Yugra gardener grows 100-kg pumpkin, giant sunflower
The Yugra resident has cultivated oversized vegetables for several years, experimenting with different techniques.
Yugra resident Natalia Gorelik has been growing giant vegetables for several years. This year the “stars” of her dacha plot are a 100-kilogram (220 lb) pumpkin, a 3-meter (9 ft 10 in) sunflower, and a 60-centimeter (24 in) cucumber. She told 86.RU how she cared for the crops and what she plans to do with the harvest.
«Belyash likes to “eat” and drinks a lot of water»
Recently the pumpkin, which the family named Belyash, topped 100 kilograms (220 lb). Natalia had never managed vegetables this gigantic before. Last year Belyash’s predecessor — a pumpkin named Marusya — weighed about 30 kilograms (66 lb).
«A few years ago online I saw vegetables weighing up to 500 kilograms (1,102 lb). I decided to try. The first attempt was not entirely successful. At some point Marusya simply stopped growing. This year I decided to continue the experiment, — said Natalia. — Giant-pumpkin seeds aren’t cheap; one seed costs 1,000 rubles (about $11 at current rates). I bought 15, and only two sprouted. I started growing Belyash in early spring. First I planted the seed in a five-liter bucket-planter in a flower house. It’s heated, with a comfortable, steady temperature and humidity for various seedlings, and special lighting installed. Then, when the warm weather arrived, I transplanted it into open ground.»
Pumpkins are temperamental plants that require ample space, steady feeding, and abundant watering.
According to the Yugra resident, growing a giant pumpkin isn’t all that easy — Belyash likes to “eat” and drinks a lot of water.
«On the plot where the pumpkin grows I have a compost pit one meter by one meter. I cart in humus and other fertilizers there, laying down nutrients for it. It also needs a lot of water. When there was no rain, I poured out 200–300 liters a day. If I’d made the pit 2 by 2 meters, it might have grown even bigger, — said Natalia. — I use only natural fertilizers; all growth chemicals are off limits. My pumpkin is organic. For feeding I use, for example, onion skins, soaked banana peels, or nettles. Pumpkins are temperamental — they can crack or rot, they can stop growing. If it gets sick, I treat it with hydrogen peroxide and zelyonka (brilliant green antiseptic).»
She determines the pumpkin’s weight from a special table based on its measurements, because she can’t lift it alone and has nothing to weigh it on. The margin of error, she says, can be 5–10 kilograms (11–22 lb). In mid-October Belyash will compete in the «AgriGiant 2025» contest. Natalia is now looking for industrial scales to weigh the pumpkin and get exact figures.
Meanwhile Belyash keeps growing and taking over the garden. According to Natalia, to grow a true giant you need at least 10 sotkas (1,000 m²) of land, and she has only one and a half.
The pumpkin’s foliage has spread across nearly the entire garden plot this season.
«I cleared everything out of its way, even uprooted strawberries. On a good day the pumpkin can gain up to 15 kilograms (33 lb), mostly growing at night. You go out in the morning, and it’s already different, — Natalia shares. — We certainly lack warm days in the North; Belyash could keep growing and growing.»
From last year’s experience, Natalia is confident the pumpkin will taste good. The Yugra resident makes purée, vegetable caviar spread, pastila (fruit confection), and marmalade from it. She will give some to friends and neighbors who support the gardener and wish her success in the giant-vegetable contest.
«I didn’t have high hopes for the sunflower»
Besides the pumpkin, this summer Natalia managed to grow a giant sunflower. Friends gave her the seeds as a New Year gift.
The sunflower thrived with minimal attention, developing a thick stalk and reaching impressive height.
«The sunflower basically grew on its own; no one really tended it, — the Yugra resident said. — The seedlings were spindly and weak, so I wasn’t counting on a result; I didn’t place any bets. But at some point it took off. Possibly because we planted it on the compost heap. Now it has shot up to almost 3 meters (about 9 ft 10 in), and the stalk is as thick as a wrist. Its seeds are white-and-black, but they’re not ripe yet. We’re waiting.»
«The harvest turned out well this year»
Natalia enjoys planting, tending her crops, and later preserving and sharing the gathered harvest.
This year the Yugra resident also harvested a Chinese cucumber 60 centimeters long (about 24 in), but her attempt to grow a big tomato has so far failed. Natalia will make another attempt next year. She belongs to a club of giant-vegetable growers, where she can consult more experienced agronomists when needed.
Here is the long Chinese cucumber she managed to grow to exceptional length.
«This year has produced an excellent harvest. I’m still picking strawberries in September. Anything is possible if you make an effort and choose the right fertilizer and feed, — said Natalia. — I enjoy gardening. Next year I want to grow a giant zucchini; I’ve already picked out seeds. They can weigh 40 kilograms (88 lb) or more, and I’ve also set my sights on a green pumpkin — squash.»
