A head of cabbage that weighs nearly 70 kg is not uncommon in a certain region of the United States. Here you can find out where and why the vegetables grow so big there.
In the small, tranquil town of Palmer in the US state of Alaska, there is a vegetable show that has it all. Yes, you read that right: Alaska. Real giant vegetables grow in the fields in the far north of the United States. The Matanuska-Susitna Valley in particular is known for its extremely large crops.
Huge vegetables
The vegetables look like from a magical world from the past. At the sight of the gigantic pumpkins, cabbages, broccoli and zucchini, one would not even be surprised if In the background long-extinct creatures would pass by, the vegetables seem so unreally huge Viewer. And somehow you also ask yourself how on earth these fruits could get so big here in the cool north?
The power of the sun
The solution to the riddle lies in the sun. At first glance, that might sound surprising, as this region of the world is not exactly known for its warm and sunny climate. And it is also the case that the gardening season in Alaska is also one of the shortest in the world due to the short summers. In the few months of summer, however, the sun really hits. She then pampers people and nature for a full 19 hours a day during the summer months, which of course also has an impact on agriculture.
Big and cute
Because the plants put the amount of sunlight into their growth, which is why some of the largest vegetables in the world grow in this region of the world. However, the sun has another effect on the vegetables: they taste much sweeter. Since the plants are exposed to direct sunlight for most of the day, they can be undisturbed Produce sugar, which is then not fully converted into starch in the few hours of the night can be. This gives the giant vegetables from Alaska an extra sweetness.
The actually quite remote region around the Matanuska-Susitna Valley has its huge vegetables in the Gained in popularity in the past few years and the gigantic fruits become one of their attractions made. If you want to see this with your own eyes, you should take the trip to Palmer.
Also ours are record-breaking 5 fastest growing plants the world, which you can find here in our special article.