Select Board member Jim Zisson is well-known in these parts for his giant pumpkins every fall. It has been a passion project for over 20 years, beginning with a seed every April and ending in early October.
Zisson says his secret to the large pumpkins is a good seed, with the rest coming down to care and a watchful eye. His biggest pumpkin (in 2019) was named Pat and hit 1,000 pounds. In 2024, Zisson held a guess-the-weight contest in his neighborhood, raising money for the Marblehead Food Pantry and hurricane relief. (There’s no contest this year.)
This year’s pumpkins are estimated at 300-400 pounds each.
Zisson’s pumpkins start inside and are transplanted outside in May. The summer season can be rough on the pumpkins, with intense heat and pesky garden insects.
Zisson’s wife, Laura, took over the pumpkin growing this year and said there was a huge learning curve to the practice.
“I had no idea how much work they were. I thought you might just plant them, maybe water and fertilize them. I didn’t realize things that you have to do, you have to have a lot of visual queues to look for. And I didn’t know the damage that the animals could do,” Laura said.
And the Zissons have company this year. Perry Asher has grown two big pumpkins; one is about 250 pounds, the other about 150. Asher got his first seed (and lots of advice) from Zisson.
“Jim helped me out enormously, he even gave me a publication from the Giant Pumpkin Growers Association, and I looked at that and then I asked him questions. It was really helpful and he was the role model for pumpkin growing,” Asher said.
The Ashers named their pumpkins; the largest is Faith and the smaller is Hope (because the smaller pumpkin “hopes” it will grow bigger).
Asher has no plans for his giant pumpkins, except to maybe harvest a couple seeds to grow more next year.
Asher says growing giant pumpkins is a great conversation starter and can really bring the community together.
”I just had a 60th class reunion and everybody was showing photos of grandkids and stuff and I was showing photos of the pumpkins. People come by the house and I say, ‘You wanna see a giant pumpkin?’ It’s been fun.”
