Smashing pumpkins: Worland 9-year-old takes to growing giant pumpkins

Growing giant pumpkins takes plenty of patience and care. For Worland's Ananias Williams, he carefully tended to his giant pumpkin all summer long for the ultimate goal of watching it get smashed.

The 9-year-old stumbled into growing pumpkins last year when his pumpkin grew to 150 pounds. His family then met resident giant pumpkin growing master Jay Richard, and next thing you know, Williams bought pumpkin seeds from Richard.

"Last year, we bought a plant from one of the local nurseries," said Renelle Williams, Ananias's mother. "It was supposed to be a certain type of pumpkin, but it kept growing and ended up being a 150-pound pumpkin. Then we met Jay, and [Ananias] was already excited for pumpkins, and it grew into this organically."

Using a section given to him by his parents in front of their house, he planted his pumpkin and worked to grow it. Then, in July, he pollinated, and by August, he had a fast-growing pumpkin on his hands.

Williams also took advice from Richard and put it to good use, like burying the vines to promote the plant to grow a stronger root system.

"I planted and watered it. I wasn't able to fully bury them but it was so they would grow roots to get water," said Ananias Williams.

Another tip Williams took to heart was protecting his pumpkin from the sun. Direct sunlight can harden a pumpkin's skin, which will lead to splitting as it continues to grow.

To prevent that, Williams covered his pumpkin with towels to protect it from sunlight.

Through the process of taking care of his pumpkin, Williams enjoyed watching it grow bigger and bigger in the hot summer days. It was his second favorite aspect of growing the pumpkin. The best part was watching it explode to pieces when dropped at the pumpkin drop on Oct. 5 at the Washakie County Fairgrounds.

Knowing he wanted his pumpkin dropped, Williams named it Felica so he could say "Bye, Felica!" as it was dropped.

"Seeing it get giant and having it so big I could crawl in it ... getting to see it go [makes exploding noise] and see it rain on our heads," said a laughing Ananias.

Williams had his pumpkin weighed at the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, tipping the scales at 223 pounds. Quite the feat for the young grower and, considering how small the plant was.

"Jay was here a few weeks ago and was impressed with how big the pumpkin was for the size of the plant. It should have been beach ball size," said Renelle Williams.

After growing a 150-pound pumpkin last year and a 223-pound pumpkin this year, Williams's goal next year, "I want a 300-pound pumpkin next!" he said.