Latest news with #P.E.I.GiantPumpkinandSquashWeigh-off
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hot, dry summer may be good news for P.E.I.'s giant pumpkin growers prepping for weigh-off
It's been a rather hot and dry summer on Prince Edward Island, which is not ideal for most farmers, but potentially a blessing in disguise for those trying to grow the province's next giant pumpkin champion. Mark Tremere, P.E.I.'s reigning champion pumpkin grower, said he had an early start this year. His main entry for this fall's weigh-off was pollinated nearly a month ago and already weighs about 77 kilograms (170 pounds). But just 10 days in, the pumpkin developed a crack. "I've been nursing that, along with some fans and some fungicide powder to dry it up and heal up," he told CBC's Island Morning. "It's doing well 20 days after that crack and it has scabbed over, and I am… optimistic about it." Tremere said less rain this summer might actually give him an advantage. With drier conditions, he's been able to better control the amount of water his plants receive using his sprinkler system. "With less rain, I don't get deluged with [an overwhelming] amount of water that will burst the pumpkin." This year, he's been more careful with his watering and has tweaked his fertilizing patterns and micronutrients, hoping to see better results than last year. 'I hope to beat him someday' The current world record for the heaviest pumpkin is 1,243 kilograms (2,741 pounds), grown over six months by Guinness World Record holder Travis Gienger in Minnesota. As for Tremere, he won top prizes in the pumpkin and squash categories at last year's P.E.I. Giant Pumpkin and Squash Weigh-off. The Marshfield, P.E.I., grower took home $750 for his 678-kilogram (1,495-pound) pumpkin and another $200 for his first-place squash, which weighed in at 361 kilograms (796.6 pounds). Tremere said the P.E.I. record for heaviest pumpkin belongs to Charlottetown's Eddy Shaw, whose pumpkin weighed about 802 kilograms (1,768 pounds) back in 2018. "I hope to beat him someday. Maybe this year, maybe not. You shall see," Tremere said. In addition to his main entry, Tremere is growing a different pumpkin for another competition, one that challenges growers to produce the biggest pumpkin in the smallest footprint. That pumpkin is currently about 63 kilograms and growing in a 150-square-foot area. It's gaining almost seven kilograms a day, and Tremere is hoping to speed that up to 18. And at that speed, he said, you can notice the difference every day. "You can put a water bottle beside them, and in the morning, they're pushing it over." WATCH | Great gourds: P.E.I.'s giant pumpkin growers nervous before this year's weigh-off: Building a pumpkin-growing community Earlier this year, Tremere hosted a workshop at the York Community Centre where he shared his best tips and tricks for growing colossal gourds. "We had a good turnout. There's 40 people there, which was awesome, and we look forward to doing it again," he said. "It's great to have a community to lean on and get more information and share with. And it just grows the competition and the hobby more." The 32nd annual P.E.I. Giant Pumpkin and Squash Weigh-off is set to return this October at Kool Breeze Farms in Summerside.
CBC
10-03-2025
- General
- CBC
Islanders invited to learn tips and tricks for growing giant pumpkins
Social Sharing Prince Edward Islanders looking to try their hand at growing giant pumpkins will have the chance to learn from the best this Wednesday evening. Mark Tremere, P.E.I.'s reigning champion giant pumpkin grower, is hosting a workshop at the York Community Centre, where he'll share his top tips and tricks for cultivating colossal gourds. Tremere said the Island has a small but dedicated community of competitive growers. "Worldwide, there's quite a few competitive growers going for their world record, but in P.E.I. we might have 10 to 15 tops," he told CBC's Island Morning. "I'd love to see more people. That's the goal." The current world record for the heaviest pumpkin is 1,243 kilograms (2,741 pounds), grown over six months by Guinness World Record holder Travis Gienger in Minnesota. As for Tremere, he won top prizes in the pumpkin and squash categories at last year's P.E.I. Giant Pumpkin and Squash Weigh-off. The Marshfield, P.E.I., grower took home $750 for his 668-kilogram (1,473.5-pound) pumpkin and another $200 for his first-place squash, which weighed in at 361 kilograms (796.6 pounds). Growing giants: Where to start At the workshop, Tremere will cover everything from seed selection and germination to soil preparation and growing techniques. He said starting with high-quality seeds is key to growing giant pumpkins and squash. He has seeds from his prize-winning pumpkin and said members of the P.E.I. Giant Pumpkin Growers Association also have high-quality seeds they're hoping to distribute across the Island to encourage more people to take up the hobby. "If you're going to start out, you may as well start out with a good start of genetics, so something we have would definitely grow something up around 2,000 pounds potentially." Great gourds: P.E.I.'s giant pumpkin growers nervous before this year's weigh-off 5 months ago Duration 2:44 Beyond seeds, he will walk attendees through critical steps like soil testing and seed preparation tricks, like sanding the edges of the seed to speed up germination. For his own pumpkins, Tremere plans to plant the seeds in mid-May, so he will need to create an optimal growing environment for them to grow. "I'll have a hoop house up, probably heating cables in the ground to warm up the soil, and probably a heater inside of a cold frame mini greenhouse to bring that up to temperature and trick it into thinking it's mid-June to end of June," he said. "I push that along and hopefully have a pollination by mid-June." While the initial setup requires some investment, he said it becomes more affordable over time. "Over the years, you kind of pick up the cables and build the hoop house. You already have a heater. So slowly but surely, you pick up the tools and the trade and away you go." Tremere usually focuses on one or two pumpkins early on and then makes a decision by July on which one to nurture to the finish line. He said the sharing of group wisdom is crucial when it comes to growing giant pumpkins. "It's great to have a community. That's what's really brought it up to the weights that they are now — the internet, I think, and communication and networking, people using their knowledge and sharing it with everybody."
