The Great Pumpkin Contest
Try to grow the BIGGEST pumpkin you can in your age group!
Age groups: 5-9 and 10-18
Grow the heaviest pumpkin in your age group and be crowned, Pumpkin Master!
Contest Rules:
1: Come into the library April 27-May 2 and pick up your pumpkin seeds.
The Great Pumpkin Contest has gone Pink! This year’s pumpkin is the Pink Brazilian pumpkin, Moranga. It will get around 4-8 pounds and be pink to salmon in color.
2: For best results, plant the seeds ON or AFTER May 1.
Pumpkins prefer warm soil. (The danger of frost for GA is past by May 1, and soil temperatures will have started to warm by May 1.)
3: Thin to the strongest seedling to prevent overcrowding. By thinning to the strongest seedling, you are giving that seedling the best chance to thrive. If both are allowed to grow together, they will compete with each other for water and nutrients. Neither plant will thrive under these conditions and will produce stunted plants and stunted pumpkins.
Once planted, let it grow and do its thing. It will need some care (water, fertilizer, etc.).
4: Take a picture each month with you and your pumpkin vine/pumpkin. Submit the pictures, with your name and age each month to: ejones@prlib.org.
5: When you harvest your pumpkin, take a final picture with you, your pumpkin, AND show the weight of your pumpkin. Tell us the best thing you liked about growing the pumpkin and the hardest thing. There will be prizes for each age group!
The deadline for the final picture is Oct 31.
The heaviest pumpkin will win!
Your pictures might be featured at JPL and on our facebook and website pages!
Grow the heaviest pumpkin in your age group and be crowned, Pumpkin Master!
Pumpkin Masters will also receive prizes!
Winners will be revealed at the Fall Family, Fun Night.
- For a neater-looking pumpkin patch, lay down landscape fabric, mulch and/or cardboard to keep down weeds. Let your pumpkins grow on top!
- Plant on or after May 1st.
- Plant in full sun (at least 8 hrs of sunlight). Make sure your pumpkins have lots of space to spread out!
- While it is not necessary to grow pumpkins on hills, it is beneficial. The hills are about the size of small pitcher mounds. With hills, the soil will warm more quickly and the seeds will germinate faster. It also helps with drainage and pest control. (almanac.com)
- For pest control, try planting companion flowers and trap crops, or check out my zucchini pest prevention for more ideas. See a list of some flowers that MAY repel squash bugs.
You May Also Like:
Additional Tips on Growing and Getting Big Pumpkins
Squash Pest Prevention: Practical advice with pictures
Companion Planting: How to use flowers to help control pests
