Half Moon Bay, CA (AP) – A Rhode Island pumpkin grower appears to have broken the world record for the heaviest pumpkin, with his giant squash topping the current record by nearly 300 pounds (136 kilograms).

Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, weighed his pumpkin Saturday at a contest in New England and is now waiting for the Guinness Book of World Records to confirm he smashed the record, set about a week earlier by a grower in England. Wallace said he’s been in contact with Guinness officials who say his record is on track to be verified.

“It’s truly massive, it was a pleasure to grow,” Wallace said Monday by phone.

The Guinness Book of World Records currently lists a 2,857-pound (1,296-kilogram) squash grown by Ian Paton, of Lymington, England, as the record holder, set on Oct. 3.

Guinness officials did not respond to a request for comment.

The record-breaking gourd comes as growers across the world are joining competitions this month in the hopes their pumpkins will be crowned king. In Northern California on Monday, a Minnesota grower won a prominent annual competition for the fifth time in a row.

Potential record-breaking pumpkin

Wallace went home with $3,500 at his local contest. He said other competitions tried to entice him with bigger prize money, some totaling $70,000, but it was important for him to be surrounded by his hometown for the record-setting win.

“I was just ecstatic, the place just exploded,” Wallace said, describing the moment the pumpkin was weighed.

Wallace says he owes a lot to the pumpkin-growing community who always freely share tips and tricks to grow the biggest gourd. For the first time this year, Wallace began growing his pumpkins in a greenhouse, which he says makes a big difference.

“The only way you create a 3,000-pound pumpkin is a community working together,” he said.

Wallace got into the hobby after starting his own business selling gardening supplies online. He’s proud to be a part of the pumpkin-growing community and says competitions help legitimize growers. According to Wallace, the agriculture industry is increasingly reaching out to pumpkin-growers, asking for advice on soil and other growing techniques.

Photo: Brandon Dawson, left, celebrates after winning the Safeway 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)