Join extreme gardener Sarah Whitty for an exciting deep dive into the world of growing giant pumpkins and supersized vegetables! Sarah holds a personal best pumpkin of 1593.5 pounds and has pushed the limits on her compact 0.15-acre plot in Maine, proving you don’t need a huge space to achieve jaw-dropping results.
She’ll guide you step-by-step through the entire process: selecting the right seeds, preparing your patch in spring, the critical role of soil testing and amendments, strategic pruning to focus energy, nurturing explosive growth (over 50 pounds a day!), and the art of safely lifting and harvesting these gentle giants. Sarah will also share her experiences growing other record-breaking giants, like her giant marrow (zucchini) that surpassed the U.S. record weight but was disqualified due to a minor split.
This addictive hobby is open to all levels-whether you’re a beginner or seasoned grower. Free seeds will be available for anyone eager to start their own giant-growing adventure.
Sarah Whitty is a physician assistant and extreme gardener from Veazie, Maine. As president of the Maine Pumpkin Growers Organization, she leads the state’s giant-fruit community through education, seed sharing, and events.
On her compact 0.15-acre plot, Sarah has achieved remarkable success, including a personal-best 1593.5-pound Atlantic Giant pumpkin (2024), state record tomato (5.19 pounds), and record-setting giant marrows. What started as a fun experiment over a decade ago has become a passionate pursuit, blending science, competition, and nature’s extremes.