Catching Up with the Giant Pumpkins

Well, it was the end of the pumpkin plants a couple of weeks ago (that's when these pictures were taken.) The summer sun was just too much for the poor plants.

The Atlantic Giant Pumpkins grow better up north with cool weather. This summer down here in Tennessee was just way to hot for plants, animals and humans!

This pumpkin is from the second plant that was under the peach tree. It had more shade so the sun didn't beat down on it so much. It lasted a bit longer than the other pumpkin plant out in the direct sun.

This one Brian estimated to be around 375 to 400 pounds. It also had a very weird shape to it. See the bottom of the pumpkin, it looks like it didn't grow out.

Brian said it was the ugliest pumpkin he's ever grown. I thought it had character!

This is the other pumpkin from the main pumpkin plant. Brian cut it in half to see how thick the walls were. There's where it gets it's weight! He did get some seeds from it for next year's plant.

Brian also want to show everyone what Squash vine borers do to the plant's vine. The adult bug lays it's eggs on the underside of the plant's leaf. The eggs hatch and the larvae makes it's way inside the plant. Pesticides are not effective once they are in. The larvae then feeds on the insides of the plant, which eventually kill the plant. Brian see signs like discoloration on the vine to know where those larvae are. The brown looking areas are where they go in and probably are still near there. He's cut out a few larvae in his time of growing pumpkin plants. The bugs will attack all varieties of squash plants, not just giant pumpkins!

With all the problems and challenges Brian faces growing these giant pumpkins, he still loves these beauties! Someday I'll be blogging to y'all about the 1500 pound pumpkin he grew. That will be a happy day for Brian!