The aptly named 'Atlantic Giant' pumpkin seeds are available in all garden centres in packets containing enough seeds for several years.
I put one seed in each of two 3 inch pots in late March in a heated propagator. They can be sown outdoors in the gound in May and will still grow huge pumpkins.
The speed of growth is amazing and the first picture was taken seven days after sowing after I transferred it to an eight inch pot. The pot was too big for the propagator and it had to stand in a cold greenhouse. The next two pictures are days seventeen and twenty-one. It is now ready to grow outside under protection
It is a great thrill to see the small pumpkins appear and the photo on the right taken in 2006 shows the tiny fruit that eventually grew into the monster below.
The plant is enormous and I grew mine at the side of the plot on an area of weedkilled undug ground.I just planted it with no manure or fertilizer, but fed weekly with Miracle Grow. The plant grew to thirty feet in length.
I decided to allow only one pumpkin to grow and snapped off all the subsequent ones and also removed side branches which would have swamped everything. I am convinced that one plant could cover half an allotment.
Although last years had no manure, this year I am going to dig a deep hole and put in the equivalent of four barrowloads of manure and feed it regularly. I am lucky to have taken over an adjoining half plot where I will grow it away from raised beds.
How do you move a pumpkin that is heavier than my daughter?
It was difficult to manhandle and after a struggle, with the help of my wife we managed to get it into the wheelbarrow.
The problem with the Atlantic Giant is that is disgusting to eat and the only sensible thing to do is convert it to a halloween head and compost the inside. Afterwards the rest is composted.
This year I am going to have to work out a different system as I am aiming for 200lbs and I think I shall have to invest in an engine hoist using one of those bags that sand is delivered in. The new half plot is next to a tarmac allotment road and as I have a trailor for the car I think it will suffice.
My surgery is only 10 minutes walk from home and I think my quality of life cannot be bettered. Fresh air, garden, allotment, riverside, airport, city centre, Anfield, and work all within 5 miles of my house.
I live four minutes walk from my allotment and looking at the shot of me with the Mersey in the background it is hard to believe that the Liver Buildings are just 3 miles down river