Man grows 1,558lb pumpkin with the help of a duvet

A MAN from Watlington has become one of only three people in the UK to have grown a pumpkin weighing more than 1,500lb.

Gerald Short took the honour at the Southampton Pumpkin Festival with a specimen weighing 1,558lbs.

His 13-year-old son, Oliver, set a personal best at the event with a pumpkin he grew weighing 448lb.

Mr Short, whose specimen had a 188in circumference, said: “It’s the biggest I’ve ever grown and only two other growers in the UK have ever grown one bigger than this. I’m pretty chuffed.”

His previous best was the pumpkin he grew for last year’s festival, which weighed 1,354lb.

“The idea with this hobby is to improve year on year,” said Mr Short, who has been growing giant pumpkins for about six years.

“It’s about improving your skills and techniques and putting your little ideas into practice. I’ll never get a world record as I’m way off that but if I can improve year on year, that’s the aim.”

Mr Short, who lives in St Leonard’s Close, ordered the seed from America. “I look at the variety of seeds available and the one I chose this year was from a pumpkin that was 2,469lbs,” he said.

He planted the seed in a pot in April and in May, he transplated the plant into his plot at the allotments off Love Lane, where it continued to grow in a polytunnel.

Mr Short said: “The idea is to get the biggest, most healthy plant until June when you pollinate it and then cultivate the best fruit you can.

“You have to try to keep it warm — that’s the point of having the polytunnel as well as to stop the wind getting to it. I actually put a duvet over the top of the pumpkin in the cooler nights. It literally got tucked in. But you can’t have it too warm and you have to cool it down during the day with a misting system.

“The main secret is putting in the hours learning the techniques and applying them. If you have got the time and inclination to do all that, there’s no reason you can’t grow one.

“I do get nervous because I’ve only got one plant and one fruit so if something happens like a mouse starting to eat it or it splits because I’ve overwatered it or it gets fungus, it’s game over and I have to wait another year.

“It is a risk and a gamble as you’re trying to push the limits.”

To transport his and Oliver’s giants to the festival in Lymington, the pumpkins had to be winched out of the polytunnel using a tractor and hoist with help from John Mearns, of Red Lion Farm in Britwell Salome. They were then placed on a flatbed lorry, where they were carefully strapped down ready for the journey.

Mr Short said: “Mine weighed three quarters of a tonne so you need heavy duty winching equipment. Lifting something like that, I have to put a lot of thought into every aspect of it.”

Mr Short said he was also proud of Oliver, who attends Icknield Community College in Watlington.

He said: “I’m very pleased that he’s taking an interest. He has been growing for as long as I have and he’s hoping to get over 500lbs. We work together and he spurs me on and I spur him on.”

Both pumpkins are now on show outside the Red Lion farm shop in Britwell Salome.

Mr Short is happy to provide seeds to anyone interested in growing a giant pumpkin. Email him at hogmaw@gmail.com