As the world fell into quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people started cultivating new hobbies such as baking or painting. For Douglas Smith, a UK resident, it meant getting an opportunity to focus on innovative plantation methods. As a result, Smith grew a tomato plant that produced 839 tomatoes on one stem in 2021.
Within a few months, he broke his own record.
On March 9, 2022, Guinness World Records officially approved that Smith surpassed his previous record after he grew another green-house grown plant that produced 1,269 tomatoes from one single truss. While the tomato plant was fully grown on September 27, 2021, it took weeks for the verification process to complete before formal record approval was given.
Smith announced the achievement on Twitter, much to the delight of horticulture enthusiasts around the world. “OMG!! I cannot even imagine that… what a lot of tomatoes 🍅😍👍”, a Twitter user wrote while congratulating Smith. Another person remarked, “What sorcery is this???? Incredible!!! Congratulations!”.
A new Guinness world record! Delighted to announce that my record 1,269 tomatoes on a single truss has just been approved. It breaks my own record of 839 from last year #nodig – https://t.co/IF0LH73iOa @GWR @craigglenday @MattOliver87 pic.twitter.com/QgPJP3NsFk
— Douglas Smith (@sweetpeasalads) March 9, 2022
What sorcery is this???? Incredible!!! Congratulations!
— 🌱Pene🤿🌻🐝🦀🦈🐋🦑🐔🦆 (@PenelopeIngle) March 9, 2022
Well done you
— Lee Maycock (@LeeMaycock1) March 10, 2022
In the bag! Congratulations Doug. What a day that was 🍅🍅🍅😂😴
— Matt Oliver (@MattOliver87) March 9, 2022
OMG!! I cannot even imagine that… what a lot of tomatoes 🍅😍👍
— Liz Beresford-Davis (@LiztheFizzyWhiz) March 10, 2022
Previously, Smith was in the news when he grew a massive 21-feet sunflower in the backyard of his Stanstead Abbotts home. The massive sunflower was as tall as his house.
Giant sunflower alert! 🌻 I think that’s about as far as it’s likely to go? The 4 year old said he wanted a giant one…
21ft 3 over the curve to tip of sepal. Just shy of 20ft in absolute terms. @TobyBuckland @TheMontyDon @frostatwork #GardenersWorld @HertsMercury #GrowHappy pic.twitter.com/HQrhYmAMgO
— Douglas Smith (@sweetpeasalads) July 25, 2020
In September 2020, he broke another food-related record after he grew the world’s heaviest tomato that weighed 3.1 kgs against the last record made by Peter Glazebrook of 2.8 kgs.
