Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario – growing skills, relationships through the years

The old saying ‘that if it was easy, everyone would do it’ rings true

Some giant produce growers will use a variety of techniques and products to help them improve their chances of success. One popular approach is to grow the giant produce in a greenhouse.

Like many of the members of the Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario club, Kirk Chenier first got his start in the sport of growing giant produce with pumpkins. 

“I grew some pumpkins one year, and then I saw that the president (of the club) at the time just lived in Cameron, ON, which isn’t too far; just north of Lindsay, ON,” he said. “I wrote to him, and he sent me some seeds, and then I ended up joining the club from there.” 

Pat Watson is a member of the Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario, and has been recognized for his horticultural success with raising giant produce.

Chenier has since served twice as the club’s president himself, having just wrapped up his second term in April. He’s also tried his hand at growing a few different kinds of produce over the years, including giant cabbages, watermelon, and corn; currently, he’s focused on giant tomatoes and sunflowers, because he finds them to be less labour intensive than some of the other popular options for giant produce growing. 

While overall, it may sound fairly simple and straightforward, growing giant produce is anything but.

“I quickly learned, you have to be able to and want to put the work in,” Chenier said. 

“In the beginning of the season, you’re probably spending two hours a week (tending to giant pumpkins).” 

However, “In the height of the season, you’re spending about two hours a day.”

Besides being a big time commitment, growing giant produce can have significant financial impacts, Chenier said. At the height of their growing season, giant pumpkins can require upwards of 100 gallons of water daily.

“It’s quite a challenge feeding these things,” he said, adding that he knows some of the world record holding giant produce growers have literally spent tens of thousands of dollars to achieve their success. 

Record holding growers may use a variety of methods to improve their results. This might include incorporating products like compost, manure, mycorrhizae, liquid seaweed, fish, humic and fulvic acid, and various natural fertilizers, as well as techniques such as growing in a green house, using C02, controlling the vine pattern on the plant and burying the vines, Chenier said. 

If that all sounds like a lot, it is. 

“The old saying that if it was easy, everyone would do it rings true.”

That said, Chenier doesn’t want to discourage anyone from growing giant produce if this is something they want to try their hand at – quite the contrary. He strongly encourages anyone who wants to do it to join the club and get connected to its Facebook page, so they can learn the common dos and don’ts from others. 

“Then you don’t have to go through that yourself, because we’ve all been there,” he said.

That wealth of collected knowledge is invaluable; club members have proven their skills on the world stage. For instance, Al Eaton, Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario Hall of Fame member, was the world record holder for longest gourd, measuring in at 173.75 inches, as of time of writing. 

There are plenty of growers who are connected to the club and are available for others to draw wisdom from, and the increase in the ubiquitousness of the internet has made it easier than ever to connect, despite distances. 

The Ontario club currently sits at 188 members, and while 116 of those are from within the province, 38 hail from across the rest of Canada, 15 are from the U.S.A., and 19 are from Europe. The club’s Facebook page also has hundreds of followers from across the globe. 

Each year, club members who have paid their annual dues receive three newsletters by email, as well as a package of various seeds sent in by members. 

This is particularly beneficial for anyone wanting to improve their growth results, because “Genetics have always played a large role in the improvement of weights,” Chenier said. 

When it comes to growing giant produce, Chenier said there can be a strong temptation to focus on whether or not you can outdo other growers. 

“A lot of new growers, they might grow a 500 or 600 pound pumpkin, but they’re afraid to take it to a weigh in, because it’s small compared to the winner, but it doesn’t matter. That’s their hard work, and they should show it off,” he said. “I’ve always said, the competition is with yourself, and trying to set a new personal best.” 

This is a mentality the club also encourages; through its sanctioned weigh ins throughout the year, it awards prizes for the largest produce, but also for the growers with the largest personal gains on their previous weigh ins. 

Even if you don’t go home with an official prize, you still might get accolades regardless, Chenier said. He noted that there have been plenty of times when he’s been on his way to or from a weigh in, and while driving on the highway or when at a rest stop, other travellers have offered thumbs ups, high fives, and other praise for his accomplishment – it’s not every day people see a pumpkin that might be bigger than themselves, after all. 

It’s not just when there’s a weigh in that giant produce growing is a personally rewarding experience, either. 

“It’s nice to be outside and be one with nature. I think more people need that these days, because everybody’s got their face stuck in their phone or computer and stuff like that – myself included,” Chenier said. 

He noted that as a grower, you might see things you never would have been able to witness otherwise. For instance, one year, he was trying to address an insect problem in his garden, so he brought in some praying mantis eggs.

“I was lucky to catch one that was hatching, and it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” Chenier said. 

Growing giant produce can also be a way to grow relationships. 

“It definitely is something that families can work on together,” Chenier said. “We’ve had a lot of members who were interested from the time they were like five or six.” 

While their interests might shift as they get older, it’s still a great way for kids to make memories with their parents, grandparents, etc. 

For Chenier, the thing that’s always appealed to him with growing giant produce is the challenge of it all. 

“(You) take a little seed … and it grows into this great big thing.” 

For more information about the club, visit gvgo.ca. Chenier also recommends those who are specifically interested in trying their hand at growing giant pumpkins visit bigpumpkins.com for more information, tips and tricks.