BIG VEG AT LARGE

As someone who has managed to grow the world’s smallest vegetables in the past, I’m delighted to announce that three new world records have been set for giant vegetable growing at The Grow Show: On Tour.

Hosted by champion grower Medwyn Williams and fast-growing plant food Canna UK, the gardening gongs were awarded to two already wellknown growers.

All of the world records were set in Mansfield, Notts, starting with Joe Atherton, with the world’s longest beetroot, measuring 8.56m, from root to fruit. This was soon followed by a second success for Atherton, breaking the record for longest salsify with a 5.57m specimen.

Word on the allotments is that the Victorian root, that tastes a bit like parsnip, is making a comeback in kitchens.

Next up was Neil Hands, who took away the world record for heaviest red cabbage, with his grow tipping the scales at a whopping 31.6kg.

Judge Williams, who’s a 12-time winner of the gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show, says: “It has been brilliant to have seen such a positive response from the vegetable-growing community.

“Congratulations to all the growers, especially Joe as he also won first prize for his giant on onion last year.”

Enqui Enquiries into the fate of the ex extreme vegetables were inconclusive, but they either we went into the wo world’s biggest ve veggie pie, or we were donated for a animal feed.

cabbage. Far left, Joe and his salsify. Right, Medwyn judges carrots and onions

HEAVY-GOING Neil with his