The Gourd Life

Most gardeners measure success by the size of their harvest. But for giant pumpkin growers, success is measured in pounds—thousands of them, in some cases.

At the height of the season, these specialty pumpkins can pack on 40-50 pounds a day, visibly transforming before their grower’s eyes. Each fall, they’re hoisted onto trailers, squeezed through garden gates and hauled to weigh-offs, where cash prizes—and sometimes state records—are up for grabs.

Here’s how a local fireman, musician and professional pumpkin grower got into the competitions, plus an inside look at how they bulk up their crops before they hit the scale.

 

Brad Bledsoe, Fort Collins

Firefighter Brad Bledsoe planted his first giant pumpkin in 2020 only because his wife suggested filling an unlandscaped patch in the yard.

“I had worked at a nursery before becoming a firefighter, so I figured, ‘Why not?’” he says.

That first pumpkin weighed in at just 195 pounds, placing dead last at a local weigh-off. But Bledsoe, who describes himself as “super competitive,” doubled down and turned to the online auction site bigpumpkins.com to buy a top-tier Atlantic Giant pumpkin seed with championship genetics.

He wanted the coveted Grower’s Jacket, a national prize for growing three pumpkins with a combined weight of over 4,300 pounds. This also includes membership in the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth’s Heavy Hitter Club.

Through trial, error and advice from fellow growers, Bledsoe developed a system. In April 2024, he planted six prized seeds indoors. By mid-month, he’d chosen the top three and transferred them to an outdoor hoop house, complete with a space heater to protect them against spring frosts. From there, it was all about dedication—watering, weeding and burying the nodes—and a little luck.

“All three of my pumpkins were on track to go to the Colorado weigh-offs,” Bledsoe says. “Then two weeks before the first event, a mouse bit into one.”

Losing that pumpkin would’ve ruined his shot at the jacket, so he pivoted. He drove to California—one of the first states to host weigh-offs each fall—and entered the pumpkin there. It weighed in at over 2,000 pounds, breaking the Colorado record.

The following week, his second pumpkin broke that record again.

Then, at Fort Collins Nursery’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off on Oct. 12, his third entry tipped the scale at a whopping 2,190 pounds.

Bledsoe hadn’t just met his 4,300-pound goal; he’d shattered it. The combined total of his three pumpkins weighed 6,228 pounds, placing him among the top 25 Heavy Hitters of all time across the U.S. and Europe.

 

Tim Hanauer, Fort Collins

Musician Tim Hanauer has been fascinated by giant pumpkins since childhood.

“Growing up in Connecticut in the ’80s, I remember seeing what was probably a 200-pound pumpkin and thinking it was the most amazing thing,” he says.

He tried growing his own as a kid, even fertilizing them with milk—something he’d heard might help.

“I remember spending days in the garden, weighing and measuring my pumpkins,” he says.

Fast forward to 2014, and Hanauer, with a child of his own, decided to give it a real go. That year, he grew a 100-pounder. Encouraged, he carved out more garden space and splurged $20 on a single Atlantic Giant seed the following year. The resulting 904-pound pumpkin took fifth place at Fort Collins Nursery’s weigh-off.

Like most growers, Hanauer has faced his share of setbacks, from poor soil pH to disqualifications caused by surface cracks.

“It’s a lot of learning, and that usually comes with a blow to the ego,” he says. “I’ve had years where I ended up with a 400-pounder that wasn’t worth the trouble of borrowing a trailer.”

Still, he’s stuck with it. In 2023, he grew a 1,115-pound pumpkin from one of Bledsoe’s seeds, earning third place in Fort Collins Nursery’s weigh-off.

“Breaking 1,000 pounds was a pretty cool moment,” Hanauer says. “Seeing how proud my kids were to climb on top of it—and then having it displayed at The Gardens on Spring Creek with the other winners—made it all worth it.”

 

Andy Corbin, Cheyenne

Andy Corbin doesn’t just grow giant pumpkins; he helps organize competitions for them. A former board member of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth—the regulatory organization for giant produce competitions—Corbin is entrenched in the world of gigantic fruit. In addition to Atlantic Giants, he’s grown record-breaking squash, zucchini, field pumpkins and bushel gourds.

He even developed a website,
tools.pumpkinfanatic.com, to help track pumpkin genetics so that growers can make smarter seed purchases.

According to Corbin, the keys to growing giants are simple: good seed, good soil and the right amount of water. Beyond that, there are a few tricks that can pack on the pounds.

“One of the best things you can do is bury the vine,” he says. “At every leaf node, you bury the stem so that both roots grow down. That alone can get you an extra 500 pounds.”

Another strategy? Installing a drip irrigation system for consistent watering. That’s another 500 pounds, Corbin says. Allowing 600-1,200 square feet of space per plant can add on yet another 500 pounds.

“Do these three things, and you’ve got a 1,500-pound pumpkin,” he says. “Using the right fertilizers and knowing when to apply them will get you the rest of the way.”

Early in the season, nitrogen is key. Once the pumpkin sets, switching to potassium will encourage the fruit to grow, he says.

Corbin is quick to share his knowledge. He regularly gives presentations for Master Gardener programs and fields calls from fellow growers.

“There are no real secrets,” he says. “We all share seeds, compare notes and cheer each other on.”

He’s even been beaten by a pumpkin grown from his own seed by another competitor.

In 2023, Corbin and his wife, Amy, took first place at Fort Collins Nursery’s weigh-off with a 2,062-pound pumpkin. That year, they joined the Heavy Hitter Club with a three-pumpkin total of 5,440 pounds.

After the competition, the pumpkin was transported to the school where Amy teaches so that her students could admire it. Eventually, it was donated to Terry Bison Ranch for the bison to munch on.

“Other pumpkins have been composted or even blown up at church fundraisers,” Corbin says.

Another year, another goal

With weigh-off season underway, each grower has been nurturing this year’s hopefuls. The decision on which pumpkins to enter and where is a last-minute one.

As of press time, Hanauer was aiming for his first 1,500-pounder and dreaming of building a greenhouse to extend his growing window.

Bledsoe recently invested in a 3,200-square-foot greenhouse and was taking a relaxed approach after last year’s success.

“You always want to do better than the year before, but honestly, this year I’m just having fun watching them grow,” he says.

Corbin’s goal was to beat his personal best. Though he jokes about taking a year off, his wife keeps him motivated.

“Everywhere we go in Cheyenne, people ask how our pumpkins are doing,” he says. “It’s what we’re known for, and the smiles they put on people’s faces make it all worth it.”

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Fort Collins Nursery’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Fall Jamboree

When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 11

Where: Fort Collins Nursery, 2121 E. Mulberry St.