WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — The pumpkin in Tony Scott’s backyard weighs almost as much as a small car.
He’s been tending to it for months, feeding it fertilizer and covering it with a blanket at night to keep it at a stable temperature. A roll of measuring tape wrapped around the pumpkin gives him a rough estimate of its size.
“I’ve never seen anything grow this fast,” said Scott, a semiconductor engineer from upstate New York.
Every year, growers like Scott push their pumpkins to the limit. They compete in annual weigh-offs with colossal fruits that are well over 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). Scott’s pumpkin took third place this year, coming in at 1,931 pounds (876 kilograms).
Pumpkins aren’t the only crops that can get giant. Other members of the gourd family like squashes, cucumbers and watermelons are capable of a similar feat. But the orange behemoths are especially massive and have earned a place of honor at fall festivals and Halloween fairs.