Beaconsfield behemoth top pumpkin

By Lawrence Powell

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Fred Marshall’s giant orange orb tipped the scales at 650 pounds September 25 at Jubilee Park, roundly beating the competition to take top spot in the adult category during Bridgetown Ciderfest’s inaugural pumpkin weigh-off.

Marshall’s Beaconsfield-grown mammoth was heaviest in show, topping Katherine Neily’s 417.5-pound entry from Paradise that won the children’s category.

“Lots of manure and compost,” was Marshall’s explanation to the key to producing his winner. In fact Marshall dumps 100 wheelbarrow loads of leaves on his pumpkin patch each year, building it up over time to just the right habitat for growing giants.

The Annapolis County Spectator’s entry weighed in at 291 pounds to take second place in the adult category, and Julie Johnson’s 249-pound entry was good for third.

In the children’s category, Parker Neily entered a 325-pound giant for second place behind his sister, and Devon Walker of Carlton Corner was third with his 281-pound monster.

In the select weight category, Isabella Ward won with her 69.5-pound entry which was closest to the 63-pound weight selected by organizers prior to the weigh-off.

In total, 17 people entered the contest.

Organizer Bronson Rafuse noted that in the week prior to the event, almost 30 growers had indicated their intentions of entering but bowed out by the time the weigh-off rolled around. In some cases he expects that people had no means of lifting and transporting their pumpkins.

Regardless, Rafuse was pleased with the number of entries, the large crowd, and especially the enthusiasm of both growers and spectators.

“I thought for its inaugural year it was a tremendous success,” Rafuse said. “It’s definitely an event we’ll bring back.”

Almost all of the entries came from seedlings supplied by Will and Jodi Neily of Neily’s Greenhouse and Gardens in Paradise. In all, the Neily’s gave away 85 seedlings.

Marshall has been growing giant pumpkins for about five years, but had never entered a competition until now. Normally his giants were picked from the vine to become the centerpiece of Halloween displays on his large verandah.

“I thought it was great,” Marshall said of the Ciderfest contest. He said the event showed that people are interested, and like Rafuse thought there was a great turnout for a first-time event.

On September 20 Marshall entered his behemoth in the Melvern Square contest and took first place there as well.

Marshall said there is a lot of work involved in growing giants, including constant watering (25 gallons a day), care of the vines, soil preparation, and in shading the pumpkins from the sun so they don’t mature too soon and stop growing. Like most serious growers, he starts early in a coldframe.

“It’s amazing what you learn every year,” he said.

Marshall expects he’ll be back next year if he can grow something worth entering.

Rafuse thought the event went smoothly for its first year.

“You have to play it by ear,” he said. But already he’s received lots of ideas for making it bigger and better. He said most involved this year said they would be back.

“It’s something that really captivates people’s imaginations.”