By Andrea R. Flaherty, Westford Eagle
We’ve marveled at their size at harvest fairs. We’ve anxiously watched them being hauled onto giant scales. We’ve even pondered how these giants were grown. But little know the truly hard work that goes into growing giant pumpkins as the farmers and backyard growing enthusiasts.
Westford resident, Mark Lewis, is one of those growers. He’s been working hard since last April to prep the soil, plant the seeds, and fertilize and nurture his giant gourds. Lewis, who developed an interest in growing giant pumpkins in 1994 through a family friend, grew his first giant pumpkin the following year, tipping the scale at 250 pounds.
“I thought the pumpkin was huge until I brought it to the Topsfield Fair and saw what the real giants looked like,” said Lewis. “I met a group of growers and was able to learn some of the tricks to growing these pumpkins.”
A pumpkin, which is really a squash, is a member of the Cucurbita family, which includes squash and cucumbers. And while pumpkins are grown all over the world, Lewis grows giant pumpkins weighing between 500 and 900 pounds in his backyard.
Although Lewis starts with the popular Atlantic Giant pumpkin, he researches the top 30 to 40 biggest pumpkins grown every year to see what seeds are consistently producing giants. He uses a combination of crossing genetics and cross-pollinating. “This year I cross-pollinated plants that have consistently produced pumpkins over 1,400 pounds,” explained Lewis.
Growing giant pumpkins is like a science and some even refer to the growers as “mad scientists”. They spend an enormous amount of time, money and energy on the pumpkins. Lewis first focuses on soil preparation, sending soil samples to UMass Amherst for evaluation prior to the start of the growing season. In April, Mark starts the planting process with 15-20 seeds indoors using heated mats and grow lights to grow into seedlings. Pollination starts in early July. Lewis transplants 12 to 16 plants outdoors and eventually culls those down to the four best looking plants in the group. Through the summer there is a careful balance of fertilization and watering.
According to Lewis, pumpkins will generally give you sixty to seventy good days of growing. “My fastest growing pumpkin was averaging 24 pounds a day for 7 days this summer,” he explained. “After the brief growth spurt it slowed down to 10 to 18 pounds of growth each day.”
In addition to finding the perfect crossbreed of plants, hopefully resulting in an ever-larger crop, the weather can make or break the growing season. Several Northeastern states have been faced with a shortage of pumpkins due to Hurricane Irene which destroyed hundreds of pumpkin patches across the region. Luckily Lewis’ crops did not receive much damage from the hurricane, though he is constantly battling high temperatures and insect damage.
Despite the hard work and dedication growing giant pumpkins has become an art form. Most farmers start in the business for the thrill of combining a hobby with a new stream of revenue courtesy of restaurants and hotels that buy giant pumpkins for their fall outdoor landscaping. And some may even call it habit-forming as they continue to reach for that scale-tipping giant pumpkin.
Lewis concurs. “Every year I debate whether to grow or not since it is such a big commitment and expense,” explained Lewis, whose largest pumpkin to date is 813 pounds. “I grow them for my kids since they enjoy carving a giant pumpkin every year.” And the personal challenge is a motivator. “I would also like to grow a pumpkin over 1,000 pounds which I have not done yet.”
RECIPE – Great Pumpkin Pancakes
You Need
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- Cooking spray
Make It
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, and pumpkin puree until well combined.
- Pour the “wet” over the “dry” ingredients. Stir until just mixed together. Lumps are okay!
- Carefully heat a griddle or frying pan on medium heat.
- Grease with cooking spray or a pat of butter.
- Ladle some of the pancake batter onto the pan to form 2-3” disks.
- When bubbles start to pop on top and bottom is slightly brown, flip with a spatula. Remove when 2nd bottom is brown.
