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I know it’s a weird thing to get into,” says Tom Carre, 24, from Portsmouth. “I’ve had some funny comments from people on the allotment.” Carre started growing giant vegetables this year when we were all confined to our homes: his work as a sound technician dried up overnight in March when theatres and live music venues shut. “It has given me something to look forward to, as funny as that might sound,” Carre says. “It’s nice to have something to keep myself busy.” Carre has found quiet satisfaction in watching the fruits of his labour loom large from the earth – this year, he grew a 2-metre-tall leek and a swede twice the size of his head. “I feel very emotionally invested in them,” he says. “I did spend my entire summer looking after them.” I’m known as Mr Giant Veg – I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing’ ... Kevin Fortey at Chelsea flower show in 2019 with the world’s heaviest beetroot. Photograph: provided by Kevin Fortey The best of British vegetables From our Lincolnshire base, we're busy bringing our customers the very best of both British and imported vegetables.

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The world of competitive giant vegetable growing has gone through something of a renaissance in 2020, particularly in the UK. Three world records were set in the UK in September: the world’s heaviest red cabbage (31.6kg); the word’s longest salsify (5.6 metres); and the world’s longest beetroot (8.6 metres); and the UK’s heaviest ever pumpkin weighed in at 1,176.5kg in October. A gardener from northern New South Wales has set a new record for the biggest pumpkin in the southern hemisphere, beating his previous record by more than 100kg. On his Facebook group, Fortey troubleshoots the common mistakes that first-time growers make, such as overfeeding their crop or not supporting them properly: a metre-long cucumber will fall off the plant unless you rig up a supportive contraption. (Tights are commonly used.) Timing is everything. “Starting too early is a problem,” says Fortey. “People are keen to get their seeds in the ground in March, but some plants don’t get started until late April, May.” He tells me that the giant-vegetable scene has come on leaps and bounds in the past decade, as more people discover the hobby. As a result, world records are continually being set, as people refine their seed strains and their techniques, often using polytunnels and lamps to grow their crops. Cheating is unusual, but not unheard-of. ‘They’re the lowest of the low,’ says Peter Glazebrook DGM Growers is part of Fresca Group Ltd, one of the most trusted names in the fresh produce industry. See www.frescagroup.co.uk for more information.Oliver told the ABC it took “a lot of work” to grow the the enormous Cucurbita, which required careful pruning, fertilising, and soil testing. “There’s a lot of science in it,” he told the ABC.

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The new record was certified by the Australian Giant Pumpkins and Vegetables Supporters society, where Oliver also holds the record for Australia’s largest giant green squash, a 612kg specimen grown in 2015. Since its founding in 1908, American Vegetable Grower ® magazine has served as the voice for the fresh and processing vegetable industry in the U.S. Now with accompanying digital products and events that are unmatched in the commercial horticulture industry, American Vegetable Grower delivers insight on field, greenhouse, and organic production; marketing; and new varieties and new products to growers, shippers, and other influencers from coast to coast.

We grow UK chard, chicory, celeriac, courgettes and fennel. We have long standing relationships with our growers in the UK and Europe, based on commitment and trust which delivers the highest standards possible. Our ambition is to widen our UK portfolio through innovation and technology.

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Williams judged this year’s roadshow, which passed without incident and in the spirit of sportsmanship. ( Every competitor this year, however, was male.) But the same cannot be said for previous years. Although cheating is unusual in the giant-vegetable community, it is not unheard-of: men can lose their morals when trying to grow the girthiest marrow in the room. Hello. I'm Medwyn Williams – Thirteen times Gold medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show, Past Chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society Fruit Vegetable and Herb Committee and President of the National Vegetable Society. Gardening was my physiotherapy’ ... Jenna Brown at home with her children, Effie, two, and William, four. She says growing pumpkins helped her recover after surgery. Photograph: Sam Frost/The Guardian It’s been difficult this year, with all the national shows being cancelled,” sighs Peter Glazebrook, 76, a retired surveyor from Newark in Nottinghamshire. Glazebrook is a legend in the giant-vegetable scene, having held 15 world records over a 29-year career, including for carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and cauliflowers. He retired from pumpkin-growing 15 years ago, because they were too difficult to manage – pumpkins are the goliaths of the giant-vegetable world. Our vegetables are far bigger than his ever were,” Fortey says, wistfully. “Dad never achieved a world record. Sometimes I wish he was around to give me help with them.”It weighed in at a whopping 867kg, beating the previous record for Australia’s heaviest pumpkin of 743kg, also held by Oliver.

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verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ My winning vegetables on the show bench, all had their home in Anglesey. Medwyn’s seeds are of a consistent high quality with a 100% germination rate. I’m sure a lot of people would agree that we live in strange times. But do they have to be so strange that Area 51 is making headlines? And what’s this about fish the look like aliens. September’s Words in the News explain all. The appeal of growing these beasts is not hard to understand. Only the truly joyless would struggle to summon a smile at the sight of a marrow as big as a lawn mower or a cabbage as wide as a double bed. Giant-vegetable-growing is as life-affirmingly ridiculous as it is gloriously escapist. Plus, it is a technical challenge. “You can grow them bigger every year, so you’re always improving,” says Short. Fortey sees it more like a sport than a hobby. “We’re like athletes, absolutely,” he says. “We’re all aiming to get the world record. Usain Bolt runs the world’s fastest 100 metres and we’re aspiring to get the longest vegetables.”A giant pumpkin was included in the World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1893, though it only weighed a 165kg – paltry by today’s standards. DGM are growers and innovators, our portfolio reflects our niche expertise and speciality vegetables, we look for the new and unique to offer a comprehensive basket of delicious produce. Alongside this we strive to do so in the most environmentally sound way, being proud to have achieved over 1.5 million meals to FareShare and investing in the latest growing technology and facilities to reduce both our food miles and carbon footprint.