Pumpkin Weighing Over 1.4 Tons Expected to Set Guinness World Record

▲ A giant pumpkin grown in Rhode Island

A pumpkin grown in Rhode Island, USA, has been measured at over 1.4 tons, making it likely to be listed in the Guinness World Records.

According to the Associated Press on the 12th (local time), Ron Wallace, a resident of Greene, Rhode Island, entered and weighed his giant pumpkin at a pumpkin competition held in New England on the 10th.

The pumpkin weighed 1,432 kg, surpassing the previous world record of 1,296 kg by about 136 kg.

The previous record was set at a competition in the UK on the 3rd.

In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Wallace said, "It was truly an enormous size and the growing process was enjoyable," adding, "We are in the process of contacting Guinness officials to verify the world record."

He reportedly took up pumpkin growing as a hobby after running an online gardening supply business.

He received $3,500 (approx. 4.67 million KRW) in prize money for winning the competition.

Prior to this event, organizers of another competition reportedly offered a prize of up to $70,000 (approx. 93.5 million KRW) to encourage Wallace to participate.

However, he decided to join the New England competition because he felt it was important to achieve a record-breaking victory among his hometown people.

Wallace explained the secret to growing the giant pumpkin, saying, "I owe a lot to the pumpkin-growing community, which always shares tips and secrets for growing the largest pumpkins for free," and adding, "I started growing pumpkins in a greenhouse for the first time this year, and greenhouse growing makes a big difference."

At a pumpkin competition held in California on the same day, a pumpkin entered by Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota, won the competition with a weight of 1,083 kg.

The California competition has been held annually for 60 years.

Gienger, winning for the fifth time, took home $21,501 (approx. 28.7 million KRW) in prize money.

(Photo: Capture from pumpkin growing community Instagram, Yonhap News)

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