Jefferson Twp. couple shows a green thumb for pumpkins
JEFFERSON TWP — The Emert family could make one monster of a jack-o'-lantern this year, if they so choose.
Ron and Lori Emert got some Stella variety pumpkin seeds from a neighbor up the road named Bob Wagner. Ron said he hadn't grown pumpkins before, but gave it a shot this May. This week, he's reaping the rewards.
The seeds grew three big ones. After having a friend measure them in the pumpkin patch, Ron said he believes one weighs 300 pounds, another 500 pounds and the third weighs close to 800, or at least over 750.
“It's the soil,” Ron said. “Well, that and my wife talks to it every night.”
Lori, for the record, denies speaking to the squash.
“We watched it grow every day,” Lori said. “Every day we watched it. But I don't say nothing to it. He's being silly.”
Ron, she said, “really cares about that pumpkin.”
His concern showed Thursday night. Ron gathered several friends in his garden to help load the biggest one out of the pumpkin patch and onto a trailer.
The process involved a truck, a trailer, two pallets, some pieces of foam board, a carpet and five men. Once on the trailer, they wrapped the pumpkin in Ron's sleeping bag.
Ron has big plans for the pumpkin, and he's eyeing a grand prize of $50. This Saturday, he's hauling his pumpkin up to Canfield, Ohio, for the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-Off.He shared a few secrets of his growing techniques, but wouldn't go into detail. Ron planted the pumpkin seed in a bed of rich mushroom compost.He gave it two rounds of fertilizer, one at the onset and one later on in the season.His fertilizer, he said, was a product “like Miracle-Grow,” but not actually Miracle-Grow. He also treated it with insecticides and fungicides every two weeks.Ron, who runs a landscaping business, said he plans on harvesting the giant's seeds and developing his own pumpkin variety.“They say the thickness of the walls can be as big as a foot,” Ron said.The couple plans on displaying the pumpkin by their driveway on Green Manor Drive once it returns from its competition.If the locals decide to drive by and see Ron's pride and joy, they shouldn't expect an orange fruit. Ron's pumpkins are white, and the big one started turning green as it neared harvest.One of Ron's friends, Bill Frey, 33, of Tarentum, had a theory as to why it turned green.“That's its gray hair,” Frey said. “It's getting old.”Frey was also responsible for naming the pumpkin. The Emerts' pumpkin was christened “Pumpkin Pete” shortly after its removal from the patch.“I just put the seed in the ground,” Ron said. “Never knew it would be that big.”
