Campbell Riverite Kerri van Kooten-Perras is the proud grower of B.C.sa国际传媒檚 biggest pumpkin.
Her pumpkin, nicknamed Walter, weighed in at 1,152 pounds at the provincial Pumpkin-Weigh Off event in Langley on Oct. 11. While she said it was exciting to win, getting a personal best was the real treat.
sa国际传媒淭he goal is to keep getting something bigger every year,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲hen I hit that first thousand pound or a few years ago, it was great. Itsa国际传媒檚 been a while since Isa国际传媒檝e actually had a thousand pounder. It was nice just to have a PB (personal best).sa国际传媒�
There must be something in the family, because growing giant pumpkins is a multi-generational thing for the van Kootens. Her father Jake grew the then-heaviest pumpkin in the world back in 2008 at 1,500 lbs. While Jake retired from competition in 2013, Kerri has kept up the tradition.
sa国际传媒淢y dad started growing probably when I was about five years old with a goal of maybe making 50 pounds and then he ended up in 2008 growing the biggest in the world. I come by it naturally. I just got the bug from him.sa国际传媒�
Kerri has been growing competition-level pumpkins for years, and whenever she has one that could be competition weight shesa国际传媒檒l haul it off to the mainland for the weigh-off. Before this year, the best shesa国际传媒檚 placed is third.
Theresa国际传媒檚 a lot that goes into growing a champion pumpkin. Some growers even have professional soil analysis done before they even start. From there itsa国际传媒檚 about planting the seed early and letting it germinate indoors before transferring it out into the garden space.
Kerri says she puts a little tent with a heater over the plant when itsa国际传媒檚 cold out, and covers it from the most damaging rays of the sun. Vine management is a big part of it as well, which helps the plant focus its energy on the one main fruit.
sa国际传媒漎ou pretty much have one pumpkin per plant,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚 mean, you can have more than one but they take up quite a bit of space.sa国际传媒�
A thousand-pound-plus pumpkin doesnsa国际传媒檛 go unnoticed. Kerri said that her truck made quite a scene in the ferry line up.
sa国际传媒淭he ferry workers were kind of curious,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭hey were taking pictures and cheering me on as I was driving off the ferry. It was really quite cute.sa国际传媒�
For now, Walter the pumpkin is living at the Coastal Black Winery pumpkin festival for any who would like to see him.
Kerri also said that the hobby is quite easy to get in to.
sa国际传媒淚f anybody has an extra spot in their backyard and wants to try growing a pumpkin, it is a great thing to get into and yousa国际传媒檙e busy all summer,sa国际传媒� she said.
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