Every year at the Bream Creek Show crowds gather in awe as record-breaking monster vegetables are weighed in.
One of Tasmania's favourite country events, the show would have been held last Saturday but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Sorell farmer Shane Newitt has not let the show's cancellation get in the way of celebrating his latest prized giant pumpkin.
While the pumpkin came in 17 kilograms lighter than the 553.5-kilogram record he set last year, he is still happy.
"It's been a really tough year and I'm quite happy with the result, considering what unfolded in the season," he said.
Mr Newitt decided to still formally weigh the pumpkin and has put it on display at a Sorell fruit and vegetable shop.
He planted the Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds in October and in some weeks he put in 40 hours of love and attention.
"It's a six-month journey from start to finish," he said.
"A lot of effort goes into growing the plant."
Hooked on giant veg
While Mr Newitt stills holds the Tasmanian record for a giant pumpkin, he has got his eye on bigger accolades.
"I'm striving to be the first one to grow 1,000kg in the southern part of the world," he said.
Giant vegetable growers have formed a friendship network and Mr Newitt considers Australian record holder Dale Oliver (743kg) and Southern Hemisphere record holder Tim Harris (808kg) his mates.
"We're pushing each other to get better and improve," he said.
Mr Newitt got involved in giant vegetable growing after his daughters Jessica and Bella wanted to give it a try.
The girls currently hold the junior growing record of 362kg.
"I ended up getting hooked myself," he said.
"I do it to convey growing knowledge on soil profiles.
"It's understanding the balance in your soil profile and being able to adjust those accordingly with the correct nutrients."
Tassie's temperature a challenge
Tasmania's climate has been the main challenge Mr Newitt has faced when growing monster pumpkins.
"My soil profile is pristine, it's just the temperature we're fighting," he said.
"Tassie has a really bad climate to grow these pumpkin.
"There's too many variables. The temperature drops on summer nights, and of course there's extreme heat in summer. We get too many fluctuations."
He identified temperature management as the main improvement.
"I need to run some way of cooling the area where the plant is, keeping it cool, and then getting that temperature up in the night," he said.
Mr Newitt's pumpkin was grown in what he describes as a 'pumpkin cocoon', even using a heater at times to keep it warm.
Now that it is harvested and weighed, he will clean the patches out.
"I'll sow them down with green manure crops, oats, lupins, peas, and some mustard and let that grow wild over winter," he said.
"We'll chop that back in early spring."
For the time being the pumpkin is on display at the Country Fresh shop in Sorell.
"For all those who missed the show they can come along and have a look at the pumpkin," Mr Newitt said.
