THIS GROWING SPORT IS NOT JUST
ABOUT PUMPKINS ANYMORE.
JAMIE: --
SEAN: THIS MAY LOOK LIKE A
PUMPKIN PATCH, BUT THIS, MY
FRIENDS, IS MORE OF A PLAYING
FIELD.
>> IF YOU ENJOY GARDENING, IT'S
REALLY KIND OF THE ULTIMATE
EXTREME GARDENING, I GUESS YOU'D
SAY.
SEAN: THESE EXTREME GARDENERS,
LIKE A PRO ATHLETE, DEDICATE
THEIR LIVES NOT TO SCORING
POINTS, BUT GROWING GIANT
PUMPKINS.
>> THERE'S ALWAYS GOALS AND
CHALLENGES OUT THERE.
THE STATE RECORD FOR NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
EVERYONE WANTS TO GROW A
WORLD-RECORD SQUASH OR PUMPKIN.
SEAN: AND WHAT MAKES THIS SO
EXCITING -- THESE GIANTS KEEP
GETTING BIGGER.
>> THE CURRENT RECORD IN THE
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE IS 2066,
2066 POUNDS.
SEAN: WE BEGIN HERE, IN THE
BACKYARD PATCH OF BARRY LEBLANC
OF MERRIMACK.
HE GROWS WHAT ARE COMMONLY KNOWN
AS ATLANTIC GIANTS, WHICH CAN
NOW TOP 2000 POUNDS.
>> SOME OF IT'S THE TECHNIQUES
THAT PEOPLE USE, BUT A LOT OF IT
IS JUST THE GENETICS AS WELL.
IT IS JUST -- NOBODY KNOWS WHAT
THE LIMIT IS FOR THESE THINGS.
SEAN: BARRY IS PART OF GLOBAL
PHENOMENON TO FIND WAYS TO GROW
BIGGER GOURDS.
IT HAS SPAWNED NETWORKING GROUPS
TO EXCHANGE IDEAS.
AROUND HERE, THAT WOULD BE THE
NEW HAMPSHIRE GIANT PUMPKIN
GROWERS ASSOCIATION.
>> ONCE YOU MEET ALL THESE OTHER
GROWERS, YOU START HAVING ACCESS
TO KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD EXCEEDS --
GOOD SEEDS, AND THAT'S PRETTY
MUCH THE NETWORK.
SEAN: SO HOW DO THEY DO IT?
PRETTY SIMPLE, ACTUALLY.
YOU START WITH A SEED FOR A
VARIETY OF GIANT PUMPKIN.
YOU PLANT IT IN GOOD,
DISEASE-FREE SOIL.
AND AFTER THAT, YOU CAN PRETTY
MUCH USE WHATEVER FERTILIZER AND
PESTICIDES YOU WANT TO MAKE THE
FRUIT GET BIGGER AND STAY
HEALTHY.
>> IDEALLY, AGAIN, WE WANT AT
LEAST 600 TO 800 SQUARE FEET OF
PLANT FOR ONE FRUIT.
SEAN: MARC MAGARIAN HAS BEEN
GROWING GIANT PUMPKINS FOR ABOUT
SEVEN YEARS IN HIS GOFFSTOWN
YARD.
>> MY PERSONAL BEST IS 1024
POUNDS THAT I GREW THREE YEARS
AGO.
SEAN: BUT FOR 2017, HE DECIDED
TO TRY ANOTHER GIANT CONTEST --
SQUASH.
THAT'S IT.
IT BASICALLY LOOKS LIKE A GIANT
GREEN PUMPKIN.
HE WANTS TO BREAK THE STATE
RECORD OF 1014 POUNDS.
YOU'RE GETTING THERE.
>> I'M GETTING THERE.
ABSOLUTELY.
LIKE I SAID, THIS MIGHT HAVE A
CHANCE.
I DON'T KNOW, IT WOULD HAVE TO
GO HEAVY.
SEAN: THE SEEDS FOR THESE GIANTS
ARE FIRST PLANTED INSIDE, IN
EARLY SPRING.
THEN FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS,
THEY BECOME LIKE A CHILD, IN
NEED OF WATER, FOOD, CONSTANT
PRUNING.
AND IN SOME CASES, WARMTH.
>> EVERY DAY THEY'RE COVERED,
EVERY DAY I SWAP OUT THE SHEETS.
SEAN: TO GET A GIANT WINNER,
THEY HAVE TO PUT IN GIANT HOURS,
ON TOP OF THEIR DAY JOBS.
>> WHEN THE PLANTS ARE STARTING
TO GROW, PROBABLY AT LEAST AN
HOUR, TWO HOURS.
SOMETIMES I'M OUTSIDE WITH A
FLOODLIGHT ON MY HAT AT NIGHT.
>> PRETTY MUCH ALL THESE VINES
WILL START GROWING ABOUT A FOOT
A DAY.
AT THAT POINT, IT IS A GOOD
COUPLE HOUR A DAY JOB TO DO
WHAT'S REQUIRED TO KEEP UP WITH
THEM.
SEAN: WHEN FAIR SEASON ARRIVES
IN THE FALL, COMPETITION HEATS
UP AT OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED
EVENTS.
BIG FAIRS LIKE DEERFIELD AND
TOPSFIELD OFFER THOUSANDS IN
PRIZE MONEY.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, MANY GIANTS
NEVER MAKE IT TO THESE
WEIGH-OFFS, THANKS TO DISEASES
OR BUGS.
>> IT'S A HOBBY THAT'S FRAUGHT
WITH PERILS.
YOU HAVE TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS TO
GET ONE TO THE END OF THE SEASON
LIKE THIS.
>> I WAS BORN ON HALLOWEEN.
I'VE ALWAYS THAT PASSION FOR THE
PUMPKIN.
SEAN: JIM BEAUCHEMIN OF
GOFFSTOWN HAS GROWN FOR DECADES,
AND IS QUICK TO RATTLE OFF HIS
LARGEST PUMPKIN FROM 2005.
>> 1314 POUNDS, AND IT WAS FIRST
PLACE AT THE ALL-NEW ENGLAND
TOPSFIELD FAIR.
SEAN: HE EVEN HAS IT RIGHT ON
HIS LICENSE PLATE.
BUT THANKS TO POOR SOIL, HE
WON'T REPEAT IN 2017 -- ALL HIS
PUMPKINS DIED OFF.
SO HE'S DOING WHAT MANY ARE
TURNING TO, OTHER GIANTS.
LIKE THESE GIANT BUSHEL GOURDS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WEIGHS?
>> PROBABLY 70 POUNDS RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, YEAH.
SEAN: AND THE OTHER POPULAR SIDE
HOBBY FOR THESE GUYS -- GROWING
LONG GOURDS FROM A TRELLIS.
>> WORLD RECORD IS 149 INCHES.
IF I HIT THE GROUND I'D BE AT
ABOUT 134.
I STILL -- I NEED TO DIG A HOLE.
SEAN: I WAS GOING TO SAY, YOU
NEED TO THINK BIG HERE.
>> I GOT A SHOVEL ALL READY IF
IT HAPPENS.
SEAN: IN THE END, THESE GUYS SAY
THE THRILL IS GETTING THEIR
GIANTS IN FRONT OF A CROWD.
>> AH, SOME PEOPLE SAY I'M
CRAZY.
[LAUGHTER]
SOME PEOPLE SAY, HOW DO YOU HAVE
TIME TO DO IT ALL?
I ENJOY IT, I REALLY DO.
SEAN: WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE,
SOME OF THESE HUGE GOURDS ARE
SOLD AS STORE DECORATIONS, OR
EVEN USED IN PUMPKIN THROWING
COMPETITIONS.
BUT MANY ARE DONATED TO THE
ANNUAL GIANT PUMPKIN REGATTA IN
GOFFSTOWN, AN IDEA JIM
BEAUCHEMIN STARTED TO CELEBRATE
THE ORANGE GOURDS.
>> THAT FIRST YEAR, I'M GOING TO
SAY 500 TO 700 PEOPLE SHOWED UP.
NOW WE GET 5000 TO 7000 PEOPLE
SHOW UP TO THIS EVENT.
SEAN: A FUNNY TRIBUTE TO A HOBBY
THAT IS GOING TO SERIOUS NEW
LEVELS.