Giant veg competitors grow for glory

Ian Paton and his giant pumpkin, pictured with judge Sebastian Suski

Two brothers who have been growing giant pumpkins for 50 years say they are hoping they will one day secure a world record with their enormous gourds.

They are among scores of competitors displaying their huge veg in the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship at the Malvern Autumn Show in Worcestershire between 27 and 29 September.

Horticulturist Ian Paton, 63, who grows giant pumpkins with brother Stuart, said they were “really close” to growing a world-beating one.

The record for the largest pumpkin is currently held by a whopper - nicknamed Michael Jordan, at 1,247kg (2,749lb).

Pumpkins were "such cool things to grow" because they expanded so rapidly, said Mr Paton, who is based in Lymington, Hampshire.

This year, his monster weighs in at 1,198kg (2,641lb).

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Asked about his secret for growing giant pumpkins, Mr Paton said: “First and foremost, the biggest thing would be good genetics like a racehorse - you cross a good one with a good one, you get a good one, same with pumpkins.”

He grows his pumpkins indoors, and supplies them with up to 130 litres of water per plant, per day.

“It's just a lot of work - six hours a day looking after six plants and that's shared between two of us,” he said.

“That's for about three months, plus getting it ready and the ground ready at the start.”

Carl Lambourne and Tim Saint with marrow they are hoping will bag them rosettes

Mr Paton said things could go wrong quickly, however.

"Growing pumpkins is a brutal sport,” he explained. “Unfortunately, last year, we lost all six.

“That doesn't normally happen to us, but it's a strange sport."

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Elsewhere at the Malvern Show, there will be competitions for amateur growers of fruit, flowers and vegetables, with awards in more than 100 individual classes.

The winners of these will go through to compete for the coveted Best in Section accolade.