If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you will be aware of a post where I showed a picture of my suggestively shaped tromboncino squash which was growing in the back garden. It’s a beast and I can now happily inform you – the beast is in captivity (he’s been harvested!)

I cut back a few of the leaves which looked like they were dying back anyway and found a few smaller fruits, which can be used like courgettes.

Then I saw him.

I took my secateurs and carefully cut with one hand while I tried to hold him securely with the other hand. At the final snip, I got quite the surprise as I wasn’t expecting such a weight to be in my hand!

I found out that if I left him to grow till now, he would change colour from light green to orange, as the courgette becomes more like a squash. That process is starting now but we are at  risk of frost so I decided to bring him indoors to finish his transformation! Before you read the final results, please bear in mind he was growing in a cardboard box and was draped over a plastic garden chair.

Here is ‘the beast’ with his weight:

I had to put him on an ice cream tub as he was touching the ground without it. So the final weight is 1686g or 3.712 lbs!

In case you were wondering, the length is approx 50 cm or 19.5″ (and no, I have not decided what to do with him yet but I will be keeping some of the seeds!)