Newport Man Sets New Record for Largest Swede Root at 96 lbs

In this small island known as the Isle of Wight south of England, Ian Neale has literally outdone himself by breaking his world record for growing the largest swede (yellow rutabaga) at 43.6 kilos or just over 96 lbs. By English weights, the root is nearly 7 stone!

So what's his secret for growing the world's largest edible swede? In part, the home field advantage. Neale says where you grow the root has just much to do with its eventual size so those attempting to grow large swedes should not lose heart if their terrain doesn't support larger size roots. He says that in his yard, he cannot grow leaks at all.

Neale recommends gardeners purchase a polythene tunnel to protect their vegetables from the elements. He says that protection is a key to growing large roots. Quality fertilizer helps the roots grow as well. However, he cautions that he has a secret or two that lead to his monster size swedes, but he isn't sharing them any time soon. Neale did confess that he will make his secrets known before his life is over. Needless to say, his record breaking swede took first prize at the Malvern Show this weekend.

[caption id="attachment_69788" align="aligncenter" width="480"] ian Neale Grows giant swede Root photo courtesy Seedambassadors wiki commons[/caption]

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