On a quiet farm near Campell Valley Regional Park, orange giants are visible nestled among the spreading vines.
They芒鈧劉re some of the largest pumpkins in 91原创, and their grower hopes they芒鈧劉re among the biggest in the Lower Mainland.
Scott Carley grew his first giant pumpkin 10 years ago, when the family was living in Delta. He raised one to over 600 pounds in his back yard.
Last year he planted one more, with his family now moved out to South 91原创.
When he heard about the local Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Aldor Acres, he took the biggest of his big orange squash and tied for second place, weighing in at 853 pounds.
芒鈧揑t started off as something fun for him,芒鈧� said Kirsten, Scott芒鈧劉s wife, who has helped out with the care and feeding of the giant pumpkins.
This year, with Kirsten was expecting their daughter, and Carley skipped his annual trip to the family芒鈧劉s Manitoba farm where he oversees the annual seeding.
To keep himself busy around the property, he threw himself into growing several pumpkin patches full of pumpkins weighing hundreds of pounds.
Scott estimates his two best pumpkins weigh in at about 1,100 pounds and 1,200 pounds.
The larger of the two is over five feet wide, and neither of them will fit into a truck. He芒鈧劉ll have to move them using a trailer.
On Saturday, he芒鈧劉ll find out exactly how big they are at this year芒鈧劉s Weigh Off.
The pumpkins are Atlantic giants, a breed known for its huge size.
But Scott hasn芒鈧劉t left anything up to chance.
Kirsten noted that when he had to head east to work on the farm, he left her a series of instructional videos on how to care for the pumpkins.
芒鈧揟hey are his babies,芒鈧� Kirsten said. 芒鈧揑 didn芒鈧劉t realize how much went into it until he went away.芒鈧�
There are strands of drip tape under the pumpkin beds to deliver water and nutrients. The pumpkins themselves rest on beds of sand or on styrofoam to keep them from rotting from damp.
Nearby are several pup tents, thrown over the pumpkins during hot sun to save their skins.
The pumpkins can gain dozens of pounds a day during their fastest growing season, notes Scott. The big danger is that they芒鈧劉ll grow too fast and split. He lost several to that already.
Some of them he probably lost because he was experimenting and pushing to see how big he could grow one of the giants.
As far as Scott is concerned, he芒鈧劉s already been successful.
芒鈧揗y goal was to grow something over a thousand [pounds],芒鈧� he said.
Some of the ones he芒鈧劉s already lost to splitting, and some of his current crop, definitely surpassed that mark. Scott guesses he芒鈧劉s hit 1,000 pounds four times already.
Once the contest is over, one of the biggest pumpkins will wind up as the most impressive jack o芒鈧劉lantern on the block.
It芒鈧劉ll be hard to cut, Scott said.
芒鈧揂 full saw barely makes it through,芒鈧� he said.
The work should be worth it for the reactions from kids. Last year they carved up their second-prize winner and put it out by the driveway, and heard many kids who doubted it was even real.
