Know How: To Grow a Giant Pumpkin
October 22, 2011, By Craig J. Heimbuch 0 comments
So there I was, skimming through the "Napa Valley Register"—as I often do on Fridays—when I came across what may be my favorite extreme agricultural story of the year. What man doesn't love reading about the World's Largest Tomato or a monument being built to honor History's Tallest Corn Stalk?
Well, this story dwarfs all those meager (by comparison) accomplishments. Napa farmer Leonardo Ureña is cleaning house on the West Coast, winning not one but two giant pumpkin contests this month. The first win came October 1 at the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin festival when this garden genius, this Will Hunting of the soil, checked in with a record-breaking entry of 1,684 pounds. And as if that wasn't enough, nine days later, on October 10, he set a California state record at Half Moon Bay with a 1,704 pound behemoth.
To put that in perspective, Leonardo, obviously a Renaissance man, grew from a single seed a gourde that matched pound-for-pound with the world's largest grizzly bear. If you wanted some pumpkin pie, this thing could make 940 of them following the famous Libby's recipe. You'd also need 1,880 eggs and at least two Ralphie Mays to help eat it all.
In short, Ureña is the man. We should all bow down. While some of us like cars and some of us have a Ron Swanson penchant for woodworking, it takes a special kind of man to nurture a giant pumpkin. That is why, dear readers, we offer you the helpful how-to video above. And if you need a little encouragement, here's a shoutout from Snoop Dogg to Welsh farmer Ian Neale, who recently set a record for growing the World's Largest Turnip.
Give it a try. You never know where the next Leonardo Ureña is going to come from.
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