Here's how you can grow a 'ton' of pumpkins

CANFIELD

You may have no intention of planting a ton of pumpkins in your yard, but if you desire to plant one that weighs a ton, you might do well to heed Tim Parks’ practical advice.

“How do you get a pumpkin that’s 1,700 to 2,300 pounds? It’s seeds and soil,” Parks explained during a class he conducted Saturday at Mill Creek MetroParks Farm, 7574 Columbiana-Canfield Road (state Route 46).

Hosting the three-hour seminar on pumpkin-seed selection, soil management, pest control, plant care and fertilization, irrigation, growing and pollination techniques was the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers club.

Parks, an OVGPG founding member and owner of Canfield-based Parks Garden Center, discussed the importance of conducting periodic soil tests.

He also cited natural products for growing large pumpkins.

Read more of his advice in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.