Giant-pumpkin grower strives to improve each year By Lucas Shivers doing.” chemicals to ward off in- Jacob Marintzer from Rather than compete at sects. Westmoreland is work- state fairs where the priz- “I plant zucchinis in ing on perfecting grow- es are limited, Marintzer other areas as trap plants,” ing giant, record-setting finds premier opportuni- he said. “I watch and know pumpkins. ties to earn money. when the squash bugs ar- In 2018, Marintzer broke “I find events from the rive. I pick off and spray records with a 1,176 pound Giant Pumpkin Common- from there on out. I keep pumpkin. In 2019, he won wealth organization to be notes each year.” again with a 1,242-pounder certified,” Marintzer said. For the past two years, weighed in last year. “First place may be $1.50 Marintzer’s plants quit “On the same day in per pound for the pump- growing from a soft spot of 2019, a buddy was at a dif- kin.” fungus on the stems. This ferent weigh-in, and his YouTube Features year, he took action. was 1,252,” Marintzer said. By day, Marintzer has “Back then, I was just “Even though I won my worked in Information spraying with one fungi- contest, it still lit a fire in Technology at the K-State cide so I researched it me to get better. I had to Alumni Association for all,” Marintzer said. “Now, beat that one for this com- the past dozen years. His I spray in rotation with five ing year! I am extremely wife is Tara and their kids different varieties.” competitive.” include Kade who is 11, Generally, the plants Marintzer hopes to top Phoebe, 9 and Elsie, 7. die off at the end of Au- 2,000 pounds with his prize “They all help,” gust; but this year, they’re pumpkin this year. 2020 Marintzer said. “They love still growing. will be his best product it. They hang out in the “It’s been so healthy yet as a culmination of all greenhouse, and they all and green that it clearly his experiences. get into it. We do quite a worked,” Marintzer said. “I grow a variety called bit on our YouTube chan- Jacob Marintzer shows off one of his Atlantic Giant pumpkins that he hopes will Moving Day Atlantic Giant,” Marintzer nel called Growing Gi- To move the pumpkins, said. “They’ve been cross- ants.” tip the scale to a record-breaking weight. Marintzer has tried sever- from the previous year. gets rolling. including swamp coolers, bred. Some are white, or- From throwing darts al ways of getting them out There’s tons of hours in “We start the seeds in- geothermal pumps and ange or a little green. The at the giant pumpkins to from the greenhouse and the off season.” side at the end of March,” several fans to keep air colors and patterns are all showing measurements, to the events. Marintzer completes Marintzer said. “We file circulating. different. These you don’t YouTube reaches thou- “Over the years, I’ve twice-a-year soil tests to the edges because they’re Moisture control from eat; they’re just for show.” sands. progressed in my meth- guide the exact blend of super tough. We have grow an overhead irrigation sys- Club of Giants “Every year I have dif- ods,” Marintzer said. soil composition and fer- lights to keep them going tem keeps the plants wa- The giant pumpkin ferent and new ideas on “Originally, I slid pallets tilizers. until they’re a foot tall and tered just right. growers club only has a what to do,” Marintzer over boards; but once one “After I take a plant out start to vine out.” “They grow all sum- handful of serious con- said. “We asked the You- fell off in my soft soil.” of the greenhouse, I take Then the plants mer,” Marintzer said. tenders in Kansas. Produc- Tube audience to guess Now, he uses a ‘dirt a soil test immediately,” are moved to a special- “With soil moisture probes ers often attend regional and anyone closest won blanket’ placed under the he said. “They suck out all ly-equipped greenhouse. in the ground, I know ex- events in nearby states some seeds. We can pre- pumpkins during the grow- of the nutrients out each Only two plants will even- actly how wet or dry. As each fall to officially weigh dict how much each pump- ing season for easier ac- year, so I put all the nutri- tually fill the entire green- plants grow, they use a lot in their top crops of the kin weighs by measuring cess to position and move ents back in. Then I plant a house with huge leaves more water than most.” season. the circumference, end- them. cover crop mixture of clo- and vines trained daily by Marintzer fertilizes “The weigh-off events to-end over the top and “I can move it around vers, rye, peas and more.” Marintzer. Each of the two lightly each day. are our Super Bowl!” side-to-side with a tape much easier and I don’t Each winter, Marintzer plants takes up a 30 by 26’ “When they grow early Marintzer said. “We’re a measure.” have to lift it up, I can pull said it’s like horse breed- space. on, we put on heavier ni- small community who stay For example, 360 inch- it right out with a pick- ing to get the right seeds. “We put all of our good- trogen,” he said. “When in touch regularly, and our es is around 1,000 pounds. up truck,” Marintzer said. “The best seeds from ies in with the planting,” they flower and fruit, you little club gets together on- “We can take those “We lift it up with machin- those over 2,000 pounds he said. put special blends in. In line often to share notes.” measurements often and ery, and we can put it right are all put into a system to By early to mid-April, the end, you put in phos- Always learning, re- as the pumpkin grows, it’s on a trailer. It used to take auction for the next grow- the two plants are in the phorus to put on pound- searching and getting bet- really cool and people get me all day.” ing season,” he said. “Cer- greenhouse and set for age.” ter, Marintzer took all of into it,” Marintzer said. For 2020, Marintzer will tain seeds will go for $60 to mapping huge gains each Finishing Off their bits and pieces to Off Season travel with one pumpkin $100; but the proven seeds day. For 2020, Marintzer fo- apply to his own experi- Marintzer has no down to Iowa and one to Colo- will go for anywhere for “I want as much grow- cused on two goals: 1) per- ence. time. Growing giant pump- rado for weigh-in events $200 to $1,000 a seed at the ing time as possible,” fect stems, and 2) healthy “When I first started kins is a year-round en- this fall. auction, sometimes with a Marintzer said. “I’ll have plants. more than a decade ago, deavor. “I hope to keep setting little thrown in for charity. two heaters in the green- “Every day out, I’d go I found a few websites,” “The minute they’re records, and one day I For 2020, Marintzer house for early spring and out and spray the stems Marintzer said. “Basical- done with the weigh- have even bigger plans,” bought seeds from a 2,416- several ways to keep it and butts twice a day,” he ly all winter, I combed off, I’m already working he said. “There’s a weigh- pound pumpkin from New cooler in the summer.” said. “The stems turned through everyone’s diary. soil for the next year,” off in California and my York. Marintzer has craft- out to be the size of paint I studied what people did Marintzer said. “I add dream is to get one out Seedlings ed several creative ‘do buckets.” to grow bigger and big- sand, compost and topsoil. there for a $7 a pound pay- Once the seeds arrive it yourself’ methods for Marintzer mixes sever- ger pumpkins. I learned I sit down and figure what off!” in early spring, Marintzer cooling the greenhouse al different methods and and saw what they were happened best and worst Sorghum crop art calls on policymakers to #SupportEthanol National Sorghum port for low-carbon biofu- Producers (NSP) recent- els,” said NSP CEO Tim ly shared a high-altitude Lust. “One-third of the view of a top policy priori- U.S. sorghum crop is used ty with newly released ae- to produce fuel ethanol, rial photos of a farm plot which protects our climate in Kansas emblazoned and lifts up rural commu- with “#SupportEthanol” nities struggling in the spelled out in giant letters wake of COVID-19. of sorghum. Rocky Ormis- “Unfortunately, secre- ton, a farmer from Kismet, tive exemptions from the planted the message using Renewable Fuel Standard the latest in precision ag- (RFS) have threatened ricultural tools and a mix those markets, so farmers of red and white/yellow are using every tool avail- sorghum varieties. able to remind President “Innovative tools not Trump why we need him only help U.S. sorghum to put a stop to biofuel growers lead the way on demand destruction by the sustainable agriculture, Environmental Protection they can offer a unique Agency (EPA). The recent platform to share our sup- denial of 54 retroactive re- Kismet farmer Rocky Ormiston demonstrated his support for ethanol by using precision agriculture to embla- finery waivers was a good zon the message #SupportEthanol with a mix of red and white/yellow sorghum varieties.