See https://www.gvgo.ca/re for all the records (it's very outdated, but the watermelon record is correct) - 239 lbs.

I think you really have to start them off in a polytunnel or some kind of enclosure. Don grows them inside the whole year. You'll probably have to keep it covered in September too if it gets a bit colder.

Can't you cover the plants to keep off the rain? Even a plastic bag will help as long as you remove it if the sun comes out.

Beets are either monogerm or multigerm. The ones you have are multigerm which means that 1-5 plants come from one seed. You always have to cull all but one. Too late now as culling the smallest three will disturb the roots of the fourth and cause it to stop growing.

Tomato plants get stunted at anything below 10 degrees Celsius so take precautions of the temperatures get anywhere close to that.

I wouldn't waste your time on T&T tomatoes. That isn't even a variety of tomato, it's the name of a seed company from Manitoba. Looks like they grew a few large (anonymous variety) tomatoes and called the seeds T & T. Grow the DeMars seeds. Lots of time. I won't be starting my seeds till next week or even a week later. Better to have your plants grow steadily from start to finish than to have them deal with cold for a while.

I signed up. Had a few 5.95 Konieczny seeds lying around, so might as well put to use.

Growing Giant Vegetables Series: Brad Wursten ​ Beetroot: Download PDF

Mike Aasman is a GVGO grower who lives in Guelph. Might want to get in touch with him. He has/had a diary on www.bigpumpkins.com and has the nickname City Farmer. If you click the little envelope before his name, you will find his email address. http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=233998

The seeds for the European growers will be mailed from The Netherlands this coming week.

There will be an article in the next newsletter about Lithovit and where you can buy it. If you contact Phil Hunt, he can hook you up ahead of time.

Well done. Didn't see that one coming.

Great job John. Too bad they didn't enter it into the GPC list along with several other entries including the long gourds.

Seems to be netting to me, so I would rule it a squash.

I agree with Chris.

It depends on the temperature how long they grow. This year we had several days in the 90-100s and they are maturing much faster and are at least 3 or 4 inches shorter. In cooler weather they just keep on going. It takes ages before they are totally ripe. If they are green now they should make Port Elgin.

I have grown two on the same plant a few times, setting the second one once the first one is ripening. The second one was always considerably smaller. Basically I just grow a main vine and get rid of all the side vines, as do most giant cuke growers. I try to grow the cucumber about 3 to 4 feet up the main (possibly on a side shoot). Moisten the leaves of the cucumber plant as much as possible to prevent mosaic virus. Then spray a 1 part milk/9 part water solution on the plant once a week to prevent mildew which is caused by wet leaves.

108 Nieuwenhoff bushel gourd. Perhaps one of the first times a bushel gourd has been grown inside. All the other giant veg is up and running.

There's even a professional Dutch pepper grower trying them this year, but with his own seeds. I'm going with his seeds, John's and some Polish ones.

Sorry to hear this. I spent quite a bit of time emailing him this winter and he was going for a new US sunflower record in 2018. He didn't mention he was terminally ill.