From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Maine

Hello,

I will try and make a long story short, my great grandparents owned a farm for over 60 years. They had over 85 acres, well now my dad owns it and lives there. Well my great grandfather had huge gardens, and stored potatoes in a special room in the basement. I was down there in January and found a small jar labeled bigred. I asked my father and he said they were pumpkins that my great grandfather use to grow. He told me to ask my grandmother, my fathers mother about them. She said my great grandfather use to grow huge pumpkins the size of a tractor tire or bigger, but he had not grown them since at least 1975 when he passed away. so out of 15 seeds 3 sprouted and are growing well. My question is two of the plants have leaves about 12-18 inches across, but the other plant which is growing much faster has leaves that are 26inches across, they are huge. I am wondering if this means that it will grow a larger pumpkin then the other two plants? sorry for the length of this, this is my first time growing giant pumpkins.

8/17/2005 9:34:41 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

26 inches is not huge by any means. Welcome to the crazy obcession we call a hobby. Do you have a first name we can call you. I hope you selfed or controlled pollination on these seeds. When you say tractor tire are you talking 5 feet tall? The world record in 1974 was like 451 pounds?

8/17/2005 11:14:57 PM

So. Maine

007, Atlantic Giant plant leaves will grow to different sizes, kinda depends on background , parents, ect. I've seen plants with smaller to mid size leaves grow a wopper of a pumpkin & I've seen plants with wopper size leaves grow just mid size giant pumpkins. Where about in Maine are ya ?

Al

Al

8/18/2005 12:43:59 AM

Maine

Hello,

Thank you very much for the info about the leaves. I am only 22 but not new to horticulture, I went to school for it but this is my first try with pumpkins.I got a late start this year, but next year want to be 150% prepared for a giant. I have been raising exotic vegetables, and rare tomatoes for years. But now I am hooked on the giants and will now grow them every year. My pumpkins are growing in Freeport right on the ocean, but my dads farm is in Bowdoin. I am just going by what my grandmother has told me about my great-grandfather. She told me my great-grandfathers father named them bigred after a reddish draft horse that was huge. So I will just have to wait and see, but either way I am really glad to be growing pumpkins that have been in my family a long time. And I am also glad that I have found this site, it's great.

8/18/2005 10:06:15 AM

Simi valley, ca

Hey 007 welcome to giant pumpkin growing!! I would suggest you get books preferably (giant pumpkins- by Don Langevin). About leaves iv got a few 33 inch leaves this yr , but some plants only have small leaves & get huge pumpkins!

8/18/2005 12:39:07 PM

Maine

33 inches WOW! thats huge. Thanks for the advice, I will get the book.

8/18/2005 1:25:13 PM

White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Starting 3 out of 15 seeds that are 30 years old is quite an accomplishment. What procedure did you use, and what did you start them in? Don't be ashamed of 26" leaves either.

8/19/2005 1:30:27 AM

Maine

Hello,

Thank you very much. I soaked them in water over night, then just placed them in a moist papertowel. most of the other ones grew a mold, or did nothing. People have been e-mailing me wanting some, so if other people do also I will send them to you free if I get any.

8/19/2005 7:45:36 AM

maine USA

HI 007, you don't live to far from me, I live in Lewiston. My and I [he lives in Auburn] each grew Atlantic Giants for the first time this year. I am afraid that we are hooked. I brought my pumpkin to the Winsor fair and I am afraid that I got "squashed" [sorry] by the more experienced growers. But it sure was a lot of fun watching everyone come to the weigh offs and have their pumpkins weighed. What a bunch of characters! It was a good time, it would have been better if I had placed higher, but everyone needs something to strive for. Wait until next year! Kathy T

9/10/2005 9:52:38 AM