NY Grower’s Massive 2,123-Pound Pumpkin Takes Top Prize in Saratoga
Monster Pumpkin Takes Down First Place
Another Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest is in the books, and this year's winning pumpkin was an absolute monster.
Despite some drizzle Saturday morning, spectators gathered near the Saratoga Springs City Center Parking Garage for the 11th annual event and watched growers weigh some seriously gargantuan produce.
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Josh Hilton of Nassau, New York, took home first place with an enormous pumpkin weighing an incredible 2,123.50 pounds.
Winning Pumpkin Weighed Over 2K LBS!
For perspective, we're well past the point where you put this thing on your front porch. You need heavy machinery, a loading dock, and possibly a building permit.
According to The Saratogian, Hilton has been on quite a roll this year, also winning other weigh-offs including the Durham Fair and an event in Woodstock. This was his fourth trip to Saratoga's competition, but his first victory here.
And growing a 2,000-pound pumpkin apparently wasn't easy.
How Do You Grow a Thousand-Pound Pumpkin?
Growing a 2,000-pound pumpkin takes some serious work. Growers rely on specially selected genetics, carefully measured daily nutrients, and enormous amounts of water during a growing season that can last 120 to 180 days.
Hilton told The Saratogian that New York's rainy conditions caused fungus and disease, and at one point he feared he might lose two of his plants.
The runner-up wasn't exactly something you'd pick up at your local farm stand either.
Ernie Gustinucci of Jackson, Pennsylvania, finished second with a pumpkin weighing 1,821.50 pounds, while Tadd King of Freedom, New York, took third at 1,674.50 pounds.
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