Dr. Liggett has been growing giant pumpkins for about nine years. He attributes part of his success to the Pumpkin Growers Association. This group of growers meets 3 to 4 times a year at the Pumpkin Show building on Franklin St. in Circleville. They trade helpful tips to one another about what works and what doesn’t work. You don’t have to be a part to of this group to enter your giant pumpkin in the Pumpkin Show and anyone is welcome to attend a meeting. The whole objective of this group is to get bigger pumpkins for the show. Bob said they help each other and you can see in the results that it’s paying off.Dr. Liggett says that seed selection, pollination, irrigation, fertilization, disease and pest control are the keys to a large pumpkin. As Pickaway County growers learn more about these processes, the entries continue to get bigger. He said that growing season starts around May 15 and goes until the first day of the Pumpkin Show. This gives growers 5 months to try and grow the record setting pumpkin for the show. Dr. Liggett said that his goals on growing pumpkins for the show is that he wants it to be beautiful and , of course, giant. He said he spent about 2 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week and used about 400 gallons of water a day on his giant record setting pumpkin.

Dr. Liggett said he personally has had problems with his crop for this year, but other growers in the association are doing quite well.