by Rachel Hunter
The 9th Annual Gouverneur Pumpkin Fest, presented by the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair Association and the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce, featured the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest on Saturday, September 26 at the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds. Giant pumpkin growers from all over New York State arrived with their gourds on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to enter into the competition in either the adult or youth division. Much gratitude was extended to all those who participated to make the annual event bigger and better than ever. All participants were asked to wear face masks and follow social distancing guidelines.
The Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair Association utilized a scale to accurately weigh the giant pumpkins entered into the competition.
The first prize ($150 and rosette) in the adult division went to the heaviest pumpkin on the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds – a 1,108-pounder entered by Christine Nolan, a former Gouverneur resident who currently makes her home in Champion. Nolan’s passion for the giant gourds has been visible at the annual pumpkin festival since she started growing the giant pumpkins and entering them into competition in 2012. When asked by the Gouverneur Tribune Press how she grew the giant pumpkin, Nolan said that her motivation was through a little family competition with her son-in-law, Travis Clemons of Croghan. Travis won the second-place prize ($100 and rosette) with his 949-pounder. Nolan said said her secret – especially in a hot summer like this one has been – was to ensure that her giant gourd received plenty of water. She said she also started the plant early, and buried vines to help the giant pumpkin receive it best chance to receive all the nutrients it needed for proper growth.
“You have to start it early, by the end of April, and it takes a lot of work,” Nolan said. “I had one year that was bigger than this, but I’m happy. I was worried because Travis’ is higher, mine is lower, so I kept trying to think if I smooshed his down would it be that long…”
The close race was evident, and Travis Clemons said he is planning on returning for the 10th Annual Gouverneur Pumpkin Fest for a chance to claim the top podium spot. When asked by the Gouverneur Tribune Press the reason for his smaller giant pumpkin this year, Clemons said that he didn’t know if any pumpkin festivals would be organized this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and stopped “feeding” his gourd, not wanting to put money into it for a fruitless return. But the second-place finish did not discourage Clemons, but instead motivated him to grow a bigger than ever giant pumpkin in 2021.
And Nolan is ready for this family competition to commence once again, knowing that there is always room for growth. She commented that the Saratoga Pumpkin Fest draws giant pumpkins that weigh over 2,000 pounds. Knowing this, Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair Manager Don Peck encouraged all those in attendance to participate in the 10th Annual Gouverneur Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest, directing the crowd to pick up some giant pumpkin seeds before leaving the fairgrounds.
The Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest results were announced in an award ceremony by Fair Manager Don Peck. The results commenced with the youth division, followed by the adult division. The top prize in the youth competition went to Travis Clemons’ son and Christine Nolan’s grandson, Brayden Clemons of Croghan, who entered a 752-pound giant pumpkin. He told all those in attendance that the Clemons’ had weighed the gourd before travelling to the Gouverneur Fairgrounds, and it weighed 761 pounds. When asked what he did to grow the giant pumpkin, Brayden Clemons did not reveal his secrets. Fair Manager Peck then encouraged the youth to keep doing whatever he did to grow the giant, and to return next year. The youth smiled as he walked away with his rosette and first-place $50 prize.
Brayden’s sister, Lilyanna Clemons, also entered a 14-pound pumpkin into youth division contest, and took home 12th place.
The second-place winner in the youth division, taking home the $25 prize, was Jolie Fuller with a 60-pound giant pumpkin.
The third-place winner in the youth division, taking home the $10 prize, was Peyton Fortin with a 57-pound giant pumpkin.
Fourth-place went to a 47-pound giant pumpkin, entered by Jack, Afton, and Max Riley of Richville. They also entered a 20-pound pumpkin in to the competition, which took 11th place. There was a tie for fifth place. Jonathan Webb and Liam Fields grew giant pumpkins weighing in at 43 pounds. Colby Fortin grew a 40-pound giant pumpkin, Jackson Fortin, a 38-pound pumpkin, Wyette Daniels, 37-pound pumpkin, Blake Fortin, a 32-pound pumpkin, and Stanley Fields, a 26-pound pumpkin. Many words of congratulations was granted to the youth for their participation in the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest this year. All were encouraged to grow bigger pumpkins next year and bring them to the competition at the 10th Annual Gouverneur Pumpkin Fest.
In the adult division, the remaining results are as follows: The third prize ($50 and rosette) was presented to Lyle Hotis of Gouverneur (Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair Past President and Director), who entered 459-pound pumpkin. He also won fourth place with a 426-pound pumpkin, fifth place with a 417-pound pumpkin, sixth place with a 404-pound pumpkin, and seventh place with a 248-pound pumpkin. Eighth place went to Chris Boyle for his 119-pound pumpkin. Ninth place went to Fred Morrill with a 63-pound pumpkin. Tenth place went to Dave Bishop with a 47-pound pumpkin. Eleventh place went to Kriston Webb with a 38-pound pumpkin. Much gratitude and words of congratulations were extended to the adult participants as well.
“I think this is one of the best years we have had as far as attendance of pumpkins,” Fair Manager Don Peck said. “Last year it was a little sparce, but this year it turned out very, very well. I am glad we did this.”
Fair Manager Don Peck encouraged all who were interested in growing a giant pumpkin to talk with the growers and pick up a few seeds that were made available for anyone interested in testing out their green thumb in time for next year’s competition.
While many of the growers wouldn’t give out their secret for growing the giant gourds, the following tips will go a long way for those who are interested in joining next year’s competition:
Choose or prepare the soil for growing giant pumpkins. Collect some of the soil where you intend to plant your pumpkins. Take the soil to your local agricultural or conservation agency for testing. The test will let you know exactly what nutrients are in the soil. You can then determine what needs to be added. Having the right kind of soil will create vigorous, healthy vines. You can prepare the soil in early spring when the ground begins to warm, but it is best to start preparations in fall. This will allow any amendments you add to break down and work their way into the soil. You will need to prepare a 25 x 25 x 25 triangular area for each giant pumpkin vine to grow. Giant pumpkins generally need 2 pounds nitrogen (N), 3 pounds phosphorous (P2O2) and 6 pounds potash (K2O) per 1,000 square feet of growing space. Your soil should fall between 6.5 and 6.8 on the pH scale.
Choose a fertilizer to enhance your soil. If your soil doesn’t have the proper amount of nutrients, fertilizers can help to create the perfect environment in which to grow your pumpkins. Even if your soil is nutrient rich, adding a granular fertilizer, composted manure, or mature garden compost will fertilize the soil while improving the structure of the soil. Incorporate this fertilizer into the soil several days before you intend to transplant your pumpkins. Your plot should be located in the sun. Pumpkins need a fair amount of sunshine to grow up healthy and large. Keep in mind that pumpkins are sensitive and will need shelter from any intense wind. Add organic matter to your soil. Organic matters like manure will help your pumpkins grow up strong, healthy (and large!) You should use four inches of manure. Work the manure into the top few inches of soil.
Select proper seeds for planting. The genetics of the seeds you choose is important. They should come from a background of large-to-giant-size pumpkins. Plant your seeds (such as the ones made available at the Gouverneur Pumpkin Fest).If you live in a place that could potentially get frost in late April or May, you should start by planting your seeds in pots and keeping them indoors. If you think your pumpkins will be safe from frost, plant your seeds outside. Keep in mind that the seeds that sprout the fastest will generally grow the strongest pumpkins.
Germinating your seeds inside: Plant your seeds in peat pots that have four to six inches of soil in each pot. Plant the seeds one inch deep in the soil that is moist and keep the pots at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). Some people use a greenhouse effect while others find setting them on top of the refrigerator works well. You should begin to see sprouts within three to five days. Germinating seeds outdoors: Before planting the seeds, soak them in warm water for four hours. Create a two-foot circle in the soil and remove the top inch of soil. Plant five seeds in the circle and cover them back up with the one inch of dirt. If possible, you can create a greenhouse over where you intend to plants the seeds and begin warming the soil several weeks in advance and several weeks after the sprouts have come up.
Transplant your sprouts. Only do this if you have chosen to germinate your seeds inside. Transplant your sprouts when you see the first true leaves appear (they will be green and full looking.) Build up mounds of soil that are roughly two-foot circles (they should be about the size of a pitcher’s mound.) Plant one sprout in each mound. Keep each mound approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) apart. If possible, place a small greenhouse on top of each mound. Doing this will keep your sprouts warm and healthy. Cut off weak vines. After a few weeks of growth, examine the pumpkin plant. Select the strongest looking vine in the group. Remove all others by clipping off the vines.
Pollinating: Pollinate the pumpkin blossoms by hand. Pollinating by hand is the preferred method but if you don’t have the time or the energy, it is a pretty safe bet that the bees will do most of the pollination for you. The flowers generally show up in late July. Pick your vine. The strongest and thickest vines often produce the largest pumpkins. Monitor your vines and see which one seems to be growing the fastest and thickest.
Identify the male and female plants to pollinate by hand. As in every form of reproduction, there is a male and female pumpkin counterpart. Do not begin pollinating until you the plant has roughly 200 leaves. The female has a small pumpkin at the base and no pollen inside the flower. To achieve the strongest female plant, you can break off the first female flower and wait for the second or third to grow (the strongest females grow when the vines are roughly 10 feet long, or longer.) The male will have a stamen inside the flower. The stamen will be covered in pollen. These male flowers generally show up before the female flowers do. Pull the petal from the male blossom. Only do this when a female flower grows from the largest and healthiest vine. Pulling the petal will help to expose the pollen needed for pollination. Rub the pollen stamen on the blossom of the female flower. This step is most successful if completed before the middle of July. This will ensure that the pumpkin has ample time for growth.
Time to pick your prize pumpkin. The largest pumpkins balloon out from the vine. Vines generally have two to three pumpkins. Once your pumpkins have reached the size of a softball, select the one on a vine that looks the most promising. You will have to cut out the others as they will steal nutrients from the prize pumpkin. Tear out the roots that are close to the pumpkin. Pumpkin vines grow roots at every leaf. Tearing out the roots nearest to the pumpkin will allow the pumpkin a bit of wiggle room. If the vine is held down by the roots near the pumpkin, the pumpkin might accidentally tear itself away from the vine as it grows massive. This would effectively end any more growth. Train vines away from the pumpkin. While growing, the pumpkin could accidentally crush the vines near it. Make sure to weed the area completely as your pumpkin vine grows. Once it reaches twenty feet and has covered the garden with leaves, you shouldn't have to weed anymore.
Pinch off the ends and side shoots. Only do this when the primary vine has reached 20 feet (6.1 m) in length. Pinching off the ends and side shoots will guarantee that the vine’s nutrients will go to your pumpkin. To increase the chance of a prize-winning pumpkin, shape the vine into a triangle. Treat the base of the vine as the bottom of the pyramid. You can cut the secondary side shoots shorter and shorter as they grow farther away from the base. For example, the shoots growing closest to the base might be twelve feet long; the next set of shoots might be ten feet long, then eight feet and so on.
Give the pumpkin shade. You can either drape a sheet over it or build a small structure to hold a tarp up over the pumpkin. That said, try not shade too many of the leaves. These need sunlight to grow the pumpkin. Give each plant 15 to 20 gallons (56.8 to 75.7 L) of water twice a week. Only do this if it is a dry season. Pumpkins do most of their growing at night. Water in the early evening so that the leaves and soil are not wet overnight. Try to avoid getting water on the leaves because wet leaves are more susceptible to disease.
Harvest your pumpkins to bring to the Gouverneur Pumpkin Festival!
The 2020 Gouverneur Pumpkin Festival was also complete with a crafter/vendor fair, food truck vendors, pumpkin giveaways and raffles, and so much more. A great draw was the Giant Pumpkin Drop, which concluded the day-long event at 4 p.m. The Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair Association encouraged all to maintain COVID-19 precautions throughout their attendance at the 9th Annual Gouverneur Pumpkin Fest on Saturday, September 26 while on the Gouverneur Fairgrounds.
