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Ed Gaslard has been building up his backyard gardens productivity for years, but this seasons harvest yielded something far beyond his expectations.
The Port au Choix resident began his vegetable garden about seven or eight years ago, growing the standard variety of crops that tend to do well in Newfoundland and Labrador: potatoes, carrots, beets, onions and turnip.
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In August, he noticed one of the turnips in his garden had broken through the soil surface and seemed to be larger than any of the others in the plot.
On Nov. 16, he finally decided to dig up the standout turnip, not knowing the full surprise that lurked underground.
It started coming up pretty good, but I didnt realize that it was so big until I dug it up, he said.
Big is a bit of an understatement.
When Gaslard put it on the scales, his prodigious rutabaga weighed in at a whopping 22.59 pounds.
He also had a great harvest of large carrots and his beets came in early, but nothing was as impressive as this tremendous turnip.
Help from the sea
Gaslard figures its seaweed that helps things in his garden grow.
Every year, he gathers kelp from the nearby seashore and uses it to amend the soil and fertilize the garden, including adding juice from the marine vegetation throughout the growing season.
Still, he never imagined doing any of the things he does regularly would produce the prize turnip that unexpectedly burgeoned in his garden this year.
Given that the rest of his turnips were average-sized, weighing in at around four or five pounds each, he figured it likely was the seed itself that carried the giant genes that found a conducive home in his garden.
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Its hard to say because I put the same amount of seed in every hole, he said. I really dont know why that one grew so big. I guess this kind of thing happens from time to time.
Inquiring minds
Gaslard has had a few friends tease him about his oversized turnip, but most people have been asking him how he grew it.
There have been a few comments on it, but people have mostly been asking what sort of fertilizer I used, he said.
Kelp is more natural than (store-bought) fertilizer. Use too much of that (store-bought fertilizer) and it burns up the seed. So, I try to use kelp for small seeds.
Lots of meals
The other common question hes been getting concerns what his plans are for the turnip.
His daughter Megan Gaslard made a social media post about her dads garden gargantuan, noting that shes never had a turkey that humongous.
Maybe Ill have to stuff it for Christmas dinner, her father joked when asked about the turnips fate.
Gaslard said he hasnt put a lot of thought into it yet, but figures hell be slicing up the turnip to make sure it is edible all the way through, then bagging it up.
It seems pretty solid, so it should be good to eat, he figured. We should get lots of meals out of it.
Wait until next year
Three days after his unforgettable harvest, Gaslard was back in the garden.
As he added more kelp in anticipation of the next growing season, he wondered if the harvest to come might have any pleasant surprises in store.
Well have to wait until next year and see what goes on, he said.
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