It all begins
with a seed.
At GigaGenetics Akatsuka, we don’t just sell seeds. We pass on the urge to dare.
From a simple squash to a French record.
I didn’t start with records. I didn’t grow up in a family of giant-vegetable champions. At first, I was simply a passionate gardener.
It all started at the age of 25. Like many, I bought shop seeds to grow my vegetable patch. Among them was a simple Cucurbita maxima squash. I didn’t know it yet, but that plant would change the way I saw gardening.
Every morning, I found a plant bigger than the day before. Day after day, I watched that pumpkin grow, and the more it grew, the more one question kept coming back:
« How far can it go? »
That curiosity quickly became a passion. I began to read, observe and experiment — to understand what these extraordinary plants need and give them the best conditions to reach their full potential.
Over the years, this passion led me to meet France’s greatest giant-vegetable growers. Alongside them I learned an enormous amount: their experience, their advice and above all their mindset.
In 2021, I truly committed. I had found far more than a hobby: a family of enthusiasts. From then on, every season became a new chance to progress — pumpkins, but also giant sunflowers, tomatoes and watermelons, each with its own challenges.
Three seasons, four titles.
- 20237.10 m
Giant sunflower
French height recordAfter two years of intensive learning, my first big goal became reality.
- 2024588 kg
Pumpkin · 150 Square Feet Challenge
World runner-upThe biggest possible pumpkin on 14 m². Nearly 1.60 m wide — an unforgettable 2nd place worldwide.
- 202580 kg
Giant watermelon
French recordNew challenge, new record.
- 20253.320 kg
Giant tomato
French championThe biggest tomato in the country. Two goals, one season — both achieved.
Among the very best.
Giants are grown alone in the garden, but they are shared as a community. At the GPC (Great Pumpkin Commonwealth) convention, which brings together the world’s best growers, I talk with the people who are making the sport’s history. It is also where the lines I offer you come from.
Today, when I think back to that first squash bought almost by chance, I realise it all started with a simple seed… and an immense curiosity.
If I share this adventure through GigaGenetics Akatsuka, it isn’t only to sell seeds. It’s to pass on a deep conviction:
Records aren’t reserved for a few exceptional people. They belong to those willing to learn, to persevere, and to believe that a simple seed can become something extraordinary.
Whatever your level. Whether you dream of harvesting your first giant vegetable or breaking a record, it all begins in exactly the same place… with a simple seed.
Signed by my own hand,Nicolas Akatsuka
Ready to write the next chapter?
Every genetic line tells a story. Now write yours.