His Giant Pet
October 12, 2011
Every year that we’ve had a garden, we’ve grown a giant pumpkin. If you’ve ever grown a giant pumpkin, you know the risks involved. I mean, this is really risky stuff.
How get a pumpkin to be as big as possible has been the subject of many books and websites. And then, of course, there are secrets. Deep dark secrets.
None of which we know actually.
But…basically, you have to cut off all the pumpkins that grow on the vine, except for one. And you water and nurture and care for ONLY that one.
This is serious stuff.
(The joke is, that the summer Kenneth and I backpacked through Europe B.C. (before children), Kenneth grew his first ever giant pumpkin. We were gone for 6 weeks, and we asked my college aged brother to care for the garden, and pick any squash for himself. Well, he thought that the pumpkin was squash for picking. Kenneth had taken 4 months to care for that one pumpkin. But miraculously, a late bloomer appeared that was growing between 2 loose fence beams, and we actually had to alter the fence to let it grow. It of course never had time to get much bigger than any normal pumpkin, but that didn’t matter. The pumpkin even had a name. Halloween came, and we took a road trip, in which this pumpkin was buckled in a seat belt and traveled with us. This is how we feel about our giant pumpkins, folks. In our house, it’s as serious as growing children. Um….ok, maybe not that serious…but you get the point!)
Last year, Ian’s giant pumpkin was rather small. Too shady. This year, it was Addie’s turn for bad luck (although she grew a watermelon nearly that weighed nearly as much as she does!)
Ian has been caring for this big guy since April. Seven months has watered, tended to and checked on his pumpkin. If you have been a house guest in the past 7 months, you haven’t been able to walk in the door without him grabbing your hand and dragging you to the garden to show off his pumpkin. It’s almost become a pet!
I have no idea how we are even going to get it inside. He’s determined to carve it, but right now, we’re not even sure if it will fit in the wheel barrel without denting a side.
But I don’t think he really cares about that. Can you tell?
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October 31st, 2011 on 12:10 am[...] you a spooky fun Halloween to all of you! We finally carved the giant pumpkin and I’m feeling rather [...]
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Your son looks very proud of his creation!
Good Luck with the pumpkin;)
Oh my gosh….that is the best best best picture!! This could be a book!!!!
He could roll it like Linus on the Great Pumpkin! LOL
Awesome Pumpkin!!!
Could you carve it outside then maybe someone could carry it in?
It’s fabulous btw I’m jealous all my pumpkins rotted on the vines!
My friend’s son did that with a sunflower this year and truth be told, it had to have gotten over 8ft tall! Fun stuff!
This is just fantastic. Well done and enjoy.
OK, now I am loving this idea. Giant pumpkin growing…brilliant. Tell him WELL DONE!!
I remember (maybe) reading once in a homeschooling type science book that once you cut off all the other gourds on the vine you should cut a small slit in the remaining gourd and stick in a wick. Keep a bucked of filled water next to it. Maybe this is something to try next year. I’m totally interested if it actually works, and it would keep you from needing to rely on a friend to keep it watered. I’ll try to find it in my books to make absolutely certain that I’m not just making this up.
*bucket
We have giant pumpkins in our Utah garden too! I think we’ll pick them this weekend. My two year old loves them.
Such a sweet memory you are creating for your son.
Fondly,
Glenda
So great to see some of you have done this too! Really, his pumpkin is nothing like the competitions you see at the state fairs, but it’s bigger than anything you could ever buy, that’s for sure!
Tracy: We love the Great Pumpkin…well all the Charlie brown films…doesn’t it get you so in the mood for the holidays?
Alicia: That’s an idea…just carve it, and light it outside! brilliant!
Deanna: I never thought about other plants…I am sure that had to be stunning!
Manda: I’ve never heard of that! My husband is really into all those tricks…we should try it!
This really is the best season, isn’t it? xoxo
That’s one awesome pumpkin – good job Ian!
[...] you a spooky fun Halloween to all of you! We finally carved the giant pumpkin and I’m feeling rather [...]