MAINZ, Germany — A Swiss gardener has grown the world’s heaviest pumpkin — and it weighs almost as much as a small car. Beni Meier, 30, had to use a special vehicle to transport the fruit, which tipped the scales at 2,096.6 lbs. An official from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth association was at the weighing, which broke a world record previously held by California couple Tim and Susan Mathison.

"We were told that lots of watering and daily care was necessary,” said Maika Ziehl, a spokeswoman for the farm where the competition was held. The pumpkin will remain on display in Klaistow, Germany, until it is "slaughtered" on November 2. "We will probably make a good soup out of the pumpkin," added Ziehl, who said that its seeds would be in high demand and probably auctioned off.

- Andy Eckardt