DON YOUNG OF DES MOINES HAS ONE GREAT BIG HOBBY.
HE RAISES GIANT PUMPKINS IN HIS BACKYARD, SOME OF WHICH HE
ENTERS IN THE PUMPKIN WEIGH-IN CONTEST LIKE THE IOWA STATE
FAIR.
I USUALLY GO TO SIX OR SEVEN A YEAR.
LAST YEAR I WENT TO OKLAHOMA.
I WENT TO INDIANA.
THE YEAR BEFORE I WENT TO HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA, AND WON
THE BIG ONE OUT THERE.
I WON, LIKE, 10,000 BUCKS.
I WENT ON THE TONIGHT SHOW, CONAN O'BRIEN SHOW AND
EVERYTHING.
THE HEAVIEST PUMPKIN HE'S GROWN WAS 1,662 POUNDS IN 2007, WHICH
IS STILL THE IOWA STATE RECORD.
IT ALSO BROKE THE 2007 WORLD RECORD.
HE HOPES FOR JUST AS BIG OR BIGGER THIS YEAR.
THIS SEED AND THIS SEED IS BOTH MY 1133 THAT I HAD LAST YEAR,
AND THAT ONE THERE IS A 1303 FROM A GUY IN MICHIGAN.
MOST OF HIS CROP COMES FROM HIS OWN BREEDING PROCESS OF SEEDS
FROM HIS AND OTHERS' CHAMPION PUMPKINS.
THE SEEDS ARE SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE MORE CONVENTIONAL
GARDEN-VARIETY PUMPKIN SEEDS.
WE BREED THEM FOR THICKNESS AND LENGTH AND HEIGHT AND SHAPES.
YOU WANT A LONG PUMPKIN, BUT YOU WANT A TALL ONE AND YOU WANT IT
THICK.
SO YOU CAN CREATE SOME AND SOME OF IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A
GUESSTIMATE.
NOT ALL OF THEM PAN OUT.
BUT IT TAKES MORE THAN BREEDING TO GROW THE BIG ONE.
GARDENING SKILLS ARE A MUST.
HE BUILT A TEMPORARY GREENHOUSE TO WARM UP THE SPRING SOIL FOR
EARLY PLANTING.
IF NEED BE, HE HAS HEATERS, SOIL COILS, AND PLASTIC TO KEEP THE
SOIL AND PLANTS WARM.
HE EVEN HAS A TRANSMITTER RELAYING THE SOIL TEMPERATURE
READING TO A THERMOMETER IN THE HOUSE SO HE CAN TAKE IMMEDIATE
ACTION, IF NEED BE.
IN LATE MARCH AND EARLY APRIL, HE STAGGERED THE PLANTING OF
THREE DIFFERENT PLANTS.
THIS PLANT WAS A SEED JUST FIVE DAYS AGO.
HE USES PUMPKIN PRO, A FUNGI THAT HELPS BRING NUTRIENTS FROM
THE SOIL TO THE PLANT'S ROOT SYSTEM.
OF THE LAST SEVEN, EIGHT WORLD RECORDS HAVE ALL USED THIS, SO
I'M NOT GOING TO BREAK TRADITION.
AND ADDS A POWDERED SEAWEED SUPPLEMENT TO THE WATER.
ONCE A WEEK FROM STARTING TILL FINISH, I'LL ALWAYS DO A LITTLE
SEAWEED.
THERE'S 60 OR 70 TRACE MINERALS.
THERE'S LOTS OF EXTRA GOODIES IN IT.
BY MONTH'S END, HE DETERMINES WHICH OF THE THREE PLANTS TO
KEEP.
FOR NOW, THIS IS OUR FAIR PLANT.
THE LAST TIME THAT WE LOOKED AT IT, THINGS WERE A LOT SMALLER.
WE HAD THREE PLANTS.
WELL, A FEW DAYS AGO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN THE
STORM, WE HAD TO COME OUT AND MAKE A DECISION ON ONE, SO WE
CUT OUT ONE.
THIS IS JUST AN EXTRA PLANT.
IT WAS A PLAN B. OR WHATEVER YOU MIGHT WANT TO
CALL IT.
NOW WE'RE DOWN TO ONE PLANT FOR THE FAIR.
JUST A LITTLE BABY PUMPKIN.
RIGHT AT ACTUALLY ONE DAY OLD AFTER POLLINATING.
DON SAYS THIS PUMPKIN WILL NEED AN AVERAGE OF 750 SQUARE FEET TO
GROW UP IN.
DAY FIVE, THEY'RE THIS BIG.
DAY TEN, THEY'RE THIS BIG.
DAY TWENTY, THEY'RE LIKE A BASKETBALL.
DAY THIRTY, THEY'RE KNOCKING ON 500 POUNDS.
AND DAY FORTY-FIVE OR SO, THEY COULD BE 900 POUNDS.
BY MID JULY WITH TEMPERATURES IN TRIPLE DIGITS, THE PUMPKIN WAS
GROWING JUST 25 POUNDS A DAY INSTEAD OF THE 40 PLUS POUNDS
DON WAS HOPING FOR.
HERE WE ARE WITH OUR FAIR PUMPKIN.
WE'RE KEEPING IT -- TRYING TO KEEP IT COOL.
WE KEEP IT SHADED.
WE'VE GOT SOME GROWTH SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU'VE SEEN IT.
RIGHT NOW MY BEST ESTIMATE ON THIS PUMPKIN, IT'S AROUND 750.
DURING MORE NORMAL JULY TEMPERATURES, DON SAYS THE
PUMPKIN WOULD WEIGH CLOSER TO 850-900 POUNDS.
I REALLY NOW NEED TO WORRY ABOUT COOLING THE LEAVES AND THE
PUMPKIN.
I HAVE A SYSTEM SET UP.
I'VE GOT MORE WATER CONTROLS OUT THAT I'VE EVER HAD IN THE WHOLE
PATCH.
THE WATER IS THE ONLY THING I KNOW TO COOL IT.
OTHER THAN THAT AN INDUSTRIAL AIR CONDITIONER, WHICH AIN'T IN
THE BUDGET.
I'VE GOT PLENTY OF FERTILIZER.
I'VE HAD TISSUE TESTS DONE.
I'VE HAD SOIL TESTS DONE.
IT'S JUST THAT IF I COULD ONLY ORDER THE TEMPERATURE TO COME
DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
WE'RE GOING TO RIDE IT OUT.
WE'RE NOT GIVING UP.
SEE IF DON YOUNG'S PUMPKIN SURVIVES THE REST OF THE SUMMER
HEAT AND, IF SO, HOW IT FINISHES AT THE IOWA STATE FAIR'S BIG
PUMPKIN WEIGH-IN, BY CONTINUING TO WATCH IOWA PUBLIC
TELEVISION'S COVERAGE OF FAIR HIGHLIGHTS.