Giant vegetables set seven provisional world records at Malvern Autumn Show

Growers have set seven provisional world records at the Malvern Autumn Show, the UK's largest event for vegetable growers, after a summer of extreme weather that tested even the most experienced competitors.

The show, which hosts the national giant vegetables championship, has become a showcase for oversized produce. Among the entries are tremendous tomatoes, colossal cucumbers, oversized onions, giant marrows, supersized squashes and bulbous beetroots. One pumpkin on display is thought to be the second-heaviest ever grown in the world. Its weight has been compared to that of a rhino, and during this year's heatwave it needed three bathtubs of water a day to keep it growing.

The competition's roots go back to a pub in Wales in the early 1980s, where growers shared pints, chat and seeds before developing the first pumpkin contest. That community spirit continues at Malvern, where one grower, Graham, set a world record for the tallest cucumber plant at 7.5 metres. Another competitor, Ian Paton, squashed the competition at the national giant vegetables championship. He said his pumpkin grew from the size of a golf ball to its current size in about 120 days and was watered five times a day, using around 130 gallons of water per plant per day.

The event is the 31st edition of the competition, and organizers expect 65,000 people to attend across the weekend. Halloween is still more than a month away, but the pumpkins are already monstrously large.

Growers had to cope with heatwaves, drought and hosepipe bans, as well as hail and frost earlier in the season. One competitor said it had been quite a hard year because of early hail and frost. Others said the weather split the country: northern growers had more wet weather and better vegetables, while southern growers faced hotter, drier conditions that made watering harder. Exotic crops that like heat did well, but traditional British vegetables suffered. Cucumbers were a notable success for at least one grower.

Not every giant vegetable was planned. Steve, who works at the show, planted what he was convinced was a pumpkin seed and ended up with a giant marrow. He said it weighed about as much as a suitcase, and the surprise has encouraged him to try again next year. The show also produced other record-breaking produce, with one competitor saying he had achieved two Guinness world records at the event. Transporting the giant vegetables can be a challenge: one grower said getting a large entry to Malvern on a trailer took five hours, with frequent stops to check straps.

Despite the difficulties, the show demonstrated that giant vegetable growing remains a mix of careful planning, heavy watering and occasional surprise. For the growers, preparation for next year is already taking root.