VegetablePumpkin
400 Lb Plus Competition Pumpkin
The 400 Lb Plus Competition Pumpkin is a giant cultivar bred from pumpkins that have exceeded 400 pounds, making it the choice for serious growers who want to push the limits of what's possible in their garden. This Cucurbita maxima variety produces enormous orange fruit over 110 to 119 days, thriving in hardiness zones 3 through 13 with full sun exposure. Non-GMO seeds come from locally grown competition stock, giving you genetics already proven to produce record-breaking size. Whether you're aiming for a county fair ribbon or simply want the most impressive fall display in your neighborhood, this variety delivers on the promise of truly giant pumpkins.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, Rich
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
TypeVining
Spacing
36
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-13
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
These seeds come from pumpkins that have already exceeded 400 pounds, giving you a genetic head start toward growing oversized fruit. The 110 to 119 day growing season allows gardeners across most of North America to reach full maturity before frost, even in cooler zones like zone 3. Competition breeders have selected these plants specifically for size potential, so you're not starting with generic genetics; you're starting with a lineage built for bigness. Plant in full sun with plenty of space, and you'll be tending vines that sprawl across your garden with the promise of producing something truly remarkable by fall.
Common Uses
The primary use for competition pumpkins is exhibition and contest entry at county fairs, state competitions, and giant pumpkin weigh-offs. While these varieties produce edible fruit, the goal is typically maximum size rather than culinary quality, so they're grown for display and competition rather than cooking. Growers may also use the enormous vines and foliage as a visual garden feature, creating a living spectacle that generates conversation and interest throughout the growing season. Some gardeners who achieve massive specimens do preserve them as decorative fall displays in their homes and yards.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 2 to 3 weeks before your last spring frost, allowing seedlings to develop strong root systems before transplanting into the garden.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings into the garden after the last frost date when soil has warmed and all danger of frost has passed. Harden off seedlings gradually by exposing them to outdoor conditions over several days before planting.
Direct Sow
Directly sow competition pumpkin seeds in hills after the last spring frost date when soil temperature is warm.
Harvesting
Harvest after 110 to 119 days when the pumpkin has reached its full size and the skin has hardened to a deep orange color. Cut the pumpkin from the vine using a sharp knife, leaving a short stem attached. Harvest before the first hard frost to avoid cold damage to the mature fruit.
Pruning
As a vining annual with a spreading growth habit, allow the plant to develop naturally without heavy pruning. For competition growing, some cultivators selectively remove secondary fruit and weak vines to concentrate the plant's energy into developing a single enormous pumpkin, but this is optional and depends on your goals.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Cucurbita maxima
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Growth Habit
Vining
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)
History & Origin
“These competition pumpkin seeds originate from locally grown pumpkins that have proven themselves in the field by reaching 400 pounds or more. Rather than being a variety lost to time and revived by heritage seed savers, the 400 Lb Plus represents something different: active, ongoing selection by competitive growers who are constantly pushing the boundaries of pumpkin size. Breeders and farmers who participate in giant pumpkin competitions have refined these genetics over years of careful selection, keeping seeds from the largest, healthiest specimens each season. This is a living, evolving variety shaped by gardeners who are deeply invested in growing the biggest pumpkins possible.”