SHELBY — What started as an extra seed planted in a small garden plot has grown into a 1,700-pound pumpkin — and a way to raise money for the garden itself.
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Kyle Koschmeder planted three pumpkins this year. The 1,700-pound pumpkin was the unexpected one.
“I grew three pumpkins in here this year, and this one was just the wild card,” Koschmeder said. “It was just an extra seed that I had that I threw in the smallest extra spot.”
By about 20 days after the pumpkin began developing, Koschmeder realized it was growing faster than the other two, even though they had more space and attention.
The pumpkin eventually reached nearly seven feet across, measured about 17.5 feet around and was more than five feet long.
At its peak, the pumpkin was growing about 45 pounds per day for a week. Even near harvest, Koschmeder estimated it was still gaining about six pounds a day, based on measurements with a tape measure.
Koschmeder has been growing giant pumpkins since 2009. His first state-record pumpkin weighed less than half of 780 pounds. In about 2013, he set another state record with a pumpkin weighing 1,168 pounds.
The 1,700-pound pumpkin could give him another shot at a state record.
“It just pumpkin genetics,” Koschmeder said, explaining how giant pumpkins have changed over the years. “And the way we've grown has come a long way.”
Growing a pumpkin of this size requires more than genetics.
Koschmeder says growers need the right fertilizers, carefully prepared soil and plenty of patience. He also says he is still learning something new every year.
This year, a high tunnel built for the community garden helped protect the plants from wind. Koschmeder also used a drip irrigation system and filtered the water through reverse osmosis.
“Every little thing you do goes a long way,” he said. “I keep saying every little thing is 5 pounds. Every little thing is 5 pounds.”
He says all those small improvements can eventually add up to a giant pumpkin.
The pumpkins also serve a purpose beyond competition.
Koschmeder helps support the Shelby community garden through the garden’s pumpkin patch and donations. Community support has helped pay for new water lines and brought in a semi-load of compost to improve the area’s clay-heavy soil.
The giant pumpkins have also become a way for people in the community to enjoy the fruits of that work.
Some of Koschmeder’s pumpkins have been displayed at a local hardware store and at a local haunted house. Last year, one was eventually taken home, where Koschmeder carved it so people driving by could see it.
“It’s just an all-around good, heartfelt thing for the community,” he said.
The 1,700-pound pumpkin was scheduled to be harvested and transported to an unofficial giant pumpkin weigh-off in Logan, Utah. The festival draws more than 20,000 people and attracts growers with pumpkins that can weigh more than 2,000 pounds.
Koschmeder said he was hoping for a top-four finish, but ultimately, the trip is about having fun with his family and the kids.
And while the pumpkin may be competing for a title in Utah, its impact is already being felt back home in Shelby — where growing something giant is helping grow the community around it.
