It was a sad day last month when we had to say goodbye to Scott after six years. We are very grateful to have had him on board at Efford since the beginning! Scott’s hard work and dedication is a key part of our success and growth. His unstinting drive and humour will be missed by staff and customers alike. Best wishes Scotty on your new adventure!
We are grateful for the support of the EU agricultural fund for its assistance through a Countryside Productivity Small Grant in the implementation of improvements to our Irrigation and nutrition control systems with the addition of weather stations, chlorophyll monitoring and data communication across the nursery.
The weather station now provides the nursery the most accurate control and calculations using its sensors for rain, temperature, light – solar and UV, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. The individual sensors of the weather station can also operate independently of each other to control the irrigation.
Adjacent to Mr Evergreen in Lymington are Karl’s good friends at Pinetops Nursery. And twins Ian and Stuart Paton who run Pinetops have just broken their own U.K. record for growing the largest ever pumpkin! With the help of Mr Evergreen’s Scott Mackenzie, their contender was hoisted onto special scales at their own private weigh-in event this October to face a panel of three independent judges. Weighing in at a whopping 2,593.7lb / 185-stone, with a circumference of about 20ft, they have smashed their own previous U.K. title of 2,433lb! This exciting weigh-in was just 31lb shy of the world record, but it’s a new British record and they are 2020 Champions. The brothers have grown and cultivated pumpkins since they were young boys, and are looking forward to smashing the coveted world record one day soon.
This year their prize pumpkin grew an astonishing average of 51lb a day for 21 days by the end, requiring about six hours a day personal attention from the men. The pair already held the U.K. record for their 2,433lb pumpkin which they grew in their nursery in 2018 and speaking after the weigh-in Ian said, ‘I first grew a pumpkin aged about 11 and it weighed 56lb. Now ours grow that much in a day, they’re incredible beasts.’
Their champion pumpkin will be displayed in the Old Covent Garden in London leading up to Halloween, after which it will travel to raise money for charity. Keep checking back for more news and updates.
