“2018, 171st Woodbridge Fair” Official Giant Pumpkin Worldwide Weigh-off Site Return of the Giant Pumpkins to Woodbridge this Saturday. As the National pursuit continues for Canada’s first 2000 pound pumpkin. Ontario grown Dill's Atlantic Giant Pumpkins expected to brake local weight records! Pumpkin Weights nearing 1 ton as warm summer boosts fruit size and girth of up to 11 meters in circumference. Giant Pumpkins now grow larger than the average pick-up trucks bed and more than 50 pounds per day! The 2018 Woodbridge Fair is an official local world wild weigh off site of these monster sized gourds sanctioned by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth* “Seeds first sown by growers in April are now being harvested as Giant pumpkins for exhibition this weekend Sat. Oct 6, 12 noon at the Woodbridge Fair” The 171st Woodbridge Fair is the GTA venue and host’s a large gathering of shows, rides and attractions. The fair is filled with family fun including 11 categories of giant vegetables. 📷 Last year’s event was led by Todd Kline at 1,718 pounds (780.9 Kg) followed by Phil & Jane Hunt 1,515 and Chris Lyons 1,450. Todd was accompanied by several of the GVGO’s top grower’s to a delightfully large throng of guests intrigued by the mid-day weigh off of several large orange, monster sized pumpkins. Giant Woodbridge Prize List for 2018 Atlantic Giant Pumpkins 1st - $2000 2nd- $1000 3rd - $750 4th - $500 5th - $250 6th - $150 7th - $125 8th - $100 9th - $75 10th - $50; 11th through to 15th place is $30 each Giant Show King Squash 1st $400 2nd - $200 3rd - $100 Giant Tomatoes, Field Pumpkin, Long Gourd, Watermelon, Tall Corn & Cabbage 1st - $150 2nd - $100 3rd - $50 Tall Sunflower & Carrot 1st - $100 2nd - $50 3rd - $25 Bushel Gourd, Cucumber The 171st, 2018 Woodbridge Fair and GPC Giant Vegetable Weigh-off October 6th Join us Thanksgiving Weekend 2018! https://www.woodbridgefair.ca Sponsored by: Hillcreast Dental & Ken Maynard Insurance Brokers Ltd. Proudly Supported by: Team Lunatic, Giant vegetable growers. Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario gvgo.ca *Visit Big Pumpkins.com Leader Board > http://www.bigpumpkins.com/WeighoffResultsGPC.aspx?c=P&y=2018 Member of Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, GPC.

2018 Prize Money and Event Details. Load In 10 am, Weigh-Off  at 1 pm  Giant AGP 1st $1500, 2nd $500, 3rd $300, 4th $200, 5th $100. ^ 6th to 15th place $50 each. Watermelons, Field Pumpkins, Long Gourds, Cabbage, Tomato, Sunflower, *Cucumber and Bushel  Gourds.  all 1st:$150, 2nd:$100, 3rd:$50 Giant True Green Squash 1st $500, 2nd $100 & 3rd $30 Key Grower Sponsors... Woodbridge Fair 2018, Hillcrest Dental, Ken Maynard Insurance brokers, Team Lunatic.

—Heating of fruit shortened the fruit growth period and reduced final fruit size. Response of Cell Division and Cell Expansion to Local Fruit Heating in Tomato Fruit So the take home message to all growers.... Keep your fruit cool and away from direct sunlight after the cell expansion phase ends... Remedy, Cover it or enclose it completely as Chris Delaney did years ago..... Always have a fan blow fresh air over the fruit.... This drives transpiration from the fruit itself..... So it will become a stronger sink as it demands more nutrients from both the xylem & phloem.. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural JASHS September 2012 vol. 137 no. 5 294-301 ��

Photobiology, Blinking and Far-Red Light to Increase Vegetable Yields By: Rocco Brewer, June 25th, 2017. The Role of Light: The word "light" is often defined as what is perceived by the human eye. More precisely, light is the wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum that activate light receptors in the human eye. However, plants respond to all the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. These include the wavelengths that the human eye can (visible light) and cannot see (ultra-violet and infra-red light). So Far Red is dimly visible to some eyes. Far-Red light is the light of dusk and dawn. It sits at the extreme red end of the visible spectrum, between red and infra-red light. Usually between 700 and 800 nm wavelength. Light in human or animal vision acts mainly as an informational medium to distinguish the location, movement, shape, size, color and other aspects of material objects. Plants use light for a similar purpose in that variations in light can signal variations in environmental conditions surrounding the plant. Photo-receptors within plants function as light sensors that provide plants with information on subtle changes in light composition in the growing environment, and also control physiological and morphological responses. This process is technically known as photo-morphogenesis. It guides the plant to direct its growth pattern to reach for the source of illumination. However plants also use light for the production of food through photosynthesis. We know this to be the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen (in the presence of light). In Plant growth and development, the most important regions of the light spectrum can are listed below. ultra-violet (below 400 nm) visible (approximately 400-700 nm) far-red (approximately 700-800 nm). Grower Applications of Photo-morphogenesis The effects of far-red light have generally not been used in growing giant vegetables. Environments high in far-red light are favorable for the production of plants that need Cell Elongation, Long Inter-nodes & Enhanced Cell Division. Therefore, an increase in far-red light in the patch or greenhouse could be used to increase steam lengths, leaf size and yes larger fruit. In the patch or greenhouse, light quality manipulation can be achieved in three ways: Ø Supplemental electric lighting systems with relatively high far-red light. Ø Reflective materials, or red plastic mulch layers or red bark mulch Ø Spectral filters that can alter the red and far-red balance of sunlight. Incandescent Lamps • Growers to USE Regular Incandescent bulbs High levels of far-red light relative to red light frequently lead to cell elongation and increased inter-node lengths leading to leaf growth rates & canopy leaf expansion, stem elongation and fruit cell expansion. Typical light quality of white fluorescent lamps. Does not provide enough Far-red Light, so they produce short, compact plants. 1. Blinking at 1 am each night. Interrupts the photo period. For Blinking use broad spectrum light to as much of the plants as possible to interrupt the photo period and drive night time growth. Blink for 3 to 5 minutes 2. Use Far Red light in the morning from 4 am to 6 am and 9:30 pm to 11 pm.

Early Application of Ethrel Extends Tomato Fruit Cell Division and Increases Fruit Size and Yield with Ripening Delay. Condensed from the link below. Note: this applies equally well to pumpkins and other seed baring fruit... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10467015 Fruit expansion in tomato can be divided into two general phases. The initial phase of expansion occurs during approximately the first week after pollination and reflects a period of active cell division. The second phase is completed by approximately the 100th day or later stage and is characterized by extensive cell expansion and very little cell division. Ethylene, is a plant growth gaseous hormone. It can be produced by almost all parts of higher plants, though the rate of production is highest where cell division occurs (Newly pollinated fruit). Its production is increased during leaf fall, flower senescence and fruit ripening. In addition, stress factors such as wounding, flooding, chilling, disease, high temperatures and drought seem to induce ethylene synthesis. So why is it important at fruit set.....Simply because it helps to increase cell division.... Studies have shown the fruit period of cell division can be extended up to 16-18 days after pollination with applications of ethylene... fruit response to early ethylene treatments noted that sinks became significantly larger in size and heavier in weight with a ripening delay of about 10 and 15 days compared with those of controls.... This suggests that ethylene regulates tomato fruit transmission from cell division to cell enlargement. In addition, fruit cell division is terminated only when internal ethylene decreases to its normal basal level, allowing cell enlargement to dominate and proceed as in the case of the early applications will result in bigger fruit..... The ripening delay of ethylene treated fruits may be caused by the longer time required for the increased cell number to reach maturation. A low level of ethylene application at the tomato early fruiting stage can be used for increasing fruit yield by increasing fruit size and consequently its quality.....