The world's largest pumpkin

[Tussiemussies]

This year the record was broken and the world's largest pumpkin took center stage:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/the-largest-pumpkin-world-record_n_1939922.html

[Mrs-M]

That is out of this world!!! Imagine carving-out such a pumpkin, the carver would have to climb right inside!

[peggy]

Now that is one big squash! I always wondered, with these huge pumpkins, when they are smaller and growing, why don't the owners turn them on their ends, so they grow more 'pumpkin' like? Do you know what I mean? They are always on their sides and kind of squished. Maybe they wouldn't grow as big on their ends? I don't know. For some reason giant vegetables just fascinate me. Very cool!

[Mrs-M]

I know exactly what you mean. Peggy! You're right, to help preserve the integrity and natural shape of them.

[iris lily]

PBS has a show that plays periodically about Big Pumpkin growing competition. The care and attention, and the fancy growing conditions given to these monsters is pretty remarkable. The people who do this hobby seriously devote a lot of resources (time, infrastructure, space in their garden) to it.

[sweetana3]

In Alaska, they grew a 1,700 pound one. They specialize in gigantic vegetables for setting records at the Alaska State Fair. Those long days of daylight in the summer and a lot of care, grow some unbelievable vegetables.

[bunnys]

Reminds me of the movie Sleeper.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Could always nuke it. Gosh I'm so dark and depressing, that's where my thoughts go: the giant veggies from Fukushima.

[sweetana3]

http://www.oddee.com/item_96650.aspx
http://www.recordholders.org/en/records/vegetables2.html

One Alaskan has 7 world records for big vegetables. The second address above is how he does it. He once grew a 71 pound swiss chard that was 9 feet tall. I love these stories.