The biggest pumpkin in the country is from Vaud and weighs 675 kg!

Simon Favre from Belmont-sur-Lausanne (VD) won the competition for the biggest pumpkin in Switzerland on Saturday during the pumpkin and vegetable weighing championships held in Jona (SG). His squash weighs 675 kg!

The traditional pumpkin and vegetable weighing competition, organized by JuckerFarm, smiled upon Simon Favre for the second time after 2020. The Vaud resident set a new Swiss record with a specimen weighing 675 kg! He surpassed Alessio Muscas, whose vegetable weighed “only” 639.5 kg. Roman Mäder completed the podium with a trophy weighing 483.8 kg.

How do they manage to grow such monsters when the average person is already thrilled when they harvest a 4-5 kg pumpkin? JuckerFarm’s website denies any genetic manipulation, stating, “Giant vegetables simply come from a variety that naturally grows large. It’s the Atlantic Giant.”

Afterward, the process is familiar to all budding gardeners: over the years, pumpkin growers select the seeds from the largest items grown and crossbreed them. “Such seeds have tremendous value and are traded in the community for several thousand Swiss francs,” says Junckerfarm.

Then, the weather comes into play. Lots of sun, but not too much, and generous daily watering is mandatory. But beware of excess: if the pumpkin grows too fast, it can crack.

The organizer of the competition asserts: there is no doping involved. No fertilizers, no artificial substances. However, it is allowed to grow pumpkins on manure. The formula for these giant cucurbits is simple: exceptional genetic heritage, water, manure, and sunshine!