Dr Kevin Poupore Oct 2017

518-483-3100 www.kevinpoupore.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

DR. KEVIN POUPORE 560 East Main Street Malone, NY 12953

pouporeoffice@yahoo.com Mon / Tues / Thurs 7:30–4:00 Wed / Fri 7:30–2:00

Inside

Dr. Kevin’s Premonitions PAGE 1

Creative Halloween Treats PAGE 2

The Worst Candies for Your Teeth PAGE 2

The Benefits of Essential Oils PAGE 3

Sausage and Barley Soup PAGE 3 How Farmers Grow Giant Pumpkins PAGE 4

How Farmers Grow Those Giant Pumpkins

Forklifts and cranes may be used mainly for construction work, but every fall, thousands of backyard gardeners use them as gardening tools — or rather, harvesting tools — for their largest single crop. Massive pumpkins aren’t practical, but they can become a minor tourist attraction in your hometown, and even win a few thousand bucks if they're really huge. However, with the time and effort it takes to get them that big, farmers aren’t in it for the money. They’re in it for the glory.

even good breeding. Competitive growers will often purchase the seeds of the previous year’s champions for their plant. After preparing the soil to make it extra fertile, they’ll plant the pumpkin in late winter or early spring. Before the gourd starts growing, flowers on the plant need to be pollinated. Farmers will usually take it upon themselves to pollinate, using pollen from plants with proven genetic lines. Winning pumpkins usually claim their “father” plant and “mother” seed, like racehorses. Growing a great pumpkin is practically a full-time job, with some farmers reporting spending 40 hours a week on it. Heated soil, fences to reduce wind, sand, and other specific cultivation techniques give the pumpkin a fighting chance to grow into a monster. But, in the end, there’s an element of luck. The competitive growing industry is getting bigger (pun intended). In 1979, the largest pumpkin on record was 438 pounds. Since 2008, the world record has been broken every year. The reigning heavyweight champion was grown in Germany last year, weighing in at 2,623 pounds. That’s the weight of a 2018 Toyota Yaris or 1,748 standard pumpkin pies.

Growing these monstrous fruits (yes, they are technically fruits) is kind of like breeding a racehorse. It takes practice, cultivation, and

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