Hobby farmer John Collins was named as winner of the Malmsbury Farmers’ & Artists’ Market’s annual Giant Pumpkin Competition with his massive 27.6 kilogram Atlantic Giant.
Placing first in the ‘heaviest pumpkin’ category on Sunday, May 19, Mr Collins and his seven-year-old son, Johnny, planted the prize-winning pumpkin at their Kyneton hobby farm last November.
To grow the fruit, Mr Collins said he researched giant pumpkin varieties and growing strategies on the internet, discovering the Dill’s Atlantic Giant variety from The Diggers Club.
“From very early on, you identify the pumpkin that you’re going to stick with and cut off every other pumpkin,” he said.
From there, he and his son fed the plant with worm manure until the fruit grew to about 30 kilograms before it lost moisture and reached its final competition weight of 27.6 kilograms.
Mr Collins and his son also entered a pumpkin in last year’s competition, where they placed second in the ‘ugliest pumpkin’ novelty category – which Mr Collins said they “didn’t necessarily intend” to achieve.
For next year’s competitors, Mr Collins will package and make available the seeds from his winning pumpkin, encouraging growers to “never give up on your dreams” in winning the competition.
This was the competition’s third running year, with prizes awarded in the categories of heaviest, prettiest, ugliest, longest, and best-dressed pumpkins.
The Malmsbury Farmers’ & Artists’ Market runs on the third Sunday of each month at the Malmsbury Village Green.
Instagram: instagram.com/johnmovestoafarm
Oscar Parry
