How Do You Grow Giant Vegetables? Ie. Pumpkins?
Posted by admin on January 26, 2010
I want to grow some giant vegetables. Not necessarily a pumpkin, that’s just an example. But say a giant cucumber or radish, anything like that. I’m talking about the kinds they have at state fairs where they have a carrot that weights 10 lbs or something.
Do you need special seeds that come from other giant plants? Or can any plant grow a giant vegetable with the right care? What do I do to get a plant to give me oversized vegetables and fruit?
You can get any vegetable or melon to grow to extreme size. It’s a guarded secret amoung the old farmer’s but I’ll break ranks and give you some tips. Lets use a pumpkin for example. The first pumkin to set on your vine will have the best chance to grow large. Once the first pumpkin is set prune off all other sets during the growing season. Use a water soluble fertilizer like miracle grow and feed the plant every week. You have to water, water, water. If you don’t the fertilizer will burn up the plant. This technique will work on all vines. For a root crop like radishes or carrots you have got to prep the soil. You need to break up the soil as deep as you can, at least to the depth of your garden spade. Work in cotton burrs or cotton seed hulls to keep the soil loose. You can add potting soil to a 50/50 mix to keep it loose. Space for the single plant is critical. So once the small sprouts emerge thin them out to one every 10 or 12 inches. Again feed the plant a water soluble fertilizer and water like mad. Don’t drown the plant or you will get into disease problems. It will take time to get really good at this. I’m just giving you the basics. Most of us have our secret fertilizer recipes and individual techniques learned through years of trial and error. But when you win first prize at the county fair it sure feels great. If you have kids or grandkids get them involved. Kids need contact with the land. God bless you and have fun.
ghenry has given you some good advice. However, using the seeds of a variety which has the genetic potential to get huge will certainly improve your odds. This is especially true for pumpkins and watermelons. Generations of farmers and gardeners have selected seeds from the largest “fruits” and that means that the seeds are genetically endowed with the ability to grow extra large. Many of the more modern vegetable plants were bred to grow smaller than the traditional ones, since our modern gardens – and families – are smaller. For example, there are now quite a few watermelon varieties that are a only a couple of pounds. If you want a prize-winning giant watermelon, don’t plant the seeds of a variety that produces mini-melons.
It’s the nature/ nurture thing. For optimum results, choose the seeds of varieties that are bred to grow large (nature) and then use the growing techniques that maximize the potential size (nurture.)