Every year there is an amazing competition to see who can grow the heaviest pumpkin. The world record for heaviest pumpkin is more than 2,600 pounds. Growing record-breaking pumpkins is no laughing matter. It takes a lot of work. The most important thing is to start with the right seeds. Only a few pumpkin varieties grow giant pumpkins.
Giant pumpkins need more time to grow than other pumpkins. They need about five months. Regular pumpkins take three to four months to grow. Giant pumpkins should be planted in May to ensure a long growing season. Giant pumpkins may gain 30 pounds in one day!
You know that plants need light, water, space, and nutrients to grow. How much each plant needs varies. Some plants grow better in the Sun, and some plants grow better in the shade. Some can survive with very little water, and others live in water. You may not be surprised to learn that giant pumpkins need a lot of sunlight, a lot of water, and a lot of space! They also need warm weather. If the temperature drops too low, frost will damage the pumpkins. The vines that feed the pumpkins may be damaged or they may not turn orange.
So that the pumpkin gets all it needs to grow, pumpkin-growing champions must eliminate the competition, the plant competition that is. Competing plants take away the resources the pumpkin needs. Growers cut off other pumpkins growing on the same vine, so all the plant’s resources are used to grow just one pumpkin.
What Do You Think? Do you want to become a pumpkin-growing champion? Learn more and make a plan to get your pumpkin started next May!
Reading Response Click on this link to respond to your reading. Print out the response page or upload it to your classroom site.
Photo Credit: Anna Nahabed/Shutterstock
