Cabbage grower is real patch-tastic

GIANT cabbage grower Trevor Sallows is definitely a patch above the rest!

His capacious cabbage helped him scoop the prize for having the best allotment in Ipswich at the Ipswich Allotment Holders Association awards ceremony.

He said: "There is no secret. It is just an organic field. Cabbages like this do not come very often and this is the biggest so far."

Although way below the record for the biggest ever cabbage, the efforts of Mr Sallows, of Landseer Road, Ipswich, have certainly made a big impression.

Mr Sallows received the prestigious Jack Smith trophy and some gardening vouchers from Dave Epsom, of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners, at the ceremony at Ipswich town hall last Tuesday.

He said: "I do not know how big a cabbage grows because it is only my second time growing one. We have cut it up and shared it about. We got four quarters out of it and gave some to the neighbours."

Mr Sallows, 44, spends a lot of his spare time working on his Holywells allotment, on Cliff Lane, Ipswich, and is assisted by his wife, Tina, 40, and his three children, aged 17, 14 and nine.

Fast facts

The biggest cabbage ever grown weighed in at a massive 124 pounds, nearly 9 stone. It was over 6 feet in diameter.

Cabbage plants can withstand temperatures of –10 degrees centigrade.

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts and Cauliflower are all members of the cabbage family.

That bad cabbagey smell comes from sulphurous compounds released by the cooking process. Eat it raw to avoid the smell.

Cabbage has been cultivated by humans for over 4,000 years

Cabbage is a true health food, providing Calcium, Potassium and Vitamins A and C.

For centuries pickled cabbage was a staple of the winter diet in Eastern Europe and Korea. Sauerkraut and Korean Kimchee provided essential vitamins during the harsh winter months.

Source: Evening Star files