Ginormous gourds

Giant pumpkins: 7 scientific reasons these gourds get so chonky

‘Tis the season.

by Jennifer Walter
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Assistants use a pulley to position a giant pumpkin on scales at the European Championship Pumpkin W...
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As fall rolls around, competitive pumpkin growers gear up to unleash their monstrous gourds upon a fawning fanbase.

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There are pumpkin-growing competitions all over the world. The biggest contest in the U.S. is the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, which happens every year in Half Moon Bay, California.

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