Weather challenges pumpkin champ

Both of Tim Ellis' pumpkins. Photos / Geoff Lewis

Growing huge pumpkins is no small business, according to Tim Harris.

Harris's efforts in growing the Waikato's largest examples - two to a tandem trailer - took first and second placings at this year's Great Pumpkin Carnival held at Hamilton Gardens on Sunday.

Now in his sixth year of growing, Harris set the national record in 2016 with a 789kg giant. But challenging weather conditions this summer made things a bit more difficult for the Morrinsville dairy farmer.

However, he still topped the show with two examples weighing in at 676.5 and 674.5kgs.

Pumpkin racing. Photo / Geoff Lewis

Third placing was some distance behind at 283kg. Hundreds of local children showed their appreciation by scrambling over the mountainous fruit - pumpkin is not actually a vegetable.

Growing the giants involved special seeds imported from the US. Propagation takes 160 days from seed to fully grown and feeding the giants a special diet of manure and nutrients can take up to two hours a day.

Table of miniatures. Photo / Geoff Lewis

After the carnival Harris breaks up the pumpkins and feeds them to his cattle, he said.
Pumpkin carnival president Jenny Rowden said she was delighted with the public turn-out, which was bigger then ever, and the enthusiastic input from schools.

Tim Harris with the largest of his two giants. Photo / Geoff Lewis

The carnival included a celebrity challenge with local politicians and former champion rower Rob Waddell, pumpkin carving, school displays, a pumpkin race and a down-hill pumpkin-smashing finale.