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10
Aug 2021
Harrogate man's mission to grow record-breaking jumbo pumpkins
Nick Bailey has a couple of promisingly large pumpkins that will be ready for harvesting in October and hopes one will beat his 7st and 6lbs record.
Harrogate man Nick Bailey is on a mission to grow jumbo-sized pumpkins at his Bilton allotment.
The scaffolder, who is 59, has been visiting Pine Street Allotments in Bilton every night for almost 30 years tending to his fruit and vegetables.
It's not just super-sized pumpkins he grows: he has previously cultivated a 2lb tomato and a two-and-a-half-stone marrow.
Mr Bailey said:
"I just love it. It's peaceful on an evening with a glass of wine."
He has a couple of promisingly large pumpkins that will be ready for harvesting in October. He hopes one of them will beat his personal record, which weighed 7st 6lbs.
"I'm trying to beat my record this year. I just like the size of them".
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With the signs looking good for this year, Mr Bailey hopes to enter the competitive pumpkin circuit and try and win a prize for his efforts.
He is inspired by the United States, where giant fruit and vegetable competitions are big business.
In 2013, one pumpkin seed from the then world record pumpkin, which weighed close to a tonne, fetched $1,600 at auction.
Mr Bailey said it's not possible to grow giant pumpkins organically but wouldn't divulge his top-secret tricks when asked.
He said:
"I'm not telling you! It's taken me years to do it!"
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