Sarah Whitty never planned to become a competitive giant-pumpkin grower.
Her unusual gardening journey began in 2012, after she moved into a house in northern Maine and discovered that the previous owners had thrown an old Halloween pumpkin into the compost pile.
The following spring, one of its seeds germinated.
The vine spread across Sarah’s small backyard, taking over much of the available space and producing several pumpkins. Curious about how large one could become, she decided to try growing a bigger specimen the following year.
Her first attempt weighed about 100 pounds.
More than a decade later, Sarah grows pumpkins that can exceed 1,500 pounds, and thousands of people follow their progress online.
One pumpkin can occupy most of a backyard
Growing a giant pumpkin requires far more room than a normal vegetable garden.
Sarah’s property covers approximately 0.15 acres, yet a single competitive pumpkin vine can spread across a large portion of it. The vines may grow as much as one foot per day under favorable conditions.
Each plant is trained to focus its energy on one selected fruit. Other pumpkins are removed so that water, nutrients and carbohydrates are directed toward the strongest specimen.
During the most rapid stage, usually between days 30 and 50 after pollination, Sarah says a pumpkin can gain more than 50 pounds in one day.
The growth is so fast that minor problems can destroy months of work. A split in the skin, damaged vine, disease, excessive heat or poor pollination can prevent a pumpkin from reaching the final weigh-off.
There is no guarantee that a fruit surviving in July will still be healthy in October.
Her pumpkins receive names before they reach the scales
Sarah names the pumpkins she grows, giving her online audience a way to follow each fruit throughout the season.
Two of her best-known pumpkins were called Fiona and Shrek. Fiona developed the familiar orange color associated with autumn, while Shrek grew with a green exterior.
The names make the plants easier to discuss, but they also make the losses harder when one suddenly stops growing or becomes damaged.
When a pumpkin survives the season, moving it presents another challenge.
A fruit weighing more than half a ton cannot be lifted by hand. Growers use heavy straps, lifting frames, tractors or cranes to raise it from the garden and place it onto a trailer.
It is then transported to an official weigh-off, where growers gather to compare their results and have the pumpkins recorded.
One of Sarah’s pumpkins reached 1,593.5 pounds, according to a season recap shared through her social channels.
After the competition, some become boats
The weigh-off is not necessarily the end of the pumpkin’s story.
Sarah’s giant pumpkins have been used in festivals, artistic displays and public events. Some are carved by artists, while others are dropped from cranes as part of seasonal attractions.
The most unusual use is turning them into boats.
For a pumpkin regatta, organizers cut open the top, remove the seeds and hollow out enough flesh to create a space for a person. The giant shell then becomes a floating vessel.
Smaller giant pumpkins can be paddled like canoes. Larger specimens may be fitted with small motors because their weight makes them difficult to propel by hand.
Sarah said Shrek became a paddleboat, while Fiona was fitted with a motor.
The process is more complicated than simply placing any large pumpkin in the water. Organizers must choose one with suitable dimensions, a stable shape and enough internal room for the operator.
The growing season begins long before spring
Although the visible growth happens during summer, Sarah’s preparation continues throughout the year.
After the weigh-off, she removes old vines and plants cover crops to protect and improve the soil. Soil tests help determine what nutrients need to be added before the next planting season.
During winter, she studies growing techniques and selects seeds based partly on their genetic history. Competitive giant-pumpkin seeds often come from fruits with recorded weights and carefully documented parentage.
By spring, the seeds are started in controlled conditions before the strongest plants are transferred to prepared soil.
The growing area must then be managed almost daily. The vines need training, secondary roots must be encouraged, and the leaves require protection from pests and fungal diseases.
Sarah has explained that prevention is especially important with powdery mildew because a seriously infected vine cannot simply be restored later in the season.
A discarded pumpkin created a new life in the garden
The pumpkin that started Sarah’s hobby was never planted deliberately.
It came from a decomposing jack-o’-lantern left in compost by someone who had lived in the house before her.
That single volunteer seed eventually led to competitive weigh-offs, festival displays, pumpkin boats and an online community following the daily growth of enormous vegetables.
Sarah is already planning the following season by the time the current pumpkins reach the scales.
For most gardeners, a pumpkin growing from compost might be a pleasant surprise.
For Sarah, it became a project that took over her backyard and continued for more than a decade.
