How to Grow Giant Vegetables
Growing giant vegetables may not produce any culinary delicacies, but it's an unusual activity that the whole family can enjoy. Clear a space in your garden for a whopper crop, and you can raise a giant vegetable that is county fair-worthy, if not world record- breaking. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Nitrogen fertilizer
- Phosphorus fertilizer
- Potassium fertilizer
- Compost tea
- Drip irrigation
- Burlap
- Weed fabric
Instructions
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1
Feed the soil. Leafy vegetables like cabbages require a high nitrogen fertilizer. Choose fertilizers with high phosphorus content before plants are pollinated, and a high potassium content after fruit set. Organic gardeners must water daily with compost tea.
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2
Choose giant growing varieties. You can plant Big Zac tomatoes, Atlantic Giant pumpkins, Oxheart carrots, Tropic Giant cabbages, Giant Cobb Gem watermelons and Giant Silo corn.
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3
Save seeds from the largest vegetables you grew the previous year. This way you will steadily improve the genetic ability of the plant to grow larger season after season. Note that this only works if you are saving seed from non-hybrid varieties.
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4
Water the vegetable plants with drip irrigation. Giant vegetables need a great deal of water to reach their maximum size. A slow supply of water to the root system is more effective than large amounts of water delivered infrequently, which can cause stress and cracking in the vegetable.
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5
Remove all of the vegetables from the plant except for the intended giant one. This allows all of the nutrients from the plant to feed the giant vegetable only.
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6
Place a protective mat under the giant vegetable as it increases in size. This decreases the chances of rot or pests from claiming your prize. Use a material that permits water to drain away from the vegetable, such as burlap or weed fabric.
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7
Control pests and diseases vigilantly. A plant weakened by insect or disease infestation cannot produce a superior giant vegetable. Check the plant twice a day and hand-pick any beetles or caterpillars. Practice crop rotation and give plants ample space to keep diseases in check.
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