Mark Blyth’s 113kg pumpkin brings home gold for heaviest pumpkin at 2024 Lower Kalgan Pumpkin Festival

According to the winners of the Lower Kalgan Pumpkin Festival’s heaviest pumpkin competition, the key to success is a good location, not too much fertiliser, a little bit of vine maintenance and making sure the cows don’t eat it.

Weighing in at a whopping 113.8kg, Mark Blyth’s impressive gourd won first place in the Lower Kalgan Pumpkin Festival’s heaviest pumpkin competition.

This is only his second year in the competition.

“Last year I went too heavy with all different nutrients and stuff, and I pretty much spoiled it,” Mr Blyth said.

“It was four things: location, genetics — if you can get a good seed that helps — then plenty of water and then a bit of vine maintenance.”

He thoroughly squashing the competition, with Broomehill’s Sue Youngman’s second-placed pumpkin weighing 67.5kg.

Amara Fremantle trailed closely behind in third, her pumpkin weighing 59.4kg.

In the junior competition, Emily Bocian claimed first place with a pumpkin weighing 26.6kg.

Emily told the Advertiser the secret to her success was enough, but not too much, sunlight and most importantly, making sure the cows didn’t eat it.

Dhakota Upton won second, her pumpkin weighing in at 15.6kg, and Emily’s brother George got third for his gourd which weighed 13.5kg.

The festival also held a tastiest pumpkin soup competition.

Laura Adams won the people’s choice and chef’s choice for a delicious bacon-pumpkin soup.

Sue Youngman took home two more silver awards, winning chef and the people’s second choice for her pumpkin soup.