Giant pumpkin

[Small pumpkin]

I've been thinking
I'm considering having another go at growing big, massive, the mother of all pumpkins
The idea so far is plant in a 150lt pot just inside the small ( and for some reason cooler ) tunnel. Then train it to grow outside, through the gaps around the sliding door that I don't use. Pot would be filled with farm yard manure & home made compost. Pumpkin would get fed as well when the time was right.
What I want to know is, do you think that would work / help ?
Do you think I should sow earlier?

All advice welcome

[Muddy_Boots]

I've been thinking
I'm considering having another go at growing big, massive, the mother of all pumpkins

Does this mean you will have to change your forum name?


..... i'll get my coat .......

[sparrow100]

You didn't say when you were thinking of sowing, so it's hard to say if you should sow earlier...

I've bagsied some giant pumpkin seeds from Matt at RHS Harlow Carr - not from quite the biggest one he grew, but from its rufty-tufty little brother.

So I'll keep you company on your challenge. If you want company that is. I haven't grown a giant before.

[Small pumpkin]

Company would be lovely in my crazy idea, thank you sparrow
If my dreadful memory is correct usual sowing time for pumpkins is April ish. I was think of sowing now. But keep it in the house till April ( I may need a bigger house ).

What ever happens, I must improve on last years slightly larger than a tennis ball .
All my other pumpkins did well.

Exactly how big was the rufty tufty little brother? Because he sounds like a monster! Very cool.

[sparrow100]

He was BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG! 791lb.

I doubt anything I grow will get enormous, I'm too neglectful. But I hope to carry away the crown this year at our teeeny tiny allotment show.

I am stalking Matt on Twitter to see when he sows seeds. But I can't do March - there's no room for it and me in the flat. Plus transplanting would be very 'interesting'.

[Small pumpkin]

Wow!!! That's big
I'll be happy if I get to 20+ ( but I'm working in kg )

[johnjohn]

I'll join you, I was thinking of setting up an allotment pumpkin challenge this year, surprisingly it's not been done before. I was looking at using Atlantic Giant but happy to take recommendations. It's a bit early for me I think but so long as your'e somewhere nice and warm and sheltered you should be fine- Isle of Mull sounds just right

[Small pumpkin]

Cool johnjohn more the merrier
I'm growing hundred weight only because that's the only big one that grew anything. My Atlantic giant didn't even set fruit. But like you mentioned ( in a very subtle round about way ) the conditions aren't exactly good for BIG pumpkins here. So I'm probably not the best person to give advice on varieties.

[Zelenina]

A pretty big one was grown in Oxford last year from a packet of seeds I sent from Slovakia. It was a variety called Golias, which I think is available in the UK now. (The s on the end should have a squiggle on top that makes it sound like sh)

It was grown outdoors in a garden but I don't know the details of the cultivation method. From the photo I saw, it looked like a huge, rampant plant that was growing along a wire attached to a wooden fence. The pumpkin itself was supported by a plastic crate.

It wasn't a record breaker but way bigger than a tennis ball. In fact it was big enough to be exhibited in a local garden centre and then auctioned off for charity. The person who grew it is an experienced gardener but isn't known to be a giant pumpkin expert. So it could be a good variety to try.

[Small pumpkin]

I didn't sow my pumpkin seeds earlier. The crazy idea is 100% on because we have germination

How's everyone else doing?



Meet Humphrey the hundred weight

[seasprout]

I sowed my Dills Atlantic Giant seeds at work before Easter, I've been off since.

I'm hoping my colleagues have looked after anything germinating for me. (I work at a gardens).

I'm hoping to grow it at work when I've cleared a bit of scrub land for it.

[NickG]

Growing Atlantic giant here also for the kids. Speed a few weeks ago and going to sow some more this weekend. My wife has told me that when they grow you can train them around the plant so they don't get too wildly, then when you have one fruit set you can cut the rest so the plant focussed on that one. Going to try a few different ways as we will have a few plants to experiment on

[Snadger]

I'll join you, I was thinking of setting up an allotment pumpkin challenge this year, surprisingly it's not been done before. I was looking at using Atlantic Giant but happy to take recommendations. It's a bit early for me I think but so long as your'e somewhere nice and warm and sheltered you should be fine- Isle of Mull sounds just right

Go for it Johnjohn.

I set up a pumpkin competition on our allotment site three years ago. It has went from strength to strength each year.
We have some exhibition veg growers on our site so we new that with onions, leeks etc their would be no compettion, and we'd all get murdered!
The Showmen don't seem to bother with pumpkins, so everyone has an eqaul chance of growing a whopper.
We charge £2.00 per plot to enter and add a little bit to the prize money from allotment funds. Its all good fun and a way of getting the plotholders together.

My Atlantic Giant (bought from ebay for 99p delivered) are sown and sitting in pots on the bedroom windowsill. I sowed a couple in the Summerhouse which are up, so heat isn't everything.

[Snadger]

Just dug out a couple of piccies from our allotment show last year. The second one with the line of wheelbarrows to transport pumpkins was class!

I was fifth so didn't get mine on the table, but one of the mods managed to blag a forth place on the table.

[Small pumpkin]

How goods your memory Snadger.......
What varieties and weights were the top 5