81 inches.
That’s how long John D’Amico's Sicilian zucchini squash currently measures. D’Amico is not just measuring it for fun, he is hoping to break the Guinness World Record for longest Zucchini in the world.
“I’m going to let it grow as long as I can,” says D’Amico.
“Let’s see what happens. I mean, I didn’t set out to set a new world record but if it goes it goes.”
The current Guinness World Record for longest zucchini belongs to John Giovanni Scozzafavain from Niagara Falls who in 2014 had a zucchini reach eight feet and 3.3 inches, which means that D’Amico still has around 18 inches to go until he can break the record.
The long zucchinis, also know as cucuzza squash, are great to bring to parties, D’Amico says.
“On the weekend we had a barbecue and I took two over, two five footers, and we put them at the door entrance and we had such fun. By the end of the night I was known as ‘John zucchini man’. And you can just cut them up and have them on a tray with other vegetables.”
According to D’Amico there's no special secret that makes his zucchini grow that well.
“It’s the soil and just taking care of it, that’s all there is to it. And I put a lot of liquid fertilizer all over the garden.”
D’Amico says he’s always been fond of growing his own vegetables. “We’ve been living in this house for 30 years and I’ve always had (a vegetable garden). You can come out and pick whatever you want, anytime you want. It’s nice and fresh.”
As to what D’Amico will do with the zucchini once it’s won’t grow anymore? “I don’t know. The thing is if it become a world record you can’t eat that one, it will be too tough. The thing I’m going to do is at Halloween, if it is done by then, I’m going to take it, paint a face and stick in the grass like it’s a snake.”
