It is easy to think about pumpkins, this year we have three growing in our garden. The large ones you see below are the handy work of our friend Russ. Russ has a passion for growing large and he has been doing so for years as a hobby. At about $300 a seed. No joke. These pumpkins are entered at various county events in hope of winning prestige and prize money. Russ, we wish you luck this year!
Four years ago we visited Russ and got to see the pumpkins still on the vine.
What I appreciate about his hobby is how complicated it all really is. Russ keeps track of everything because too much water, too much fog, too much heat, too much anything and the giants can crack. Once cracked a pumpkin cannot be shown. It is hard to see the framework he has built to be able to grow these beauties.
Two years ago Russ showed his beauties at the Healdsburg Half-Marathon (after he was done entering them at various competitions in CA). I was sad to learn he didn't place that year. The winner's pumpkin weighed in at 1,467.5 lbs.
Russ' pumpkin at 1,288 pounds.
Russ does save seeds, but if he is looking for a bigger pumpkin he buys seeds from known winners.
Do you have a hobby?
No comments:
Post a Comment