“Lots of water and lots of potassium fertilizer.”
That is the secret to growing a massive pumpkin, according to Briercrest area gardener Jenell Nixon.
Nixon has a garden spanning a few hundred square feet and also run the Momma’s Garden Facebook page. This year she plucked a 140-pound pumpkin out of her garden.
Although she didn’t do a final measurement, she said a six-and-a-half foot man could not reach his arms around the pumpkin.
Nixon said it was interesting to watch as the large pumpkin progressed as it grew.
“Every day there were photos and measurements, and it was kind of the race against our frost. So, we got it off before the first frost, and we’re lucky that we did. But it was pretty amazing to see how fast it can grow once it’s happy,” she said.
To give back to the community, Nixon donated the pumpkin at a class at St. Margaret School for the children to enjoy.
“Well, we wanted to have it somewhere that the local kids can take a look at it and enjoy it and I think they’re going to have a contest with it, actually, to be honest with you. So yeah, just another way to give back to the community,” Nixon said.
She added that the students were amazed as she brought the pumpkin into the school in a wheelbarrow.
So, where doesn’t Nixon go from here? She says she has to go bigger now.
“We’re going for even bigger next year. I think we’ve got 500 square feet allocated for the pumpkin for next year,” she said.
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