Tips and Tricks

Seed Starting

Seeds need to be started indoors and transplanted outside within a couple of weeks. Competition growers will start their seeds in the second half of April. Seeds germinate best at around 85 degrees. Soaking seeds in water for 1-2 hours can help speed up germination. Seeds can be germinated with the paper towel method or placed directly in a pot of soil.

Watering

Giant pumpkins require a lot of water, but over-watering can lead to disease. A 1000 square foot plant can use up to 100 gallons of water per day during peak pumpkin growth in the summer months.

Which pumpkin to keep?

Competitive growers only allow one pumpkin to grow per plant. They prefer it to be on the main vine at least ten feet from the stump of the plant. Often more than one pumpkin will be pollinated but one will be chosen and the rest culled by 20 days after pollination.