Well it depends on just how giant your giant pumpkin is.
If you have grown this season for the first time you might not have put much thought into this aspect of giant pumpkin growing.
But with it being early March and competitions happening soon, now is the time to work out a plan of getting your pumpkin from A to B.
First Step – Lifting the Pumpkins
It is fair to say that no matter what size your pumpkin is, you will need to get it to some sort of vehicle.
Getting your vehicle as close as possible to your pumpkin helps reduce the risk of problems, no matter the size of the pumpkin.
Tips for a massive Giant Pumpkin
If the giant pumpkin is so large you can’t lift it with people power you will need to get a lifting ring.
A lifting ring is a ring with straps coming off it that go down the sides of the pumpkin. The bottom of the straps have loops, and another strap goes around the bottom holding it all together.
To lift the pumpkin with the lifting ring you will need either a tripod structure and a chain block. This allows you to back a trailer underneath.
A tractor or HiAb will also work. Find out who can help you out early on is a good idea.
If the pumpkin is of a decent size it might be wider than your trailer. You can get around this by building up a platform out of pallets.
Have something between the pumpkin and the trailer/ute/pallet base. I’ve seen thin foam mattresses used, sheets of polystyrene and bedding protect the bottom of the pumpkin.
Tips for Smaller Pumpkins
Make sure to lift your pumpkin with a team. While smaller ones can be handled with one person, they can be awkward. You don’t want to injure yourself or drop it. A broken pumpkin is no fun.
For most people starting out, you will want to find an old sheet or tarp, and rope in friends and family to help lift.
Roll your pumpkin up onto one side, push the sheet/tarp underneath it. Then roll the pumpkin up over the sheet/tarp and pull the remainder out on the other side.
Your pumpkin should be in the middle of this sheet/tarp.
Check for trip hazards from where the pumpkin is to where you need to go with it.
Make sure everyone can get a firm grip of the sheet/tarp. And space people evenly around the pumpkin.
Good communication is key here. First with that the plan is, and make sure people communicate if they are having trouble or need to put the pumpkin down. Don’t drop it.
If you are putting it onto a trailer, or into the boot of a car make sure there is someone grabbing the end that is going in. You want to keep the sheet/tarp underneath the pumpkin if possible.
Just like the really big giants above, having something soft to put your pumpkin onto can help stop marks and scratches.
Third Step – Travel and the Event
You want your pumpkin secure and not able to move when you drive to your event. For the safety of the pumpkin and everyone else around. If you have to stop in a hurry you don’t want a pumpkin becoming a missile.
Tips for a massive Giant Pumpkin
Tie down straps are your friend and you can never have enough of them. Make sure there is padding between the pumpkin and the strap at all times.
Random bit of foam, pool noodles and anything else soft will help with this.
Make sure not to overdo with when tightening up the straps, you want enough pressure to stop the pumpkin moving and hold it into place. Not enough to break your pumpkin.
If you are going to a smaller event make sure to get in touch with them to see if they can move your pumpkin and weigh it. New events can sometime underestimate the size of pumpkins that are going to turn up.
Tips for Smaller Pumpkins
The same rules apply for smaller pumpkins. You want to make sure they don’t move or roll around in the vehicle. Packing foam or bedding around the pumpkin can help protect it, and stop marks from appearing.
Depending on the size and where you have it places in the car a seatbelt might help.
Try not to stack anything on top of the pumpkin.
When you get to the event the same principles apply for unloading a pumpkin as loading. teamwork and good communication are key. Especially for people that haven’t moved a pumpkin before.
In Conclusion
If you’ve managed to make it the end of the season with a giant pumpkin, make sure you have a plan on how to move it and transport it.
You don’t want to have all your hard work come to nothing all because you took a shortcut with moving and transporting your pumpkin.
Do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to moving your pumpkin? Let me know in the comments below.
Where can the pumpkin lift straps/ring be purchased?
Hi, if you are in the US it pays to ask on the bigpumpkins.com website message board, or on one of the Facebook groups like Backyard Giant Pumpkin Growers. A lot are made to order though and there might not be any around. You might be able to borrow one.
Other parts of the world, you’ll need to get one made. One person will make the ring, and you’ll have to source the straps from somewhere else usually.