Dutch Pumpkin Growing Championships 2022
Our legend Gerjan participated in the Dutch Pumpkin Growing Championships again. This year, the event took place at Fruittuin Verbeek in Oldebroek for the first time. Here’s all the ins and outs of Gerjan's participation!
Gerjan, you ended up 7th this year at a brand new location. What do you think of this venue?
This location is super nice and suits the atmosphere of the event perfectly. As you can see, it is in the middle of a fruit farm, it could hardly be more fitting.
Will the event take place here again in 2023?
The initial intention was to make it a multi-year event anyway. Given the good turnout, I definitely think this will be the place to be again next year.
We can see a whole lot of pumpkins lined up here. Do you have any idea how many people participated?
I think there were over 20 participants this year. There’s a category for green pumpkins, for orange pumpkins and for the Halloween pumpkins. All different disciplines!
By the looks of it, it has been a good year for growing giant pumpkins. We’ve heard that a Dutch record was set even several times today. Do you know what the current Dutch record is?
Yes, the Dutch record is set at 897.7 kg after today. This was not even the heaviest pumpkin today. The Belgian Luc Vanheuckelom grew his pumpkin until 919.5 kg.
Wow! Talking about giants…
We wondered why the Belgians score so good every year. Do they maybe have better soil there?
Belgium is roughly at the Earth's latitude. That means it’s a few degrees warmer there than here in the Netherlands. Moreover, in Belgium they have more greenhouses and a lot of knowledge about growing giant pumpkins.
Seventh place is maybe not what you hoped for, but still quite an achievement. How heavy was your pumpkin?
526 kg. Not bad indeed, but last year it was bigger, much bigger! It was over 600 kg. That one came from the greenhouse, though, and this year's was grown outside. If you grow in the greenhouse, you can easily determine temperature and play with watering times and amounts. Next year, if I don't encounter as much trouble in my greenhouse as this year, I should be able to finally achieve the 700 kg I set as a goal. This year, unfortunately, I just had bad luck!
So if I understand it correctly, you've actually achieved an extra handsome feat ? You've managed to get your pumpkin to 526 kg outside, without the use of a greenhouse.
You could see it that way yes, haha.
Are you satisfied with your end result?
I can't complain. My green pumpkin is the biggest squash grown this year. I also won first place with my Halloween pumpkin. Normally that kind of pumpkin doesn't get very big at all. Unfortunately my Atlantic Giant didn't make it, but that leaves a goal for next year!
With the weigh-in done, you’re stuck with all these big pumpkins. Do you have any idea what you are going to do with them?
One pumpkin will probably go to Amsterdam, one to Staveren and one to Artis. In Amsterdam and Staveren, the pumpkins will be used as decoration. The one going to Artis will serve as food for animals. That leaves one left. This one may even go all the way to Italy. I have received several requests, but haven’t decided yet which one will go where.
Looking back on this season, are you pleased with it overall?
Yes, I am to be honest. I put a lot of focus on the ornamental pumpkins in particular. Those grew profusely and I sold them very well. So that is up and running now, leaving more time and space to focus more on the giant again next year.
Do you have any idea how many pumpkins you've grown in total this year?
More than 20,000 pumpkins.
Long story short; will we compete again next year?
Most definitely! Next year my Giant should be over 600 kg. No more taking steps backwards ?
Finally, what is your secret to getting your pumpkin this big?
The basic rule is really that you want to have a very large plant with only a single pumpkin attached, so all the energy goes to that one pumpkin. For energy, of course, you need fuel. In the case of the pumpkin, that's nutrition and water. If you get these ratios right, basically anyone can grow a giant pumpkin.