Grower hauled orange giant from Tenino Washington for Weigh Off
at Uesugi Farms
by Betsy Avelar Staff Writer
San Martin – The biggest pumpkin ever weighed in California stressed the scales at 1,354 pounds, Saturday at the Uesugi Farms 16th annual weigh off.
New record holder Jack LaRue traveled a grueling 900 miles from his home in Tenino, Washington to have his “big girl” compete against 17 other pumpkins. He won $6,500 for his gigantic gourd.
“I got the lucky seed today,” LaRue said excitedly after the weigh off.
This was the first official weigh off at Uesugi Farms certified by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, an organization of competitive growers in North America and Ireland.
Representative Ken Mitchell from the organization heard the possibility of a record breaking pumpkin and rushed to San Martin from his home in Elk Grove to see the giant pumpkin.
“That’s the biggest pumpkin that I’ve ever seen at a contest,” he said. Mitchell attended the contest at Half Moon Bay where 2005 record holder, Joel Holland of Washington, won for a 1,212 pound pumpkin. Mitchell also attended the contest in Napa where Gary Miller won the state record of the Californian with the biggest pumpkin at 1,280 pounds.
“That should be the biggest pumpkin in the Western U.S.,” Mitchell assured while still staring at LaRue’s creation.
The pumpkin is 340 times heavier than the average pumpkin, and according to LaRue, you can make 654 pumpkin pies with this colossal fruit. Seeds may grow to be half an inch wide, and the walls of the fruit grow as thick as 13 inches.
The orange monster was weighed, and Mitchell was right about it being the biggest in the Western U.S. Pete Aiello owner of the farm and emcee of the event announced, “I’m proud to say that this year’s winner has topped that of Half Moon Bay.” The news pierced the thick anticipation of the 130 in the audience, and then was followed by yelps of joy and a wild applause.
MariLou Holland wife of 2005 record holder Joel Holland, came in second place at the Uesugi Farms weigh off with a 1,112 pound pumpkin.
“Joel’s winning pumpkin is at the fair,” said the 56-year-old. “It’s the first time we get a flyer from (Uesugi Farms), since we were coming down to Half Moon Bay, we try and stay in town to visit family and hit the weigh-offs.” But MariLou’s pumpkin came in a few pounds too light for LaRues victory and she only took $1,000 home that day.
This is not the first time LaRue earned a victory. He held the U.S. record for the biggest pumpkin in 2004-’05 weighing in at 1,420.5 pounds. LaRue hopes to become the world record holder for the biggest pumpkin, but this years record holder is Ron Wallace with a pumpkin weighing at 1,502 pounds from Rhode Island.
LaRue understands that while weather conditions are a very important factor for growing huge pumpkins, he points out the advantages of the type of seeds, caring for the soil, as well as the time that it involves.
“If you want to do this competitively, give up your social life. This turns into another full time job.” He pollinated the flowers June 28 and harvested the pumpkin in October.
“Don’t let the bees do the pollinating,” he said. The day before flowers open, cover them with paper cups. The male flowers are picked the night before they open, brought into the warm house where the pollen matures, and is ready in the morning. The pumpkins are hand pollinated and protected from the bees.
The seeds LaRue uses are no ordinary seeds.
“I’ve been planting the first generation for about five years,” he said. “I really think they acclimate to their climate.”
LaRue also hand hoes his garden and stays away from tilling as it destroys mother nature’s structure of the soil, and the natural drainage that the earth worms design.
Washington weather is also favorable. It is cool, so the pumpkins grow a lot slower, which makes it easier for the shell to stretch without splitting. “Mine don’t grow as fast in the season, so mine don’t split as easy.”
At night, the plants shut down and they go into hibernation which slows them down during the season, but in September and October they catch up said LaRue.
“Most of the pumpkins are mature by the first week of September, where out here they’re still growing. We have a longer season,” he said. “Up here I think I’ve got a great climate”.
The pumpkin will be on display at Uesugi Farms until Oct. 30, then it will then be taken to the owners house, carved into with an electric saw, and displayed along his driveway for Halloween.
“It’s hard to see it go,” said LaRue. “You get attached to it, you’ve been out there every day watching it grow; it’s like your daughters when they get married, you watch them grow and then they’re gone.”
