Love, patience, and lots of science. This is the advice given by the Paton brothers, two Englishmen who have just broken the Guinness record for the heaviest pumpkin ever.

It was 50 years ago that Ian and Stuart Paton received a seed that promised to bring them a giant pumpkin. That year, his pumpkin weighed just over 24 kg.

Now, the brothers have increased the weight of their pumpkins by more than 50 times — the twins from Lymington, UK, They just broke the world record for the heaviest giant pumpkin with this fall’s harvest. They produced an impressive pumpkin that weighed 1,278.5 kg and reached a circumference of more than 6.4 meters, says the

From that first seed, the brothers “caught pumpkin disease“, says Ian Paton. “Once you grow one, you are affected forever.”. Every year, the twins plant more seeds, hoping to have the best harvest ever. “This blind optimism stays in your head”, he says.

The first thing you need to grow a giant pumpkin is a strong seed. “Genetics are extremely important. You can’t go to a big department store and buy supposedly giant pumpkin seeds,” says expert Mark Mourlas. “You need genetically excellent seeds.”

The result? A pumpkin as big as a Smart. And pumpkin jam guaranteed to last all winter.

Love, patience, and lots of science. This is the advice given by the Paton brothers, two Englishmen who have just broken the Guinness record for the heaviest pumpkin ever.

It was 50 years ago that Ian and Stuart Paton received a seed that promised to bring them a giant pumpkin. That year, his pumpkin weighed just over 24 kg.

Now, the brothers have increased the weight of their pumpkins by more than 50 times — the twins from Lymington, UK, They just broke the world record for the heaviest giant pumpkin with this fall’s harvest. They produced an impressive pumpkin that weighed 1,278.5 kg and reached a circumference of more than 6.4 meters, says the

From that first seed, the brothers “caught pumpkin disease“, says Ian Paton. “Once you grow one, you are affected forever.”. Every year, the twins plant more seeds, hoping to have the best harvest ever. “This blind optimism stays in your head”, he says.

The first thing you need to grow a giant pumpkin is a strong seed. “Genetics are extremely important. You can’t go to a big department store and buy supposedly giant pumpkin seeds,” says expert Mark Mourlas. “You need genetically excellent seeds.”

The result? A pumpkin as big as a Smart. And pumpkin jam guaranteed to last all winter.