Pumpkin on the patch

By Bridget Brady
THERE is something in the soil at Pio Qualizza’s place.
The 80-year-old was the proud winner of the heaviest pumpkin award at the Red Hill Show on 27 March.
Mr Qualizza said the pumpkin, weighing in at 50kg, was smaller than some of his previous pumpkins.
“This year was very hard with no rain. Two years ago I had 72kg and before that 100kg,” he said.
The Cranbourne South resident gets up at 6am every morning to water his pumpkins and potter around in his two-hectare “secret garden”.
Mr Qualizza also grows fruit trees, tomatoes, beans, salad and grapes for wine. He said there was no real secret to growing large vegetables, but horse manure made good fertiliser.
His wife, Filomena, said it was natural to grow fresh produce.
“We love growing our own vegetables and fruit here. This is our paradise,” Mrs Qualozza said.
The first prize at Red Hill was not the first accolade the Italian-born father of four has received for his home-grown goodness.
He has also won several awards for the heaviest zucchini, including first prize at the Australasian Giant Pumpkin and Vegetable Competition in 1998.
“If I’m fit I’ll keep growing and I’ll hope for a better year next year.”
Mr Qualozza moved to Australia from Italy with his wife when he was 29 and said there was no other place he would rather be than in his garden at Cranbourne South.