Pumpkins have again proved to be a popular pastime. For our first Great Pumpkin Search, dozens of readers sent in photos of gargantuan examples produced in their own backyards.
Michael Bowman, who lives near Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, probably had the scale-topper with a Dill's Atlantic giant that weighed in at 445 pounds and looked as if it could fill his backyard pool. It was so big, it broke a dolly when Bowman moved it for a display.
"Key to growth is use of seaweed, fish emulsions, bat guano, chicken manure and other fertilizers," Bowman says.
Debbie LoCicero of Antelope produced one 197-pounder that filled a pickup truck, dwarfing grandson Tristen Farrell.
Meanwhile, new grandpa Richard Reimer of Carmichael won the pumpkin-growing contest on his street for his new granddaughter, Stella Lillie, and her first Halloween. The winning pumpkin weighed 103 pounds.
Sacramento chiropractor John Kosbau enjoys turning pumpkins into squash sculptures. "The produce department is always pleased to see me, as I buy the pumpkins no one else wants: the oddly shaped pumpkins with bumps, grooves, ridges and stems that inspire and direct just which face or structure is waiting to emerge from the pulp hidden beneath the orange skin," he says.
He carves freehand with X-Acto knives and paring knives, and takes from 90 minutes to three hours, he adds.
Kosbau's tips: "Realistic teeth are not flat with sharp edges, so slightly round the tooth, taking off all sharp edges and taper the end of the tooth into the gums. Also, covering the cut flesh with Vaseline helps your creation last a little longer."
Happy Halloween!
Call The Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075.
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