From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Littleton, Colo

Sir, in all your years of growing, can you remember the "first" year and recall the most discouraging thing or things ?? The Biz

6/28/2007 11:51:42 PM

Rhode Island

yes biz i remember it all.
it was 1989, the plant went out early and all the vines turned white from shock and the cold weather ( no mini greenhouse )-- she did recover

i knew nothing about pruning so the plant grew to look like a rain forest jungle.

someone said to shade the pumpkin so i hung a sheet on some 2x4s over the massive fruit ( about the size of a beach ball ) -- lol

the pumpkin finished growing by september 1st. so i did the only logical thing- i cut it off the plant and placed it on a tire in my garage for safe keeping until the weighoff which was a month away. -- yikes

i drove the massive beast 500 miles to collins new york to attend a WPC weigh off in collins ny.

i arrived eary and full of anticipation. i saw several pumpkins around the size of mine laid out on the side of a building. i thought to myself geez, thats not to bad, im almost as big as those. --- i later realized these were the petting patch pumpkins for the kids to crawl over and kick

then, when my van door was being opened to off load gigantus i over heard some idiot say " he should turn around and go back to rhode island " --- i knew from that moment on i would some day be a champion

to make matter worse they set my pumpkin down in line next to what turned out to be gordon thompsons 700 plus pound new world record--- mine was a whopping 125 pounds-- i left it where it laid - lol

all was not lost though because i had a great visit with my family and got to meet donald black. a great grower in his own right

pap

6/29/2007 7:16:14 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

What a great story.

6/29/2007 8:21:09 AM

Littleton, Colo

Thank you !!

6/29/2007 8:21:14 AM

Mount Prospect,illinois

It is really a good story. It shows how far one can go in this hobby.......some of us (me) bottom feeders would love a 125lb pumpkin. :)

6/29/2007 9:10:22 PM

hamilton,Ontario

smile

6/29/2007 10:17:29 PM

[email protected]

Nice story Dick...Thanks

6/29/2007 11:56:57 PM

Rhode Island

the principal reason we all grow these darn things is not for money,fame or fortune. its to see that pumpkin grow in large volumns every day between mid july and the end of august.
nothing you could ever grow will give you a visible difference each and every day during this period like the atlantic giant.

6/30/2007 6:46:58 AM

Littleton, Colo

Really looking forward in meeting you Paps ! Wiz has told me alot about you. First beer is on me in Niagra...deal??

7/1/2007 11:47:14 PM