CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio – As crews wrapped the straps and ropes that dangled from a backhoe around his monstrous pumpkin he had trailered in, Steven Thornhill paced continuously. He rubbed his hands together and constantly removed his ball cap and fkin weighed in at 1,850.5 pounds, finishing first ahead of the rest of the big pumpkin hopefuls. Thornhill’s long, tedious, five-month ordeal of growing pumpkins have finally come to a rewarding end.

“I’m relieved,” Thornhill said with a laugh. “I can breathe again.”

Thornhill grew one that weighed 1,178 pounds last season. Second this year went to John Pritchard, a 51-year-old attorney from Groveport. Ohio. Pritchard’s pumpkin tipped the scale at 1,620 pounds. Third went to Daryl Crosby at 1,448 pounds.

Surprisingly, not finishing in the top three was Dr. Bob Liggett, of Pickaway County. Liggett, 82, has won this event 14 times since the pumpkin show got its start in October 1903. Liggett had won this event the past two seasons and captured this title six straight years (from 2007-2012). Liggett holds the show record for the heaviest pumpkin, that being 1,964 pounds in 2014.

The world record for a pumpkin was set last year in Germany at 2,624.6 pounds. Is there secret to this growing madness? Indeed there is.

Liggett, a retired optometrist, for example, credits his success to great soil in Pickaway County. “I live just four miles south of town and my soil is some of the best anywhere,” he said. “It’s sandy loam soil and it drains well.”

Liggett starts planting on May 1 and grows three pumpkins in enriched soil mixed with alpaca manure on 900-square-feet of space. He uses a snow fence and within that fence is uses 18-inch chicken wire. He covers the pumpkin patch with a tent-like structure of 50 percent silver shade cloth. The cloth, he said, repels aphids. He also makes use of a watering system with a timer. Add to that a few grandkids who offer to pull weeds and you have a system for success.

But what about the seed? Are there genetics involved with the seeds of these gigantic gourds?

“Yes, the seed itself matters,” Liggett said. “If you look at the top 10 largest pumpkins of all time today there will be three of them from a particular variety of seed. A lot of pumpkins have the same genetics because they’re made available all over the world. And, people bid on pumpkin seeds, oftentimes bidding up to $100 per single seed. These seeds normally come from pumpkins weighing up to 2,000 pounds.”

Growers are often online at www.bigpumpkin.com to research and share growing ideas and techniques. The site will also list specific varieties of seeds that produce the largest pumpkins. Growers of pumpkins in excess of 1,500 pounds often package and sell their seeds, normally a three-pack for about $40.

“Many clubs will raise money by selling seeds from large pumpkins,” Liggett said.

Jonna Jenkins, of Kingston, Ohio had two pumpkins at this year’s show. It was her fifth year competing for top honors, though her two gourds didn’t make the top five.

“The seed is very important,” Jenkins said. “The seeds from my pumpkins this year were grown using the seeds from my pumpkin of 2019, which weighed 686 pounds. But one also has to realize that the growing method is key, too. There are a lot of variables and tricks to all this. Some methods and tricks you share with others, some you don’t.”

Pickup trucks with massive fruit in tow (including those of Liggett, Jenkins and others), lined up for several blocks prior to daybreak. All vehicles were facing the center of this central Ohio city. Show organizers did their pre-weigh-in estimates 

of the pack. The weigh-in process took nearly four hours.

Liggett, who just retired from his optometrist duties just this year, will have more time on his hands to cultivate another enormous pumpkin. “I’ve had so much fun doing this I’m gonna keep on going,” Liggett said.