Brief
Newfoundland grower Leslee Lake’s 480‑kg pumpkin aims to eclipse record pumpkin Gourdzilla
The 480‑kilogram gourd, cultivated by heavy‑equipment operator Leslee Lake, could become the island’s largest pumpkin.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Leslee Lake, a 52‑year‑old heavy‑equipment operator in Clarenville, Newfoundland, is tending a pumpkin he calls Pothole that now weighs about 480 kilograms, according to the Canadian Press. The gourd could overtake Lake’s 2022 record‑holding pumpkin, Gourdzilla, which weighed 469 kilograms.
What happened
Lake began growing Pothole after work and has been monitoring its size in his greenhouse. By Oct. 9, 2026, the pumpkin measured enough for an online calculator to estimate its weight at roughly 482 kilograms. The plant has been gaining nearly 23 kilograms per day during the warmest part of the summer.
What the reports add
The article notes that there is no official body tracking giant pumpkins in Newfoundland, so the estimate comes from a pumpkin‑weight calculator entered by Lake’s wife, Krista. An official weighing is scheduled for later in the month.
What was said
Krista Lake laughed during a video chat, saying, “He doesn’t even come in and say, ‘Hi, how was your day?’ He goes up to the pumpkin.” Leslee Lake added, “It’s been 12 or 13 hours since I’ve seen him!” while handling the pumpkin.
How it came about
Lake’s interest in giant pumpkins began years ago; in 2022 he grew Gourdzilla, which he and his wife believed was the largest pumpkin ever grown on the island. He sources seeds carefully and devotes the growing season to outdoing his previous harvests. To nurture Pothole, Lake plays heavy‑metal music for the plant and sprays its leaves with milk and molasses, a method he says helps nourish the fruit and deter pests. The pumpkin’s name derives from a wound caused by an overheating electric blanket that was left over it during a chilly night last month, which later healed.
Key facts
- Leslee Lake’s pumpkin Pothole weighs about 480 kilograms. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Pothole could surpass Lake’s 2022 Gourdzilla pumpkin, which weighed 469 kilograms. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Lake estimates the pumpkin’s weight using an online calculator entered by his wife. (winnipegfreepress.com)
What happens next
An official weighing of Pothole is planned for later in October.
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Pothole the 480-kilogram pumpkin on track to outgrow Newfoundland's famed Gourdzilla”
