New Giant Pumpkin Record in Arizona

Arizona has a new giant pumpkin record.  The eight-year-old record was broken at the AZGPG Spring Harvest Festival held on Saturday, May 30, at Harper's Landscape & Gardening Centre in Scottsdale.  Dean Baker's 486 pound pumpkin weighed in 17 pounds heavier than the former state record.

New Arizona Record

Dean grew his pumpkin on his garden plot at the northeast corner of the Scottsdale Community College campus.  As a member of the Scottsdale Community Garden Club, Dean gardens on a small portion of the seven acres SCC provides to local gardeners.

Giant pumpkin growing is a hobby enjoyed internationally by growers interested in pushing the size limits of various fruits and vegetables.  Rules regarding the various plants have been established by both North American and European gardening groups.  Giant pumpkins are judged solely on weight.  The more the better.  Judges assess the wholeness of the fruit before it is weighed.  The pumpkin must not have any major rotted spots or holes that go through to the cavity of the plant.

Giant pumpkins generally take 120-150 days to mature.  They produce both male and female flowers and are naturally pollinated by bees.  For competitive pumpkins the plants are most often hand-pollinated by the grower to ensure the genetic traits of the pumpkin.  Pumpkins can be orange, yellow, green, white or any combination of colors.  However, it the plant is 100-percent green, blue, or grey, then it is considered a squash for competition.

Four entries were made to this year's Festival.  Two pumpkins were weighed for prizes and two other pumpkins were weighed for exhibition.  Dave Smith's entry of a 465 pound pumpkin placed second in the competition.  Dave also entered a 361 pound pumpkin which was judged as the prettiest pumpkin in the competition.  Dean also brought a second pumpkin to the competition which weighed 483 pounds.

The event was viewed by more than 50 people who came to Harper's Landscape & Garden Centre to pick up supplies for their weekend project - and stayed to see the giant fruits hit the scale.  Harper's has served the Scottsdale and East Valley community for three generations.  The Harper's sponsored the Spring Harvest Festival as part of it's ongoing commitment to give back to the community that has supported the family for three generations.

The Arizona Giant Pumpkin Growers (AZGPG) is an association of giant pumpkin, and giant vegetable, growers living in the Southwest Deserts.  The AZGPG provides information, and support, to growers attempting to produce competitive plants in our harsh desert environment.

The weigh-off was sanctioned as an international weigh-off site by Team-Pumpkin, which is made up of hobbiest interested in providing assistance to growers nationally and internationally.