British gardener breaks world record by growing 1.3-ton pumpkin

A 65-year-old United Kingdom citizen Ian Paton has set a new Guinness World Record by growing a massive pumpkin weighing nearly 1.3 tons. His unusual harvest drew attention with its weight and scale, setting a new record for growing giant vegetables. UPI reported on this.

As noted, the man set the new world record at a giant vegetable weighing ceremony organized in the county of Berkshire. The pumpkin grown by Paton turned out to be nearly 17 kilograms heavier than the previous record-breaking pumpkin he grew last year together with his twin brother Stuart.

The weight of the giant vegetable is almost equal to that of a hippopotamus, and its circumference exceeded 6 meters. This result made the pumpkin a special record-holder not only in size, but also in mass.

500 liters of water per day spent on pumpkin care

Ian Paton paid serious attention to the process of growing the giant pumpkin, which required great labor and regular care. The gardener devoted up to 6 hours a day to the plant and spent nearly 500 liters of water daily to irrigate it.

During the period when the pumpkin's growth was particularly active, the vegetable gained up to 20 kilograms in weight within a single day. This shows that regular care and favorable growing conditions played a crucial role in cultivating the massive harvest.

This year, Paton grew a giant pumpkin entirely on his own for the first time. The reason for this was the decision of his twin brother Stuart: after the brothers had been engaged in this activity together for 50 years, Stuart decided to retire.

The record-breaking pumpkin will be fed to livestock

The giant pumpkin, which set the Guinness record, was taken to a farm in Hampshire for exhibition, where visitors can view the unusual harvest. After the exhibition concludes, the pumpkin is planned to be fed to livestock as fodder.

Ian Paton has set big goals for the coming years as well. The farmer has already collected over 2.6 thousand seeds. He plans to use these seeds in the future to grow a giant pumpkin weighing even more than 1.36 tons.

Thus, the latest achievement of the 65-year-old British gardener became the result of many years of interest and tireless work in growing giant vegetables.