Media

Choose the best pumpkin on each vine and remove the rest.  The best pumpkins are round and are growing the fastest. Measure the pumpkins at the widest diameter and choose nice round ones.

Keep the vines well pruned.  When the vine reaches 4m beyond the set fruit, it needs to be pruned, don’t let the side shoots get longer than about 2.5m.  Also train the side shoots to be perpendicular so they allow easier access to the vines and fruit.

Towards the end of the growing phase, shift to a fertilizer that is richer in potassium.  Do not over-fertilize though as this may damage your plant.

Make sure you get your entry in!

If your pumpkins don’t grow as large as you wanted, then get the children to decorate them and enter in the Decorated Giant Pumpkin class.  Juniors can even enter the Smallest Giant Pumpkin