A LOT of care, attention and a bit of research are the keys to successfully growing giant pumpkins, according to Harry Sweetnam.

This Halloween is no different for Harry as he has grown two giant pumpkins, one which weighs in at over 220kgs at his family’s farm in Kinsale.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Harry said he began growing pumpkins three years ago when he was in his final year at college.

‘I had started off selling vegetables, fruit, eggs during Covid but when it ended I more or less started growing pumpkins. This year’s ones are bigger than last year’s attempt and it’s pushing 200kgs and I will weight it soon enough,’ said Harry.

‘I’ve actually grown two giant pumpkins and one is down at Leahy’s Open Farm in East Cork where people can guess the weight of the pumpkin while the other one is here on display at home on our farm.’

Harry held a Pumpkin Patch at the farm last weekend and will be hosting one again this weekend where people can pick up pumpkins of all colours, size and shapes.

‘Once Halloween is over there’s not much you can do with the large pumpkins as the smaller ones taste better. But I will harvest all the seeds from the large one and sell them and whatever I make will go towards Field of Dreams, a charity in Cork.

The mechanical engineer, who works in the oil refinery in Whitegate, is already planning to go one bigger next year with his pumpkin growing.

‘A lot of it is genetics and seeds but a lot of care and attention goes into growing the large ones. I’d be checking it every day after work and weeding and feeding it. It’s all grown organically too.’

He added there is a great camaraderie among the pumpkin growing community and he has a friend in the Netherlands who is also there to advise him on growing pumpkins.