NEW GLASGOW, NS - Tom Dudka is the pumpkin man, and with good reason. A ten year veteran of growing and showing impressively large pumpkins at the Giant Atlantic Weigh Off in Windsor, this guy knows a little something about growing a gourd.

Now he is going for a new personal best, hoping that he will finally hit 1,000 pounds with his current prize, which weighs in now at a hefty 600 pounds.

“Right now, it weighs about 600 pounds and it is growing an average of 28 pounds a day,” Dudka said, according to the TC Media. “With the rain, it grew 32 pounds in one night.”

Yes, in a fashion that would make James and his giant peach proud, the grower has his prize gaining rapidly and anticipates he can hit his goal before the weigh-in, set for early October. “The closest I’ve gotten is 991 pounds, but I want 1,000 pounds,” Dudka said.

So, what does it take to make such magic happen? Patience and dedication.

Dudka told the publication that he spends, minimum, three hours a day working on the pumpkin, watering, making sure the vines are good, and killing hungry cucumber beetles.

“When I start, the seed is about the size of a fingernail, and when we finish it won’t fit into the back of a half-ton truck,” he said.

Because he can’t move the pumpkin while it grows, he measure its weight by inches, and anticipates he needs 63 more inches to get to his goal. I wish him best of luck while I try my best to keep the succulent on my desk alive and well.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we keep our ears to the ground for all fresh produce, big and small, and the green thumbs that cultivate them.