late Apr) place a single seed edgeways 1/2inch deep in seed compost in a 3inch pot.