UK Pumpkin Sets World Record

From seed to sprout, to vine, flowers, leaves, and harvest, growing a pumpkin is no walk in the park, a feat most people can’t commit to. But for twins Ian and Stuart Patron, located in Lymington, United Kingdom, growing a pumpkin is something they can get their minds behind.

On October 6th, the two brothers set a new record for the heaviest pumpkin ever grown, weighing 2,819 pounds and four ounces, which is heavier than most cars, as well as the largest pumpkin by circumference, measuring 21 feet.

But completing this feat was no small task. Growing a pumpkin in the UK is not a small feat. Most pumpkin growing requires warm weather all year round, and the UK isn’t exactly known for its spectacular weather. So, how did the Paton twins grow a pumpkin the size of a car?

Over the years of their pumpkin-growing career, the brothers have found ways to grow pumpkins inside special, computer-controlled greenhouses. The pumpkin needed 70 pounds of water per day and was growing about that amount every day for around two weeks. In the past, their giant pumpkins have been used to feed elephants in zoos all the way in New York. However, this pumpkin, named Muggle after the twins’ love of Harry Potter, will be displayed at Sunnyfields farms, near Southampton, for a few days.

“Every year we go through our blueprint [plan] on how to grow giant pumpkins, and we add any improvements and new techniques,” said Ian.

Their efforts certainly paid off, as Muggle beat the last record-holding pumpkin by nearly 70 pounds.

Growing pumpkins to break world records is a task that takes more of a toll than people may think, cutting into family time. Stuart said that breaking the record just happened to be a “lucky coincidence,” since this is going to be the last pumpkin he’s growing to spend more time with his family.

However, Ian will keep on going to see if he can break the record for the world’s largest onion as well.

In the end, the twins were successful in their task of breaking the world record for the largest pumpkin. It’ll be exciting to see what Ian will cook up next.

[https://newsforkids.net/articles/2025/10/30/massive-uk-pumpkin-sets-new-world-record/]

[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgj19v2vex8o]