First-time champion grower sets Elk Grove record with his giant gourd – 2,147 pounds
Brian Werner of Gridley celebrates with his family Saturday as his pumpkin weighs in at 2,147 pounds, winning the championship of the 2025 Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival. Courtesy Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival
We have a giant winner – and a new Elk Grove record!
A ton-topping gourd did indeed show up for this past weekend’s 31st annual Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival.
First-time festival champion Brian Werner of Gridley in Butte County trucked in his prized pumpkin, which weighed 2,147 pounds – a new festival record.
It was also a personal best for Werner, who has been entering pumpkins at Elk Grove’s pumpkin party since 2001.
“Brian, who’s been growing pumpkins for more than two decades, celebrated the win surrounded by his family,” say the festival organizers, who crowned the new pumpkin king on Saturday. “He shared that growing giant pumpkins keeps his mind sharp and helps him unwind after a long day. It’s not just a hobby – it’s a labor of love that connects him with a community of fellow growers he proudly calls his ‘pumpkin family.’ ”
This giant earned Werner a check for $7,000. At the weigh-off, he was accompanied by his family including daughters and grandkids.
“It means a lot,” Werner told the crowd after the weigh-off. “The support I get from my family makes it that much better. Growing pumpkins challenges me mentally every day. Every day it’s something different, and it relieves your stress of the day. It’s hard work, but it’s a great hobby.”
Werner’s pumpkin topped the runner-up by more than 500 pounds. In second place was a 1,621-pounder, grown by Johnny Gayton and Jose Ceja. They earned $3,500 for their gourd.
Will Werner’s pumpkin be California’s biggest in 2025? We’ll soon see. The Super Bowl of Giant Pumpkins – the 52nd annual Half Moon Bay World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off – will be held Monday, Oct. 13.
That contest pays $9 per pound to the winner or $30,000 for a new world record. That standard was set at the 2023 Half Moon Bay contest – a whopping 2,749 pounds (bigger than a vintage Volkswagen Beetle).
Pumpkin fans can watch the Half Moon Bay weigh-off next Monday online at https://hmbweighoff.com/.
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude
May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?
May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
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Garden checklist for week of June 7
Afternoon highs are expected to be back in the mid 90s by midweek, then edging towards triple digits. Plan your planting and garden activities accordingly.
* Remember to water early.
* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or other summer favorites. Make sure they stay hydrated.
* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.
* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.
* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias.
* It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.
* Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower blades high to reduce stress on your lawn during summer heat. To cut down on evaporation, water your lawn deeply during the wee hours of the morning, between 2 and 8 a.m.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather.
* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.
* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.
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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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