Nice...with all that rain it should help getting that water in there!

Photo from today:

Results as of Oct 1st, 55lb and 84.5lb.

Funny, the larger one was set a week later and ended up growing bigger. Healthier plant perhaps.

I learned giant pumpkin growing is big in Smoky Lake, AB, just east of Edmonton. I read they get entries in the 1000+ lb range.

Update from 2017 last year, we reached 382 lbs:

The above was grown from the seed of a 1877 lb pumpkin grown in Canada by Todd Kline.

Don Crews in Lloydminster AB (I believe zone 3a) won the Smoky Lake pumpkin festival with a 1652 lb pumpkin (we didn’t enter here, but I find it inspiring for northern gardening): http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2017&grower=25399&action=L

From what I read, apparently a big tip is using cold frames and heating cables in the soil. Makes me think of methods to extend my own growing season, not just for pumpkins.