Gardeners unload massive produce ahead of giant vegetable competition

By Adam Dutton

Green-fingered gardening fans have been showing off their super-sized produce as they bid to win the UK National Giant Vegetables Championships.

More than 65,000 people are expected to flock to the Malvern Autumn Show which is being held this weekend at the Three Counties Showground.

Last year, 13 new Guinness World Records were broken and more are expected to be beaten at this year's show, which runs from Friday until Sunday.

Among the hopefuls are veteran grower Peter Glazebrook, 81, who has entered 24 giant vegetables this year.

And he reckons he’s bagged at least two first place spots with his 4.34kg (0.6 stone) aubergine and a 13.87kg (2.1 stone) radish.

Peter, from Nottingham, said: “It’s been a very difficult growing year as it’s been hot and dry.

"I’ve got 24 entries this year so I'm hoping for one or two cards.

“The heaviest aubergine looks likely at the moment at 4.34kg which is a personal best for me.

"It would have been a world record last month but it was beaten in Germany just a few weeks ago.

“It looks like it will be getting a card or two. I might be second or third on the heaviest cucumber. I might have the heaviest radish at 13.87kg.

“I’ve been trying to grow radish for many years. And this is the heaviest. I did sow early and I managed a personal record.

"But the world record is held in Japan and it’s around 50kg, so I won’t be beating that.

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“I’ve got an estate car and it was absolutely loaded to the brim. It keeps me young and fit growing these giant vegetables.

"It takes about three days to lift everything and get it prepared, so you have to time it right.”

Amateur grower Miles Yates-Tily says his 27st giant pumpkin took six people to move out of his steep Bristol allotment.

The 27-year-old rope access technician said: “I think it’s around 173kg that it came to, which is less than I thought it would be.

"It took six of us to get it down our sloped allotment in the centre of Bristol.

"I thought it’d be a lot easier to get down, but it’s on a gravel path so it took some time and care.

“I’ve got a two-door Toyota Rav 4 and it’s got the back seats out and we managed to get it into the back of that.

“It was at least 2m long, it’s the biggest white pumpkin here. We went last year and I grew a measly marrow but we saw the free pumpkin seeds.

"One of them took off and was three times as big as the others."

Miles says his advice for any budding gardeners is: “Prep your soil and make sure you’ve got enough spare time and cancel any holidays.

"Luckily I had family to water mine when we were away. Soil prep is key, if the soil isn’t right it’s bad. Use your soil to your advantage.

“The hot summer made it easier to control the climate. Building a greenhouse is expensive, so the dry summer meant I could control the climate better.

"It’s not easy, maybe it’s a bit of beginner's luck, but it worked.”