A Rhode Island man's 2,261-pound pumpkin has broken a record set by his son for the largest pumpkin grown in North America.
Richard Wallace grew the prize-winning pumpkin weighing 2,261.5 pounds, WJAR-T reported, beating his son Ron’s record of 2,230 pounds in 2015. The pumpkin was entered into the annual Frerichs Farm Pumpkin Weigh Off and took home top honors for 2016. Frerichs Farm has held the weigh-off in Warren, Rhode Island, since 2000.
Wallace and his son were the first in the world to grow pumpkins weighing more than a ton, with Ron growing a 2,009-pound pumpkin in 2012.
In an interview with The Washington Times last year, Ron Wallace credited hard work and special fertilizer for the ton-plus gourd. He waits as long as possible to cut the vine and weigh the pumpkin, often harvesting only when disease begins to take root. The family has its own products called Wallace’s Organic Wonder.
The Wallaces also use damp sheets to prevent moisture from evaporating from the gourds, which would make them weigh less. They check the pumpkins on a daily basis and water, prune and fertilize them according to a strict schedule, Wallace told the Times. The methods they use to harvest the largest pumpkins in North America may also have applications for increasing the yields of other crops.
What started out as a hobby for this family may end up teaching farmers more about how to grow all kinds of produce, from fruits and vegetables to medical marijuana, whose growers have already asked for their expertise. "I really feel that giant pumpkin growers are shaping how the world grows produce," Ron Wallace told The Washington Times, adding, "We are doing a lot for farming."
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