Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => The Show Bench => Topic started by: veggieman on October 07, 2010, 08:47

Title: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: veggieman on October 07, 2010, 08:47

I decided to have a go at growing some "monster" (or should that be monstrous?) veggies up here on my windy hill in Shetland next growing season. I am inspired by a gardening programme my wife taped for me.
I have had very limited success in the local agricultural show here but want to have a go at the leeks, onions, cabbages, carrots and shallots to see if I can manage some really decent-sized ones.
I looked at a number of websites and have ordered the following seeds:

Leeks - Mammoth Blanch Leek RHS AGM (from Robinsons)
Onions - Mammoth Improved Onion (from Robinsons)
Cabbages- Robinson's Champion Giant Cabbage (stonehead)
Carrots - Sweet candle
Shallots - Ambition

Anyone here had experience of growing these large veggies and, in particular, these varieties?

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: DD. on October 07, 2010, 08:53

This sounds more suited to "The Show Bench", so I'll whizz it there.

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: veggieman on October 10, 2010, 08:40

Quote from: veggieman on October 07, 2010, 08:47

Anyone here had experience of growing these large veggies and, in particular, these varieties?

I take that as a no, then.
 :(

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: Jamie Butterworth on October 10, 2010, 08:50

Veggieman - i will be having a go aswell this year for the first time, i can tell you that i will be growing sweet candle carrots in raised beds full of sand with holes bored for compost, ill show you a link to the site i am copying :D

http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk/Exhibition-long-show-carrot.html (http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk/Exhibition-long-show-carrot.html)

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: veggieman on October 14, 2010, 14:36

Thanks, Jamie.
I found that excellent website the other day. Some really good pictures there although I didn't spot where the guy stated which varieties he was growing.

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: alibean on October 24, 2010, 16:51

I've been going to, although not showing at the National Gardening show in Shepton Mallet for the past couple of years.  Well worth a visit to anyone interested in growing giant veg - all the names are there... Mr Glazebrook, Mr Atherton, the Forteys etc.     

As for giant seeds I would recommend you do an internet search for Clive Bevan and order some seeds from him.  He supplies a lot of the giant veg growers and is a realy nice bloke too .... I managed a 10kg marrow and a 55cm runner bean last year with his stuff on a first attempt  (nowhere near the whoppers at the Giant veg show but we all have to start somewhere!)         Just don't enter my local show with the results:)

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: Kleftiwallah on October 24, 2010, 17:30

Have a shufi at "Medwin's of Anglesy",  Very knowledgeable and helpfull.   Cheers,   Tony.

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: DD. on October 24, 2010, 17:37

It's Medwyn, with a "y" not "i" and "Anglesea" not "Anglesy".

I think we've heard of him before.

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: gazzawill on October 25, 2010, 00:31

google  john soulsby of  kibblesworth gateshead  he has the  heaviest leek  world record  think his  web site  is  ( www.johnsoulsby.com)  not  100% tho  and  a good  bloke to deal with   has  giant  veg seeds and plants  along  with  quality leeks onion plants  etc  :) :)

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: philsmith1967 on November 09, 2010, 20:26

Clive Beven is a showman from Northants-think he has a website

Title: Re: Monster veggies - any recommendations?
Post by: Crusty on December 10, 2010, 18:11

Quote from: philsmith1967 on November 09, 2010, 20:26

Clive Beven is a showman from Northants-think he has a website

This is the one:

http://www.gardening-answers.co.uk/monster.php (http://www.gardening-answers.co.uk/monster.php)