By Fredalette Uys
“The world record is now within reach,” says Piet Lotz after his winning pumpkin established a South African record at Heidelberg’s giant pumpkin festival. It is also the heaviest pumpkin in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I knew it would be a South African record. Since I began planting, one tonne has been my goal. Now I see we have a shot at a world record in South Africa,” Lotz, a farmer from Riversdale, told African Farming.
On Saturday, two of his pumpkins had the scale to groaning past the one-ton mark for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere. His heaviest pumpkin weighed 1 120 kg, while the second heaviest weighed 1 062.5 kg. However, only one pumpkin from each participant qualifies for the competition. André du Plessis, also from Riversdale, secured the second-place pumpkin on the podium, which weighed 954 kg. The third heaviest, weighing 737.5 kg, belonged to last year’s winner, Pieter Conradie from Worcester.
World record beckons
Altus Joubert, the chief organiser of the Heidelberg Giant Pumpkin Festival, is very excited. “Piet says the next step is the world record, and we are now 127 kg away from achieving that.”
According to Lotz, one of his pumpkins had the potential to break the world record. However, in the last month, he lost the stem. After that, the pumpkin’s growth was significantly restricted, “but that’s part of the journey”.
He explained he follows the same recipe for growing his pumpkins every year. “My water management improved this year. I installed drippers and managed my water effectively to ensure the soil remained evenly moist.”
“The big growers always say you need good seeds, quality breeding material, the weather must cooperate, and soil is the most important factor, along with effective water management.”
His winning pumpkin was grown from the 2560 Gienger, which is derived from North America’s heaviest pumpkin in 2022. He obtained it two years ago but could only plant it last year.
Lotz also planted a seed from Pieter Conradie’s winning pumpkin in 2024, and according to him, he achieved “figures” on the pumpkin that he had never reached before. However, the pumpkin burst open on the 50th day after planting.
According to Lotz, the next goal in the pumpkin community is to grow a pumpkin weighing 3 000 pounds (1 360.78 kg).
“We now see the world record is in sight. You must believe and dream, and as Rubén Mendi, one of the Spanish growers, says: ‘If you don’t dream big, you are never going to make it.’”
Exposure for the rural areas
According to Joubert, the festival was enjoyable, everything went very well and they raised “good money” for their charity projects. He said after the festival several sponsors said they wanted to become more involved.
“It’s a big opportunity for Heidelberg as a town. People who might have merely driven past have now recognised what a beautiful place it is. The festival is good exposure for our town and the rural areas.”
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