A pumpkin weighing 774.50 kg wins the Incredible Vegetables in Vendée competition
On the 28th September in La Roche-sur-Yon, Incredible Vegetables Day brought the largest specimens to the Extraordinary Vegetable Garden.
There was a crowd on this beautiful sunny Sunday Extraordinary vegetable garden has La Roche-sur-Yon, with more than 2,000 people on the clock. At 4 p.m., the queue reached another 200 visitors waiting before entering. The central attraction of the day was the competition for the biggest extraordinary vegetables. “There are several competitions in our country, but we are the only ones to be approved by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, to validate weight and height measurements”, explains Baptiste Pierre, director of the Extraordinary Vegetable Garden Conservatory.
25 competitors competing
This year they were 25 competitors to compete, coming from all over France. A few years ago, challengers even crossed the Channel or the Pyrenees to take part in the events. Records for the heaviest pumpkin have continued to fall since the creation of the event. A modest 80 kilos in 1998, but 354 kilos in 2001, 466 kilos in 2004, 702 kilos in 2018, 768 kilos in 2020, 984 kilos in 2022. This year’s performance will have exceeded that of 2020, with 774.5 kilos. To achieve such dimensions, it is not necessary to use chemical fertilizers. Manure, compost and other natural methods make them just as, if not better, fattening. “But the vegetable does not always accept being forced. Not enough watering, it stagnates. Too much water and it bursts,’ comments Baptiste Pierre.
A giant pumpkin intended to be shared
Samuel Brault is one of those passionate amateur gardeners who began coming to the Extraordinary Vegetable Garden 13 years ago, every first Sunday in October, the date of this annual meeting. Living in La Manche, for nothing in the world would he miss this meeting where he meets his competitors and nevertheless friends each time, in a festive spirit. Record holder for zucchini in 2021 and gourde in 2022, he entered most categories of the 2025 competition. He recognizes it, his passion has become almost an addiction. “I pollinated my pumpkin on the morning of June 22 and picked it after 97 days”, he explains. Her baby, as he calls her, was weighed 603.5 kilos. More modest, his squash reached 290.50 kilos. The trickiest part is then transporting them.A speed bump passed too suddenly and the vegetable can burst under the effect of the shock. If he resists the return trip, his pumpkin is already scheduled for the shopping center near his home. “After being exhibited for three weeks, I will be the one to come and cut it up and share it for tasting with customers for the Halloween party on October 31. “Enough to encourage him to continue growing his oversized vegetables on the 400 m² plot of land recently added to the modest 48 m family garden.”Enough to encourage him to continue growing his oversized vegetables on the 400 m² plot of land recently added to the modest 48 m family garden.”Enough to encourage him to continue growing his oversized vegetables on the 400 m² plot of land recently added to the modest 48 m family garden.
The extraordinary vegetable garden – Le potager extraordinaire, Route de Beautour in La Roche-sur-Yon, 02 51 46 67 83, www.potagerextraordinaire.com
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