Pumpkin grown in Leader reaches over 1000 lbs

In Leader, Sask. about an hour and a half northeast of Medicine Hat, a pumpkin hit that four digit mark.

Gary Wenzel of Leader, Sask. stands near the 1080 pound pumpkin he grew this year. Ross Lavigne/CHAT News

The average pumpkin weighs in at only 13 pounds, but one grown by Gary Wenzel this year, was significantly larger than this, hitting the scale at 1,080 pounds.

He said there is a lot of work that goes into growing a pumpkin that big, including giving it lots of TLC.

“I don’t want to give too many of my secrets away, but there’s fertilizer and water,” Wenzel said.

“They love water, and the environment, you need a lot of good growing conditions, and they love heat,” he added.

“It all depends on the type of year you get that will dictate out of what you’re going to grow.”

This is the third year Wenzel has entered the annual pumpkin growing competition in his hometown, and his second win.

The pumpkins from previous years reached 141 and 227 pounds.

He said there is a specific seed you need to grow large pumpkins.

“You can’t take a field pumpkin, for example, and grow 800 or 500 pound pumpkin. It has to be the Atlantic Giant breed,” Wenzel said.

“That is the big factor. Then it’s all the other conditions that go along with it.”

Wenzel acknowledged there is a lot of luck that goes into growing a pumpkin this large as well.

He never thought in his wildest dreams that he would grow one this big, with the growth really taking off after he had returned from a trip.

“It was growing 25 to 30 pounds a day in that time frame, and that’s how fast they grow. When they get to a certain time after pollination is when they have their big spurts where they grow,” Wenzel said.

“If it’s hot out and the conditions are great, they’ll put on a lot of weight in a short time.”

A forklift was used to get the 1080 pound pumpkin on the back of the truck. Submitted Photo

The pumpkin had to be pulled onto a pallet and loaded with a forklift to be transported for the competition.

He’s had lots of positive comments about the pumpkin, and his grandkids from Medicine Hat came down to see it.

“Well, they were impressed. I’ve had a lot of reactions,” Wenzel said.

“I had some people look at it and say, that’s not a pumpkin, that’s a car.”

Gary Wenzel pictured with his grandkids with the pumpkin. Submitted Photo

Wenzel figures he’ll take the year off from pumpkin growing next year and maybe get some more fishing in.

The pumpkin will sit in front of the Wenzel house for halloween, with no real plans for it after that.

Wenzel did say that maybe it will help feed someones farm animals.

by Jesse Gill

Pumpkin grown in Leader reaches over 1000 lbs

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