Here are some links to further your research into the different approaches to raising giant pumpkins...

Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet.- http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1646.html Colleges and Cooperative Extension Services are a super reading. This is one of the best.

Growing Pumpkins and Winter Squash - http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-24.html Here's another good one, from the CES at North Carolina University.

Backyardgardener - http://backyardgardener.com Lots of content and depth, this site has been around for years.

For more great links, see http://www.pumpkinnook.com/other.htm