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Wiltshire College is hoping to break giant lemon record

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Giant lemon at Wiltshire College, Lackham
Image caption,

Wiltshire College, Lackham holds the British record for the largest lemon

A college in Wiltshire is hoping to reclaim its world record title by growing a giant lemon.

In 1989, grew a fruit that weighed 4.8kg (10lb 9oz) and had a girth of 80cm (31.5in).

The giant lemon held the record for 14 years until it lost it to a 5.27kg (11lb 10oz) lemon grown in Israel.

"Our largest fruit this year is smaller than the current world record at the moment," said grounds manager Stan Rawlings.

"But it is still growing."

Average lemons weigh approximately 150g (5.25 oz).

The lemons grown on the 38 year-old citrus tree at the college's Lackham Campus are almost 12 times the size.

"It's probably produced about 30 giant lemons this year already," said Mr Rawlings.

"And some of the fruit that has fallen has weighed between 1-2kg (approximately 2-4lb)."

Giant crop

The tree is housed in the greenhouses within the college's 200-year-old walled garden.

The age of the tree, a feed supplement and a "good mulch of farm manure" is believed to be behind the tree's giant lemon crop.

"We seem to have got it right and it's producing really well," said Mr Rawlings.

"We did attempt to go for the record again at Christmas with a seven and a half pounder but it dropped.

"But we're hoping that later on in the season we might have a go at breaking the record again."

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