Commack Man Grows 1,279-lb Pumpkin

A Commack man has grown a 1,279-lb pumpkin, earning him first place in a local contest for the third consecutive year. 

Newsday reports Scott Armstrong won first place in the Great Pumpkin Weigh Off hosted by Hick's Nursery in Westbury. It beat his personal record of a 1,249-lb pumpkin grown in 2007, also previously the heaviest pumpkin grown on Long Island. 

Armstrong started growing pumpkins in 1998 as a hobby and claims his success is due to hard work - he doesn't use any special fertilizers or chemicals. Each year, he plants his pumpkins in May, nurturing them each and every day to prepare for the fall.

The Commack resident is a bit short of making the Guinness Book of World Records. The heaviest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,810 pounds and 8 ounces grown by Chris Stevens at the Stillwater Harvest Fest in Stillwater, Minn. on Oct. 9, 2010. 

Read more on Newsday [Subscription required] about Armstrong's pumpkin patch.