Whitfield Community: Whitfield Farm Giant Pumpkin Patch

The Whitfield farm was established in 1908 by Stan Whitfield's grandfather. Pumpkins are a seasonal crop for Stan and his wife Ivy who have raised the giant variety for the past 10 years To be ready for Halloween, pumpkins are planted in July when the weather is too hot and humid. Pumpkins are not easy to grow in this area so Stan has spent thousands of dollars in research to get the right variety. Pumpkin farming is expensive. The seeds for the big ones cost $200 a pound. They have to be sprayed for worms, as one worm can destroy a pumpkin. There is a good crop every three years because of the additional problem of hurricanes and excessive rainfall. The secrets to growing big pumpkins are the variety, lots of fertilizer and pruning to just one plant per hill. The seeds are planted in July and mature in 90 days.