Damien Allard, a resident of Carleton-sur-Mer, Quebec (Canada), has accomplished a remarkable feat by cultivating three of the largest radishes in the world after a year of relentless effort. Mr. Allard carefully nurtured the seeds, which sprouted in the spring of 2020, leading to the harvest of three colossal turnips in early November of the same year, weighing 22.9 kg, 24.4 kg, and 29 kg respectively.
Eager to establish his achievement, he submitted his record-breaking radishes to Guinness World Records, and his submission was duly approved. In November 2020, Guinness officially recognized Damien Allard’s 29 kg radish from Canada as the heaviest radish in the world, a moment captured in a photo by Isabelle Larose.
With dimensions measuring 138 cm in circumference, 35 cm in height, and 46 cm in width, Allard’s gigantic radish has been officially acknowledged as the largest radish ever recorded. The previous record was held by a 17.7 kg turnip tree discovered in Alaska (USA) back in 2004.
In an interview with local media, Mr. Allard expressed his joy, saying, “With nearly 8 billion people on Earth, I am the only one who has grown such an enormous radish. I am extremely happy. I have been working hard on my radish garden for two years. I thought this year would break the record, but I never imagined that my radish would weigh over 10 kg.”
The weighing process was meticulously carried out with two witnesses supervising the placement of the giant radish on the scale, as documented by Isabelle Larose.
Radish seeds were procured from a local store and planted in early spring. The potting soil used for planting is rich in urea and incorporates 400 liters of compost. Mr. Allard takes great care of the plants throughout the maturation process, ensuring the soil remains well-balanced and avoids acidity.
“I have to protect the plants during spring because there are a few freezing nights. I water them with soluble fertilizer throughout the summer. On clear days, the circumference of the turnips increases by 1-2 cm per day,” he shared.
The inspiration to cultivate large vegetables came to Allard in 2016 when he unearthed a 7 kg turnip. This prompted him to research the existing world record and set his sights on surpassing it. In 2019, Damien harvested a turnip weighing 15.5 kg, inching closer to the record that stood at 17.7 kg at the time.
Having achieved the world record, Damien Allard now challenges his neighbors, saying, “I call upon all the people of Gaspe to break the record next year. As for me, I have already done it.”
Damien Allard’s dedication and perseverance have catapulted him into the annals of radish-growing history, forever etching his name as the master of gargantuan radishes.