Tom Dudka is at it again.
The Linacy resident and master of growing huge pumpkins is getting ready for competition and has four big ones he’s bringing along in his backyard: Trump, Trudeau, Putin and Kim Jong-un.
“Trump’s winning right now,” said Dudka, pointing to the orange-coloured pumpkin – appropriate, one could say – which grew 32 pounds in a 24-hour period last week.
Meanwhile, Trudeau is more of a white-ish colour, and Dudka assures a visitor that the pumpkin’s outer skin is firm, not soft and gooey.
Kim Jong-un is behind the rest, he says; it hasn’t been growing as long as the others because Dudka’s first attempt, in his own words, “was aborted.” We won’t go there.
“He’s 10 days younger than the rest.”
The largest pumpkin Dudka ever grew was 991 pounds and he thinks Trump might beat that, if he doesn’t fall apart before the end of September. He plans to enter the pumpkins in the giant pumpkin competition held every year in Windsor.
“In a day and a half, Trump grew 72 pounds – and that’s not fake news – and I think he’s gonna surpass,” the 991-pound personal best, Dudka said.
“But ’ya know, they could split tomorrow – if they grow too fast.”
Dudka grows these as a hobby and is starting to branch out; he began growing cucumbers this year for the first time and planted four seeds about six weeks ago. Two of those are growing at a prodigious clip and as of Aug. 16, were about 29 inches longs.
“I don’t really know what I’m doing with the cucumbers, but the Canadian record is 16 pounds,” says Dudka, whose daughter Heidi is getting into growing giant pumpkins, “…following in my footsteps.”
Dudka was asked if he could estimate how much the cukes weigh.
“Rough guess? I think they’re about 10 pounds right now. Next year, I’m gonna try giant watermelons.”
Weighing in:
As of Aug. 16:
Trump: 518 lbs:
Putin: 403 lbs.
Trudeau: 341 lbs.
Kim Jong-un: 222 lbs.
