Gardening provides a range of benefits, helping to decrease stress, increase physical activity, and improve our air quality. And, every once in a while, you might just surprise yourself with the fruits of your labor.
One Redditor took to the platform to share a picture of a massive beet found in the vegetable patch at their grandparents' house.
The root vegetable, which measured well over five inches in diameter, was posted to the r/AbsoluteUnits subreddit.
According to Green Upside, the average size of a beet is between two and three inches in diameter.
"That looks like it could be from an alien planet," a Redditor commented. "At first glance I thought that was a moldy spider nest in a pizza box," another said.
The Guinness Book of World Records has listed the world's heaviest beet at almost 24 kilograms (52 pounds and 14 ounces). It was grown by Jamie Courtney-Fortey, Gareth Fortey, Marjorie Fortey, and Kevin Fortey in Gwent, Wales, in 2019.
Unfortunately, Guinness does not list the diameter of the record-holding root, and the Redditor didn't post the weight of theirs, making comparison difficult. But judging by the look of the 52-pound monster, it has the Redditor's beat.
The world record for the heaviest beetroot is 23.995 kg (52 lb 14 oz). It was achieved by Welsh family Jamie Courtney-Fortey, Gareth Fortey, Marjorie Fortey and Kevin Fortey, as verified on 23 May 2019. They grew it in their garden in Cwmbran, Gwent, Wales https://t.co/6SjVrJsOD2 pic.twitter.com/0HyQ07FK1i
— Trivia Encyclopedia (@edpearce080759) May 23, 2023
But size isn't everything. Green Upside noted that the larger a beet gets, the tougher it becomes, making it more difficult to eat. So beets should be harvested before they get too large.
It's likely the Redditor's grandparents were thrilled with the unusual find, but the process of gardening may have provided them with enough joy anyway.
According to a study from the University of Colorado, gardeners are healthier than people who don't engage in such activity. The community gardening group in the study had an average of 42 minutes more of physical activity a week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that one of the benefits of exercise is a reduction in the risk of depression and anxiety.
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