Man shares secrets behind growing vegetables that are taller than kids

“If you’re going for the heaviest tomato, you’ll probably remove the other tomatoes on the plant to get one very heavy one.

“With normal growing, you’d have a steady crop through the summer, and you’d harvest many.

“With giants, you often don’t harvest any during the season, you allow one to get huge, and then harvest it right at the end,” he added.

Sardana initially focused on carrots – which grew to 1.3m (4.3ft) in length – alongside aubergines, cucumbers, beetroot and marrows.

Earlier this year, he planted chillies, which are currently more than 39cm (15in) long.

He also grew 7kg (15lb) cantaloupe melons, but they were overripe and could not be entered into competition.

Sardana said he was “proudest” of his giant watermelon crop, which he was able to grow “very easily” amid the record-breaking heat over the summer.