Rhode Island resident grows pumpkin weighing 1,432 kg

Surpasses existing record by about 136 kg

Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, poses with his giant pumpkin at a New England pumpkin-growing competition on Saturday (local time). The pumpkin weighed in at 1,432 kilograms, surpassing the existing world record of 1,296 kilograms by about 136 kilograms, and is expected to be certified as a Guinness World Record. [SNS]
Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, poses with his giant pumpkin at a New England pumpkin-growing competition on Saturday (local time). The pumpkin weighed in at 1,432 kilograms, surpassing the existing world record of 1,296 kilograms by about 136 kilograms, and is expected to be certified as a Guinness World Record. [SNS]

A pumpkin weighing more than 1.4 metric tons, grown in Rhode Island, is expected to be certified as a Guinness World Record.

Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, entered his giant pumpkin in a New England competition on Saturday (local time), according to the Associated Press on Monday (local time). The pumpkin tipped the scales at 1,432 kilograms, surpassing the previous world record of 1,296 kilograms by about 136 kilograms. The previous record had been set at a competition in the United Kingdom on Oct. 3.

A record-breaking giant pumpkin weighing 3,156 pounds (about 1,430 kilograms) is weighed at a farm in Rhode Island. [SNS]
A record-breaking giant pumpkin weighing 3,156 pounds (about 1,430 kilograms) is weighed at a farm in Rhode Island. [SNS]

"It was truly enormous, and the growing process was a joy," Wallace told the AP by phone. He added that he is in contact with Guinness officials and working through the process of confirming whether it qualifies as a world record.

Wallace said he took up pumpkin growing as a hobby while running an online business selling gardening supplies. He took home $3,500 in prize money for winning the competition.

Before the New England event, organizers of a separate competition had approached Wallace with a prize offer of $70,000 to enter their contest. He chose the New England competition anyway, saying it was important to him to claim a record-breaking win among people from his home region.

"I owe a great debt to the pumpkin-growing community, which always shares tips and tricks for growing the biggest pumpkins for free," Wallace said, adding that he grew his pumpkin in a greenhouse for the first time this year. "Growing in a greenhouse makes a huge difference," he said.

A 1,083-kilogram pumpkin that won a competition in California. [AP]
A 1,083-kilogram pumpkin that won a competition in California. [AP]

At a separate pumpkin competition held the same day in California, a pumpkin entered by Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota, won with a weight of 1,083 kilograms. The California competition has been held annually for 60 years.

It was Gienger's fifth victory at the event, and he collected $21,501 in prize money.


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