By Greg Kunkel
Halloween for some means extravagant costumes, festive decorations or pillowcases full of candy.
For others, Halloween means big pumpkins.
Though it is too late to grow a pumpkin for this Halloween season, two professors of agronomy and horticulture at BYU offer tips on how to produce massive pumpkins.
'If you want to grow a big pumpkin, you need to make sure you find out which pumpkin seed has the best genetics,' said Mikel Stevens, associate professor of agronomy and horticulture.
According to Stevens, the pumpkin-growing legends, such as planting seeds according to phases of the moon or soaking blossoms in milk, are just that -- legends.
Instead, Stevens said pumpkins along the Wasatch Front should be planted shortly after Mother''s Day since pumpkins are a warm-season crop and cannot tolerate frost.
Transplanting a budding gourd from inside a home or greenhouse to finish its life span outdoors is another option for the pumpkin grower, Stevens said.
The proper amount of indoor time is between two to four weeks, he said.
When moving the plant, Stevens said, it is important the soil around the roots doesn''t fall away, otherwise the plant will suffer.
Once outside, an optimum root temperature of 65-70 degrees should be maintained, and the soil should stay moist all the time to ensure blossoms receive proper nourishment, he said.
Frank Williams, agronomy professor specializing in plant physiology is also a state fair pumpkin judge.
He said he recommends a consistent application of water and fertilizer for growing large pumpkins.
'The best pumpkins call for the best caretakers,' Williams said.
Williams said he often has his students grow pumpkins for class, and some of the pumpkins they have produced have reached upwards of 40 pounds.
According to Williams, limiting the blossoms of the plant is key to producing a massive pumpkin.
'The reason a pumpkin becomes so large is because a single blossom is taking all the energy that would go to the other blossoms on the plant,' Williams said. 'The best blossom on the plant to keep is the one closest to the root at the base of the plant.'
Julie Crapo, 22, a senior from St. Louis, majoring in psychology, said she and her father used to grow pumpkins.
'They were big,' Crapo said. 'We would weigh them and everything.'
Crapo said turning the pumpkin is the key to having a thoroughly orange and round pumpkin.