Your Local News
RECORD SQUASH:If you're interested in big things -- then this next story will drop your jaw.
October 27, 2009
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BIG THINGS -- THEN THIS NEXT STORY WILL DROP YOUR JAW. TWO PICTON-AREA FARMERS HAVE JUST SET A WORLD RECORD FOR THE LARGEST SQUASH. IT WEIGHS IN AT MORE THAN 12-HUNDRED POUNDS.
AS NEWSWATCH'S DARRYN DAVIS REPORTS, THEIR CREATION -- WHICH RESEMBLES A GIANT GREEN PUMPKIN -- SURPASSED THE OLD RECORD BY JUST TWO POUNDS.
JUST NORTH OF PICTON ON COUNTY ROAD FIFTEEN THERE'S A HOUSE WHERE THE PHILOSOPHY IS... IF YOU'RE GOING TO GROW IT....GROW IT BIG.
JOHN VINCENT AND BRIAN MCGILL ARE JUST BACK FROM A WEIGH-IN IN BARRIE WHERE THEY SET A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR THE LARGEST SQUASH, WEIGHING IN AT 1236 POUNDS.
ABOUT 560 KILOGRAMS.
BUT FROST ALMOST KILLED THIS JOLLY GREEN GIANT BEFORE THE TWO MEN COULD GET IT TO THE WEIGH IN.
JOHN VINCENT
"WE DID HAVE TWO HARD FROSTS HERE AND WE LOST MOST OF THE LEAVES, SO TAPING THE PUMPKIN EVERY FEW DAYS OR THE SQUASH I KEEP CALLING IT A PUMPKIN... TAPING IT EVERY FEW DAYS IT WASN'T GAINING IN CIRCUMFERENCE ANY MORE, BUT THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS AS LONG AS THE VINE IS GREEN THAT THERE'S STILL SOME FUEL GOING TO IT AND HOPEFULLY IT WAS STILL PACKING ON SOME POUNDS."
JOHN DOESN'T JUST SPECIALISE IN SQUASH.
HE CURRENTLY HOLDS THE PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY RECORD FOR PUMPKINS.
HE ALSO GROWS GIANT CABBAGE AND THESE GOURDS WHICH CAN GET AS LONG AS TEN FEET OR MORE.
" THESE ARE GROWN ON A TRELLIS. THEY'RE ALSO CALLED SICILLIAN ZUCCHINI AND THIS PARTICULAR SPECIMEN IS 118 AND A QUARTER INCHES LONG. WE ACTUALLY PLACED FIRST WITH THAT AT PORT ELGIN PUMPKIN FEST."
JOHN SAYS THE ONLY SECRET HE HAS FOR GROWING THESE GIANT VEGETABLES IS GOOD SOIL.
"OUR NATIVE SOIL HERE IS REALLY HEAVY CLAY SOIL, SO WE'VE ADDED A LOT OF COMPOST, MANURE AND MAPLE LEAVES AND SAND WE'VE ADDED HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE BY LOOKING AT THIS SOIL WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. IT'S JUST LIKE BLACK EARTH. YOU CAN SEE THE ORGANIC MATTER IN THERE IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL STUFF. "
JOHN AND BRIAN ARE NOW GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS TO RECOGNIZE THE 1200 POUND SQUASH... WHICH IS HARD TO MISS ON HIS FRONT LAWN.
DARRYN DAVIS CKWS NEWSWATCH PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY.
are you in favour of clear garbage bags, or the use of bag tags to help divert more waste from local landfills?
