From Slate:
I grew up around pumpkins. My dad grew big ones that were 80- or 100-pounders, and I always thought it was neat. Every kid loves pumpkins. We would also go to the state fair and see the giant pumpkins there, and I thought, “That’s kind of cool. I want to grow one.” When I was 14, I grew a 470-pounder. That was three decades ago, and I’ve been growing pumpkins ever since. I’m just now starting to get the hang of it. I didn’t even win a contest until 2020, but that year, I set the North American record with a 2,350-pound pumpkin.
It’s all about figuring out the right recipe. This year, I started in mid-April, with my plants indoors because it’s easier to control the temperatures and germination. I started with two seeds, hoping that I’d get two pumpkins—you start with two to increase your chances of success. Hopefully, you have two at the end, but it doesn’t always work out that way. After the seeds germinated, I transferred them outside to a little hoop house in my backyard, right out my bedroom window, so I could be right there as they grew. They had good soil, heating, cables, and grow lights. I spent two or three hours a day with them. My friends thought I was nuts, especially because I skipped the opening day of fishing to take care of a giant pumpkin.
More here.