YOU would think there would be a secret to growing giant vegetables.
Fertiliser, water, sun and a bit of love, perhaps.
But for 13-year-old Elliston lad Keegan Meyers, the secret to his record breaking giant cucumber was simply to forget about it.
Mum Heather Meyers said the family planted its summer vegetable garden in January.
The garden includes a greenhouse measuring 30 feet by 70 feet and eight big garden beds.
During the summer, the Meyers had gradually been picking and eating their vegetables.
But Keegan’s massive 130.5cm cucumber “went unnoticed and grew too big”.
“We didn’t realise,” Mrs Meyers said.
Keegan said when the family discovered the giant vegetable in its garden, they called in two justices of the peace.
“It was about head height and we supported it in some shade cloth baskets,” he said.
“We grow a lot of vegetables and we use the baskets to hold up rock melons and watermelons.
“We got a form and we got two JPs to come out and measure the cucumber and sign the form as witnesses.”
The completed form was sent off to the Australian Giant Pumpkin and Vegetable Supporters Group, who declared Keegan’s cucumber a record breaker.
The cucumber was grown between January 11 and April 13.
Keegan who is home schooled, now aims to beat his latest record and make it into the Guinness World Book of Records.
“I didn’t think (the current record) would get this much attention,” he said. “But the Guinness World Book of Records, that’s a lot of work.”
The ginormous cucumber was ordered through the Digger’s Club, Australia’s largest gardening club, and is a ‘sweet and striped’ variety. The Digger’s website describes the sweet and striped cucumber as “our sweetest cucumber that can grow to one metre long. It is elegantly curled, ribbed and striped”.
Twin sisters Tamsin and Petrea, 10, also have their eye on their brother’s record.
- This story first appeared on the Port Lincoln Times.
