By Tate Papworth
A St Albans man couldn’t believe his eyes when he uncovered a giant sweet potato from his neglected garden bed.
Gus Favola planted a crop of sweet potato a number of years ago and had left the garden to its own devices since.
“I obviously missed a few smaller ones after I harvested my first crop,” he said.
“They’d just been sitting in the garden – I and hadn’t done much, in fact I’d left them, even things like water was only what it got from the sky.
“They eventually took over the whole garden and I went to harvest them because they were spilling over to my lawn.”
Mr Favola’s neglect proved to be a gardening masterstroke.
“The top of the potato was poking out so I cleaned around it and as I dug it just kept getting bigger and bigger.
“I haven’t officially weighed it, but I’d guess it’s around 10 kilograms, which is a little off the record of 38 kilograms from over in Spain.”
As for what to do with the prized potato, Mr Favola hopes it can go to those who need it most.
“It’s far too big for me to eat. I’m hoping a kitchen or from a place that helps those in need might want it, they keep for about six months.”
He said he hopes to harvest again next year.
“What I’ve missed will grow again this spring. Not sure how much I’ll get. If conditions are right, it’ll grow next year.”
