Giant Pumpkin Experiment – The Results!
Posted on 24. Sep, 2009 by Laura-Jane - Whimfield in Outdoors
Once upon a time, in a world far far away, I thought that I’d have time to grow a pumpkin. I had an idea (thanks to a pumpkin-crazed friend) that we should all grow pumpkins.
I sent a call out to the world, yelling, “Get your pumpkin seeds here! Get y’r pumpkin seeds here, everybody!”
The world responded. I happily sent little pumpkin seed packages (seeds all courtesy of my friend Christy, giant pumpkin guru!) all over North America: from right here in PEI all the way east to Pender Island, BC and way down the southern coast to Georgia.
All told, ten pumpkin seed packages were hurtled to:
- Lynden, WA
- Pender Island, BC
- East Lawrencetown, NS
- Charlottetown, PE
- Kinross, PE
- Van Dyne, WI
- Ladysmith, BC
- Fortson, GA
- Montague, PE
- Lawrenceville, GA
- Plus, I kept a package for myself (which I failed to plant because…because… Well, I just didn’t do it.)
The rules were as follows:
1. I will send you a couple of pumpkin seeds.
2. Do whatever you want with them. Plant them, feed them to monkeys, throw them in that junk drawer that has safety pins and matches and pens and half-dead batteries all jumbled up together. (I hope you have a drawer like that, too?)
Pumpkin seeds went out, and I plumb forgot all about the pumpkin experiment. A few months later, a trickle of pumpkin emails visited my inbox. In no particular order:
1. Lynden, WA: Planted? Yes! Success? Not with pumpkins, but success with many other important life successes!
“I gave those little ingrates every shot at a long, fruitful life (get it? Fruitful?), but they refused to sprout. I tried many things, and all I got was mold (I think they just needed a good soaking right off the bat; even then, it’s a crapshoot with seeds, as they’re just kinda fickle like that). They’ve been given one last shot to prove themselves, as I tucked them away in the otherwise-successful victory garden (which doubles as a convenient seed cemetery).
“Hey, I tried. And you tried to help me. Let’s just remember in our old age that they flourished and I had one hell of a huge pumpkin to show for it!”
2. Pender Island, BC: Planted? Yes! Success? Yes!
This girl’s got a green thumb. And when I say green, I mean, really green.
“Thought I’d give you an update on our giant pumpkin plant. We have a very humongous pumpkin forming.”
No kidding!
3. East Lawrencetown, NS: Planted? Yes! Success? Yes!
East Lawrencetown has pumpkins up the ying yang. She planted big ones and small ones and now she’s got pumpkins coming out of her ears in a giant shmozzle of pumpkins!
She’s not sure which ones are which, but who cares? Pumpkins galore=success!
In the words of East Lawrencetown, NS, “Now they’re all mixed up.”
4. Charlottetown, PE: Planted? Yes! Success? Yes, until nature took a nasty turn!
I heard through the Facebook grapevine that Charlottetown’s pumpkin didn’t make it: “Now they are sitting in two little pots outside on the step. One hasn’t done anything, the other is just a little green stick…Â Maybe I’ve killed them?”
For some silly reason I then began referring to Charlottetown as “The Pumpkin Killer.” I’m not sure why I would do such a thing.
This is my official apology, Charlottetown. You gave them a chance, you watched them grow, you nurtured them and reported on their every growth spurt.
Sometimes these things just aren’t meant to be. You are not a pumpkin killer! You loved your pumpkins and helped them grow. Tragedy struck. And that is all there is to it.
5. Kinross, PE: Planted? No. Wonderful gal? Yes.
Kinross, god love her, is just like me! She has a crazy life that did not allow for pumpkins.
Nope, no sir, no time for pumpkins. I can totally relate.
“I’m ashamed to say that I am pumpkin-less also. Alas, they are still sitting on top of the fridge. Every weekend I would say to myself I should really read those directions I printed off and get this pumpkin rolling. Yes…that never happened. I can chalk it up to is life happened…*sigh*. I’ve been dreaming of pumpkins though!”
Yep, Kinross is a girl after my own heart. Life happens!
6. Van Dyne, WI: Planted? Yes. No sprouting though…
“Alas, planted ours but they didn’t sprout. Disappointed but kind of glad my garden isn’t completely taken over with pumpkin vines. I’m content with the carrots, beans, and peas right now. We’re picking our first batch of beans for eating tonight!”
Those pumpkin seeds are elusive buggers. Some sprout, some don’t. Keeps life interesting!
7. Ladysmith, BC: Planted? Yes. Success? Yes!
A month or two ago Ladysmith sent me these glorious pictures along with the following message:
“Here are 2 pictures of the pumpkins. I mean the pumpkin leaves, branches and green stuff. There are no actual pumpkins yet. I wonder when the pumpkins start to show up?”
Since these pictures were taken, I recently interviewed Ladysmith on the telephone about her pumpkins.
My cryptic handwritten notes from the phone call:
- Unshapely
- In need of nutrients and water
- Was kind of yellow, now turning orange
- Somewhere between a softball and a soccer ball in size
- Not a perfect pumpkin shape
- Slightly odd
Success!
8. Montague, PE: Planted? Yes. Success? Good planting, no sprouting. Many other projects on the go though!
“I did plant one pumpkin seed in each of two large pots on my patio. Maybe because of the backward summer so far they have not sprouted.above the soil.”
Never mind that. Sowing the seeds is the important thing!
9. Lawrenceville, GA: Planted? No. Graduated from University? Yes! Busy lady? Yes!
“I do confess that I am (sadly) pumpkin-free just like you.”
That’s okay, Lawrenceville. Rome wasn’t built in a day. There will be time for pumpkins for you and me both.
That sums up the pumpkin status updates!
All told I’m pleased and amazed with the smattering of different experiences and results. None of us grew REALLY SUPER GIANT pumpkins, but that’s a testament to the amount of work it does take to grow a superhuman freaky pumpkin.
So, was this a contest?
No. There are no winners or losers.
There were just people digging their hands in the dirt and watching things grow. And that, my friends, makes winners of us all.
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Sep 24th, 2009
Thanks again to Christy for making this pumpkin thing HAPPEN! She donated the seeds…
Melissa
Sep 24th, 2009
It’s true…I do dream of pumpkins…maybe next year? Maybe life will be less happening?…Maybe…
Love this post by the way! :) Super jealous of your pumpkin friends…and super GUILTY I didn’t plant my seeds.
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Sep 24th, 2009
Re: guilt.. Me too, Melissa… Me too!
Kim
Sep 25th, 2009
Haha, great post – made me laugh out loud.
I could have won with my itty bitty Sugar pumpkins, which are nice and round and orange and very prolific!
Mwah-ha-ha.
Bradley
Sep 26th, 2009
This was more than ‘a post’ to me. Your writing, including the feedback of other pumpkin starters, really grew. This could have been an article in the PEI Organic Gardener (if they had a mag as such)! Not only was some of the feedback funny and thoughtful, I really felt great energy and encouragement from your own thoughts. It seems like you’re finding the answers to your ‘I Needed a Vision’ questions from awhile back. Keep nurturing your inspirations!
Nataile
Sep 26th, 2009
This is great! I love growing pumpkins and grew some different ones this year including white pumpkins called “Lumina” and the gorgeous “Vif rouge d’étampes.” But the pumpkin vines are dead now, after three frosts.
Barry
Sep 26th, 2009
Thats alright Laura-Jane. I represented SE Kings the best that I could and I harvested mine last week post vine killing frost. Its not a whopper like the one on the seed package but c’mon…..who can’t make a pumpkin big with photoshop right? Next year, I’ll add more manure.
Amanda
Sep 26th, 2009
yay the long awaited pumpkin article. Our garden neighbours are watching this baby grow in circumference by the day.
Fun experiment Laura-Jane. Let’s do something different next year!
Freda
Sep 27th, 2009
Love it. Many chuckles came from my mouth asI read this.
Keep it up.
Update on any other progress on the farm would love to hear about.
melanie
Sep 28th, 2009
I have been talking for years about how I want to move to the country and become a pumpkin farmer – and yet I probably would forget to plant anything too. This year I was super excited about getting a plot in the community garden and now I am too embarassed to go look at it these days because of it’s overgrown and neglected state.
Of course, I keep saying that next year I am just going to plant pumpkins in my patch and hope they grow themselves. That is if the community association lets me back in. If I remember I will sign up for whatever “grow-along” you are having next year – my seed collection always needs new neglected packages.
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Sep 29th, 2009
Oooh, next year!! I better get it together… I can’t fail two years in a row. I just can’t!
christy
Sep 29th, 2009
i loved reading all the updates of everyone who tried growing!! i have loads and loads of seeds (all free) if anyone ever wants any ever again in the future. thanks to laura-jane for this contest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Naomi
Sep 29th, 2009
I’m laughing! You forgot to mention that some very insensitive visitors to my pumpkin patch insisted that the growths were not pumpkins at all! Picture perfect – no, unshapely PUMPKIN – yes! Next year my garden will be so much better…..