Boy grows pumpkin seven times his own size

Max Jones has grown a pumpkin seven times his own weight. Picture: Ross Parry Agency

Green-fingered Max Jones spent seven months cultivating the 308lbs (22st) specimen in his parents’ greenhouse.

Despite his tender age, he is already a veteran of giant veg after producing a 12st pumpkin at the age of three and a 14-and-a-half stone giant last year.

His latest specimen was produced with Atlantic Giant seeds which were sent to him by an elderly lady in Canada who had read about his previous attempts.

Barbra Stock, of Prince Edward County, on an island in Lake Ontario, sent a letter to Max’s family farm in Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

“I was so delighted to read about your efforts to grow your pumpkin that I wanted to congratulate you,” she wrote.

“Here, we grow some of the largest pumpkins in Canada.”

Max planted the seeds indoors at the end of March and later transferred it to a greenhouse.

He covered it up every night to keep away the worst excesses of cold weather and pollinated the plant’s flowers by hand before the bees were out to give it an early start.

“Max is in the greenhouse almost every night when he comes home from school,” said mum Jane Jones, 42.

“He likes helping out with plants and he loves having mucky fingers. Anyone who comes to our house has to go to the greenhouse to see his pumpkins.

“He had no idea how big the pumpkin would get. He was hoping to beat last year’s record but it all depends on how long it takes to grow.”

His dad Bob, 44, said: “Originally the pumpkin growing started with Max’s older brother George, who began at the age of three, the same age as when Max first started growing.

“Max’s sister Lucy also got involved, and it started out as a bit of fun between the children.

“But it always seemed to be Max who grew the biggest pumpkin of the lot, much to the dismay of the others.

“The elderly lady sent us some seeds from a huge pumpkin over there, so Max planted them in the March and we sat and waited for it to grow.”

The pumpkin will now be on display in the family’s garden shop in the weeks running up to Halloween.