Who grew the largest potato in the world and what it looks like
Gardeners and farmers often compete to grow the most outstanding fruit or vegetable. Some achieve incredible success in this matter - the whole world begins to talk about them. Their record-breaking giants are simply amazing. Today you will find out who grew the largest potatoes in the world and how to achieve such success yourself.
Record potato size
Title "The largest potato in the world" since 2008 belongs to a vegetable weighing 11 kg 200 g.
The Farmer Who Raised a Giant
The record holder was raised by farmer Khalil Semhat from Saudi Arabia., overtaking European and American vegetable growers. Khalil and his huge potato are listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The size of the vegetable is equal to the girth of three human heads. Variety – yam (sweet potato).
The Arabian surpassed the previous achievement of the Englishman in 1975, growing a vegetable three kilograms heavier. Khalil himself admits that he did not expect to unearth such a huge tuber on his site and was quite surprised when he weighed this “monster.”
The most popular question that the record holder now hears is how he managed to grow such potatoes and what he fertilized them with. However, professionals will be disappointed: Semhat did not use “secret technologies.” Moreover, the farmer admitted that he did not fertilize the vegetable and did not even take special care of it. The potatoes grew on their own, and this is what came out of it. Such huge potatoes can feed an entire village! The size of the harvest is amazing even in the photo.
After becoming a celebrity, Khalil Semhat became even more interested in vegetable growing. Now his harvest is particularly popular with buyers, and the farmer himself continues to actively grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. Perhaps the Arabian hopes to find another record holder in his garden.
Second largest potato
For a long time, the championship title was held by potatoes grown Englishman Peter Glazebrook. However, compared to the modern record holder, his competitor had a modest size - 8 kg 730. The Briton presented his vegetable at the National Gardening Exhibition in 2010.
After achieving success and fame, the inspired gardener set out to break his own record. The 66-year-old gardener shares his secrets with others. Unlike Semhat, who let the vegetable grow by itself, Peter believes that it is important to carefully select planting material and observe some of the nuances of cultivation. It takes a lot of effort to get the world's largest potato.
Today, a British farmer can easily be called a professional in growing giant vegetables. His achievements were not limited to potatoes. Over the past 10 years, Peter has grown:
- carrots 5 m long;
- parsnips weighing 16 kg;
- a huge beet 6.5 m.
Third place
Until 2010, the palm was held by another British farmer, K. Sloan. His potatoes weighing 3 kg 500 g were considered the largest and was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 1975.
Interesting things on the site:
Russian records
Russia sees record potato yields. A resident of the Kemerovo region, V. G. Gorelov, was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 1989.The potato yield on his plot was 14 kg/m².
The largest varieties of potatoes
More than 270 types of potatoes are registered in the register of vegetable crops. There are also large-sized varieties among them.
Gulliver
Gulliver – one of the youngest potato varieties. It was officially registered and allowed for sale in 2018.
The variety is characterized by high productivity. On one bush, from 5 to 11 potatoes ripen at the same time. It is very popular due to its unpretentiousness (grows at high temperatures and drought) and resistance to various kinds of potato diseases. Gulliver ripens early: the first harvest is dug up 45 days after planting.
The tuber has an oblong shape and weighs from 150 g. From one bush you can get about 2 kg of vegetables. The yield of healthy potatoes is 98%, keeping quality is 95%.
Reviews
It's rare to hear a bad review about Gulliver potatoes. It is called a kind of elite among potato varieties due to its yield, unpretentiousness and taste.
Elizaveta, 32 years old: “Our family cannot live without potatoes, so we really like the early Gulliver variety. At the beginning of June, old potatoes from the cellar do not taste very good, because they have been sitting there all winter. But the new one is swept off the table in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, the soil on our site is not very good, so we try to fertilize it abundantly, add lime and dolomite flour. Otherwise, the potatoes will grow small and tasteless.".
Nina, 44 years old: “For beginners and inexperienced gardeners, of which I consider myself, the Gulliver variety is the best option. It grows quickly, is easy to care for, and produces a large harvest. Previously, I tried to grow other varieties, but they either got sick or didn’t produce a harvest.I was pleasantly surprised that Gulliver is also suitable for long-term storage. There is such a big harvest that you can’t live without it.”.
Description of other large varieties
No less Other varieties are popular large potatoes:
- Idaho. It is distinguished by its large size and regular shape. It is from it that chips, wedges, French fries, etc. are prepared. It has high yield and immunity to many diseases. Nutritious and healthy due to the content of large amounts of starch and carbohydrates.
Bellarosa (on the picture). The variety is grown in Russia, Belarus, Poland and Slovakia. Its distinctive feature is its large size. The tuber can reach 500-600 g, especially with regular watering. The variety is early ripening, so in the southern region they manage to harvest 2 crops per season.- Gala. Mid-ripening potatoes are yellow in color and large in size - up to 400 g. An average of 5-6 potatoes ripen under one bush. The yield is high, with 85% of the tubers being large. The variety is resistant to diseases.
- Luck. An elite variety that requires careful care, regular watering and a large amount of fertilizer. But he generously rewards the gardener for careful care - the potatoes grow up to 400 g (the record is 4.2 kg). Easily tolerates low and high temperatures. Up to 25 tubers ripen on one bush.
- Rosara. An early ripening variety with a high starch content. The weight of one potato is from 150 g. Under one bush there are up to 20-30 tubers. The variety loves abundant watering and is resistant to fungal diseases.
Read also:
How dangerous are potatoes and can you get poisoned by them?
How to grow large potatoes yourself
If you want to compete for the championship in growing the largest potato, It is recommended to follow these tips:
- Select tubers before planting. Try to use only large, whole, sprouted and strong potatoes as planting material.
- Monitor the temperature. Potatoes do not like heat and do not tolerate cold weather well.
- Arrange potato beds from north to south. This will allow the crop to receive more sunlight.
- Use mineral fertilizers as top dressing: potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Professional agronomists also recommend using slurry or an aqueous solution of bird droppings.
- Monitor moisture levels. The need for watering depends on the stage of potato ripening: young and faded potatoes do not need abundant moisture. But during the flowering period, potatoes require watering.
- Do not grow it in soil after peppers, eggplants and tomatoes.
- Adjust the depth of the holes depending on the soil type. The lighter the soil, the deeper you bury the tubers: in loamy soils - 5 cm, on sandstone - up to 15 cm.
- Grow potatoes in one field no more than once every 2-3 years. It is best to plant it in place of grain crops, cabbage, cucumbers or beets.
Conclusion
An ordinary potato can really surprise you - just remember the giant record holder weighing more than 11 kg. To grow large potatoes and compete, it is important to choose the right variety and follow vegetable care guidelines.