Many of us have a penchant for the giant, as in giant vegetables. At county fairs, giant pumpkin displays of bloated, yet solid gargantuan forms are always populated by delighted onlookers who are simultaneously repulsed and attracted to the giant blobs of vegetable flesh.
We gawk and wonder how the growers are able to achieve such mastery of size. At home, we gasp at the size of forgotten zucchini monsters in our gardens and feel a swell of pride when we dig up a giant potato or pull a giant onion.
These feelings of wonder are widespread. Competitions are dedicated to giants, mostly in the United Kingdom; the extremely keen participants call growing giant vegetables a sport. Some admit to talking to their charges when the rest of the family isn’t around. There have been champion 18-pound carrots, 40-pound melons, 120-pound cabbages, 12-pound onions, 4-foot-long daikon radish, 140-pound marrow (summer squash) and 85-pound rutabagas. The world record 2,300-pound pumpkin was grown in Switzerland.
There are Facebook groups on the subject and highly amusing YouTube, including one of American rapper Snoop Dog meeting one of the giant vegetable world record holders, Welshman Ian Neale. Many secrets of the champions are revealed at giantveg.co.uk, an excellent and very fun U.K. website on the topic.
No grower is so prestigious as Medwyn Williams of Anglesey, Wales. Winner of 12 gold medals for his magnificent vegetable displays at the Chelsea Flower Show in London and chairman of the National Vegetable Society, Williams was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (given to those who make a positive impact in their line of work) by Queen Elizabeth in 2006 for his contributions to gardening.
Hints for growing
There are many tricks to growing giant vegetables. “Keep trying” and “attend as many lectures on the subject as you can,” Neale says. It took him five years of intense effort to win his first medal.
There have been presentations on this subject at the National Heirloom Exhibition in Santa Rosa. One of the most important requirements is to use specific vegetable varieties selected for or genetically able to grow to large sizes. Even if you’re just trying to grow some extra-large vegetables to show off to friends and neighbors, rather than record-breakers, seed catalogs offering large-size types can come in handy.
Catalogs usually estimate how many pounds each variety will grow to. Cabbages that mature at 3-5 pounds won’t have any chance of growing to 120-pound giants. Nonetheless, a cabbage weighing in at 10-15 pounds, like the late flat Dutch variety, is pretty impressive. The yellow onion Ailsa Craig commonly grows to 5 pounds, while yellow sweet Spanish reaches about 1 pound.
Flavor and texture suffers with some giant vegetables like carrots, but others like onions and cabbage remain very edible. A beet called Lutz green leaf becomes gigantic over the course of the summer yet does not become pithy or hot. Thousandhead kale, a 19th century fodder crop kale from France and the U.K., has 3-foot long leaves that even in summer are sweet and flavorful without getting hot and tough.
Plant spacing is very important. Plants need to be able to grow both above and below ground without competition for sunlight or water and nutrients. When you first plant a cabbage start, it seems ridiculous to space them even 2 feet apart. Yet spacing large-size varieties at least 5-6 feet apart is about right. Leaves will be gigantic and occupy a huge space when the plant is mature. Even well-grown large cauliflower could be spaced 4 feet apart. It is impossible to know the exact spacing needed for each variety, but trial and error each year will yield much information.
Soil depth is extremely important, too. Roots need to be able to grow easily to their full depth and width. A shallow raised bed on top of compacted soil is not the right environment for good root growth. Whether you are growing in large containers, raised beds or in the ground, soil depth is crucial.
Many of those involved in growing giants for competition grow their prize vegetables in containers. For example, each onion or leek will have its own roughly 7-10-gallon or larger container. Carrots, parsnips and daikon radish may be grown individually in very long lengths (5-8 feet) of 6-inch diameter PVC pipe. Other crops are grown individually in about 25-gallon pots or in repurposed 55-gallon upright plastic barrels.
Soil, water, timing
Soil enriched with good-quality compost and fertilized regularly with organic fertilizers is another crucial aspect of growing large and healthy vegetables that will reach their full potential. Fortunately, in the local area we have access to high-quality composts, soil mixes and fertilizers. The nutrients in bagged potting soil leach out in about 3-4 weeks and need frequent and regular replenishing. Some soil in the mix is very beneficial, as are composted manures. Champion growers emphasize not waiting until plants show signs of nutrient stress before fertilizing. Plants need to have a season of uninhibited growth.
Abundant and regular water is crucial to growing giant vegetables. Water use is a concern for us all, but a few well-watered vegetables in large containers or the ground will not be big water users, especially if kept mulched with compost. Full sun is a must.
Plant at the right time in the right place. Most vegetables thrive in specific climates. Some grow best in cool coastal areas; others need heat. Many large vegetables need a long growing season and are best planted at the beginning of the season to have time to gain size and mature.
Although county fairs have been canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, our annual county fairs have abundant vegetable displays. All are simple and inexpensive to enter for both children and adults. Champion or giant vegetable growing is a rewarding and fun experience for all. It's a perfect stay-at-home activity, too.
Kate Frey’s column appears every other week in Sonoma Home.
Contact Kate at: katebfrey@gmail.com, freygardens.com, Twitter @katebfrey, Instagram @americangardenschool
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Secrets to growing gigantic vegetables - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
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