From

Location

Message

Date Posted

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

The GPC has for a long while been weighing other things than just pumpkins. I know a lot of the growers have an interest in big onions and that many grow them. It is not so easy to grow a really big onion. Why not consider giant onions in the future as another weigh-off category? Is there any interest? It would not be difficult to do.

9/5/2015 11:30:07 AM

Wixom MI.

I found them fun to grow until a squirel dug all of mine up the day after i planted them outside in may !!! I think that gaint carrot is another category that could bring some interest ??? Cant wait to see how dan MacCoys carrot turns out, looks like a monster. I will be tring both of them again next year.

9/5/2015 12:07:33 PM

Weatherman

Where are you going to get the prize money for onions and carrots?

9/5/2015 1:53:48 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Why not? And everything shouldn't be based on money. That's what work is for.

9/5/2015 2:12:06 PM

Wixom MI.

I dont think people growing tomatoes,watermellon,long gourds,bushel gourds tall corn, sunflowers, etc.... are concerned about prize money !!! Its just fun to grow anything to a gaint size.

9/5/2015 3:03:15 PM

Weatherman

We pay prize money for watermelon, Connecticut field pumpkins, tomatoes, sunflowers, and long gourd.

9/5/2015 8:32:40 PM

Wixom MI.

I supose that the best way to start a catagory like onions or carrots would be through marks web site world wide gaint growers but even their mark would need at least 15-20 people to commit to it before he could start another catagory their. I honestly think that bushel gourd has the next best chance to be the next new catagory for the gpc. Im sure that if we start growing 20 lbs onions and carrots over here that the interest in them would begin growing prety fast ! Look how fast the tomato interest has grown since the harps and hunts grew their 7 pounders around 5 years ago ?

9/5/2015 9:52:41 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

My 11 year old daughter has just expressed an interest in growing giant zucchini . Where might she find seeds to start?

9/5/2015 11:52:25 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

I accidently grew 25-35lb zucchini's last year. Huge! Started off with regular zucchini's the year before, got some seeds from one, planted the next year, and they grew to an unusually huge size. Two plants. They possibly may of crossed with a field pumpkin the year before, but they stayed green to the end. They were zucchini inside. I have photo's and plenty of seeds if you, bnot, or anybody else is interested. rickspaziani@yahoo.com

9/6/2015 5:32:12 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

I got a question: Can anyone explain to me how seeds are collected from your best carrot or onion if you are picking it for a weigh-off? Thanks.

9/6/2015 9:23:22 AM

Valencia Spain

Bnot u could try giantveg.uk

9/6/2015 9:44:42 AM

Valencia Spain

U want to see diferente Veg join Facebook group Giant Veg community

9/6/2015 9:51:52 AM

Wixom MI.

Unfortunatly you canot harvest seeds once you pull it and cut off the top and that goes with any root vegie.it often takes 18-24 months before they give a flower stalk.

9/6/2015 11:35:25 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

email has been sent...thank you both for your responses. My daughter is now busy surfing the web to find out about the world of giant zucchini

9/6/2015 11:36:37 AM

BC, Canada

Cornhusk, those are both biennial, so I am not sure how you could harvest for a show and still get seeds. Maybe there are some growers on here that do harvest onion or carrot seeds and can tell us how they keep the "giant" strains in tact. I save a lot of seeds but have never done those two as it takes two years and uses a lot of garden space. Then there is a chance of cross pollination and ending up with a poor preforming hybrid. By the time you have that crop you are into your third season. Cheaper to leave it to the pros.
http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/Seed-Saving-Resources/
This link is to seedsavers; there is some good info here aboutig saving seeds.

9/6/2015 11:48:00 AM

Georgetown, Ontario

I believe you can get an onion to regrow if you plant it again after the weigh off as long as you don't cut the root plate off the onion.Carrots, I'm not sure. I've done it with rutabaga before so I would assume a carrot would regrow as well if you pot it up after the weigh off. With the biennial crops you just keep them barely alive all winter and plant them out in the spring and they will flower and go to seed. Something like a cabbage where you cut off the roots would not work, I guess you would take your best one to the weigh off and keep your second best for seed production.

9/6/2015 4:33:02 PM

Omaha, Ne.

onions make me cry

9/6/2015 9:24:50 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

People don't grow big onions or carrots for money, it's all about the ribbon.

9/6/2015 9:45:20 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

You simply store it over the winter and replant it next spring to get seeds. Cool and Dry like a root cellar. It will start growing again. Then reseed

9/8/2015 7:35:20 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

What we need is a Rutabaga Category...Now I can grow those. Or even an Exhibition Vegetable category.

9/8/2015 1:55:00 PM

Weatherman

Snap peas might be good too.

9/8/2015 3:49:11 PM

Omaha, Ne.

i would go for a weed category. I'm really good at growing them.

9/8/2015 8:28:55 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

Weed is a stretch but surely possible now..

9/9/2015 2:24:42 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

my best growing weed is perilla, what is your best growing weed darren c?

9/9/2015 5:46:32 AM

Weatherman

Golden Rod is big in northeast Ohio this year.

9/9/2015 6:05:36 AM

Omaha, Ne.

lol

9/10/2015 8:22:47 AM