Around late September or October each year, you may see local or state contests for biggest pumpkins of the season. Competitive pumpkin growing to produce some of the biggest pumpkins in the world is hefty news indeed, and even the Guinness Book of World Records keeps track of these super large squash. Though subject to change, Joe Jutras of Massachusetts currently holds the world record for biggest pumpkin, growing an amazing 1689-pound (766.12 kg) pumpkin in 2007. Jutras’ accomplishment was clearly something to write home about, since he beat the previous record by close to 200 pounds.
The current threshold for determining the really big pumpkins is about 1500 pounds (680.39), with most state records in the US and records in several other countries not getting anywhere Justas’ current world record. There are a few states that seem to rejoice in some of the biggest pumpkins. California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Oregon have all boasted pumpkins that exceed the 1500-pound threshold. At present the biggest pumpkins produced are in the US and in Canada. Most other countries produce some very large pumpkins, but haven’t yet reached that 1500-pound marker.
There are many tips on how to grow some of the biggest pumpkins in the world, and these primarily come down to using top rate soil, with good fertilizing agents and growing the pumpkins in full sun. Special protection has to be taken to make sure pumpkins don’t encounter late frosts of spring weather. Growers may start their giant pumpkins inside, and later they might utilize things like lamps or heaters to provide warmer night temperatures.
There’s also quite a bit of discussion about which pumpkin seeds may be best suited for growing giant pumpkins. There is no clear consensus on this matter. Some growers recommend Goliath Giant Pumpkin seeds as good performers, and others are equally passionate about other types of seeds. You can view these arguments on many sites online devoted to giant pumpkin growing.
One thing is fairly certain. The biggest pumpkins tend not to make the best pies. Though enormous pumpkins may seem like the perfect way to eat pie all the way through fall and winter, pie makers tend to favor sugar pie pumpkins, which typically only weigh about five pounds (2.27 kg). Sugar pie pumpkins have the additional advantage of being much easier to lift, and they will fit quite simply into a standard oven.