Lowe’s Experts Say Fall Gardening Trends Include Giant Pumpkins

MOORESVILLE, N.C.- Beginning today, Lowe’s is giving fall’s favorite accessory a head-to-toe makeover. Say goodbye to the typical five-pound pumpkin and hello to 400-pound jumbo jack-o-lanterns. The newest trend for fall gardening -- giant pumpkins, which grow from seeds planted well in advance of the harvest season and can grow to be 400 pounds or larger.

Gardening experts at Lowe’s say the right combination of seeding, supplies and water can mean big results for any gardener. To help growers get out ahead of the trend, Lowe’s and Creative Ideas, Lowe’s free magazine for home and garden projects, are encouraging gardeners nationwide to join the Great Pumpkin Grow-Along Challenge, an interactive opportunity for seasoned and beginning growers to learn to care for and grow prized pumpkins.

Whether participating for pleasure or to be the envy of the county fair, pumpkin growers can also grow their seedlings alongside Lowe’s nursery specialists, ask Lowe’s experts for advice and submit photos of their prize- winning pumpkin or creative jack-o-lantern online by visiting http://www.lowescreativeideas.com/GiantPumpkin.

How can you grow a 400-pound gourd and join the giant pumpkin craze? Lowe’s went straight to the “pumpkin king” himself, four-time world champion, Howard Dill, for a supply of Dill’s Atlantic Giant. While the present record for this variety is a whopping 1,092 pounds, Dill’s Atlantic Giant seeds produce 400-500 pound fruit consistently. The giant pumpkin seeds are new to Lowe’s this year and are available at stores nationwide for $2.47 a pack.

“Giant pumpkin growers have historically been professionals with several years of experience in grooming their gardens and testing things like climate and feeding schedules continually before achieving big results,” said Bill Fields, vice president of merchandising for lawn and landscape at Lowe’s. “With Dill’s Atlantic Giant, the world’s largest pumpkin seed variety, gardeners of all ages and experience levels will be able to grow giant pumpkins each year with tremendous success.”

The growing requirements for a Dill’s Atlantic Giant pumpkin requires the usual gardening steps -- plenty of water, sun and soil -- just multiplied. Soil preparations should occur in early spring. The first blooms should appear in early July. For more growing tips and a complete list of must-have supplies, visit http://www.lowescreativeideas.com/GiantPumpkin.