They Came From Outer Space

Finally, The Great Pumpkin arrives:

Swollen to ten times their normal size and weighing more than an average man, these giant pumpkins would not look out of place in a science fiction film.

And it’s no wonder that they look out of this world, because the seeds from which these monster vegetables were grown spent two weeks orbiting the earth.

On their return they were cultivated in giant Chinese hothouses producing the oversized specimens pictured here, along with a host of other fruit and vegetables.

Scientist hope the pumpkins, as well as two-foot long (06.m) cucumbers, 14lb (6.3kg) aubergines, and chilli plants which resemble small trees, could provide an answer to the world’s food crisis.

....How sending seeds into space produces such enormous fruit is yet not fully understood, but it is thought cosmic radiation, micro-gravity and magnetic fields may play a part.