How to Grow the World's Largest Pumpkin

History and origin

Today, there are approximately 20 varieties of this crop worldwide. In our country, the Common variety is very popular. However, in other countries in the Americas, Asia, and Africa, gardeners grow the Giant pumpkin variety. This variety fully lives up to its name, as it can produce enormous harvests.

Giant varieties began to capture the attention of gardeners in 1979, when farmer Howard Dill brought a fruit weighing over 200 kg to a fair. He subsequently managed to grow an even larger specimen from the seeds of his record-breaking specimen. This marked the beginning of active breeding efforts to cultivate large-fruited varieties.

Farmers in California have been the most successful in growing the largest fruits. This region has sufficient light and warmth to ripen large specimens.

The real record holder was a pumpkin, which had a circumference of 4.7 m. Weighing 821 kg, it was even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. This specimen was raised by Wisconsin farmer Chris Stevens. His result was 40 kg heavier than the previous record holder.

10 Giant Record Breakers

The true record-breakers among this crop are the large-fruited varieties. They are capable of producing enormous harvests. Currently, 10 varieties are considered record-breakers. Let's take a closer look at each one.

The most common variety is Titan, one of the largest varieties. A whole pumpkin can weigh around 120–180 kg. This is an average weight. Record-breaking specimens have reached around half a ton. However, to achieve such a large harvest, plant care must be carefully planned. With standard cultivation, Titan produces fruits weighing approximately 50 kg. It is considered a medium-sized variety. The harvest ripens in 120 days. It is worth noting that Titan's flesh does not have a distinctive flavor.

Rossiyanka has earned the attention of gardeners with its consistent fruiting and large harvest. It has excellent shelf life and is easy to care for. It has a beautiful appearance. With standard care, a single plant can yield up to 20 kg. To achieve a large harvest, planting management must be comprehensive and precise.

Another popular large-fruited variety is the Stofuntovaya variety. The size of the fruit also depends on the gardener's proper and comprehensive agricultural practices. With normal care, the plant produces several fruits with an average weight of 15–20 kg. This variety is characterized by excellent resistance to various diseases. This variety is grown for livestock feed.

A fairly popular large-fruited variety is the Marble variety. It's a late-ripening variety. A single specimen grown without proper care weighs around 4 kg. However, larger ones have been recorded, weighing several times more.

The Centner variety is known for its large fruit size and excellent flavor. Because the plant produces fairly large specimens (approximately 60 kg), its culinary use is difficult. With due diligence, fruits can be grown that weigh around one hundred kilogram. This is where the variety's name comes from: Centner is characterized by early maturity and high yield.

The "Big Helmet" pumpkin is an excellent large-fruited variety. It takes 120 days for the harvest to form. A single plant can produce up to four fruits, each weighing approximately 5 kg. Due to the excellent flavor of its flesh, this variety is widely used in cooking.

The Big Max variety produces large fruits. It ripens mid-late, reaching a maximum weight of approximately 18 kg. With standard care, they typically reach 6 kg. Ripening occurs in 2.5 months. It is suitable for all-purpose use. The variety boasts high yields. However, it's worth noting that the final yield depends on proper agricultural practices.

The Giant pumpkin is very popular among gardeners. Its fruit weights vary widely, from 30 to 500 kg. The Atlant variety produces large-fruited crops, which take 136 days to ripen. The typical yield is 8.5 kg, with record-breaking varieties reaching up to 70 kg.

Other record-breaking varieties include the Amazonka and Volzhskaya Seraya 92. With proper care, these varieties are capable of producing large fruits with a wide range of weights.

Secrets of growing

To grow the pumpkin varieties listed above, you need to know the following growing secrets:

• For breeding, seeds taken from large record-breaking plants should be used;
• apply controlled pollination;
• Apply the right amount of fertilizer. To do this, you need to conduct a soil analysis. Based on this, use specific types of fertilizers;
• continuous supply of water to plants;
• Maintaining temperature control. It's best to plant this record-breaking plant in greenhouses, where it's relatively easy to maintain the desired temperature;
• Removing the ovaries from the plant. This will ensure that all the nutrients are directed to just one fruit, allowing it to significantly increase its weight and size;

Growing a giant pumpkin in your garden requires not only proper gardening techniques and certain secrets, but also a certain amount of luck. If all factors come together, a giant pumpkin will be the reward for your efforts.

Video: "A pumpkin weighing 1.2 tons was grown in Belgium."

This video tells the story of a Belgian farmer who grew the world's largest pumpkin.