DAMARISCOTTA, Maine — Sarah Whitty has officially secured her place in horticultural history. The Damariscotta resident has shattered both the United States and North American records for the heaviest marrow zucchini, successfully cultivating a massive 170-pound specimen that has captivated the competitive gardening world.
Named “Secretariat” in honor of the legendary racehorse, the gargantuan vegetable represents the culmination of a grueling two-year quest. For Whitty, the victory is particularly sweet given the heartbreak she endured during last year’s growing season. In 2023, she produced a 162.5-pound marrow that would have easily eclipsed the then-US record of 152.5 pounds. However, a tiny, hairline split—a common and devastating affliction for giant marrows—disqualified the entry from official competition, leaving her just half a pound short of the North American record at the time.
According to the Maine Pumpkin Growers Association, the challenge of growing these vegetables is immense. Roughly 75% of all giant marrows develop splits due to rapid growth, making the feat of bringing a pristine, heavy specimen to the scale a rare accomplishment.
Determined to leave nothing to chance this season, Whitty planted three separate giant marrow specimens. As the season progressed, the volatility of the crop became evident; two of the three plants developed fatal splits, leaving her with only one viable contender.
The pressure intensified when a fierce Nor’easter struck the region, dumping five inches of rain on her garden patch. Fearing the sudden influx of moisture would force the zucchini to expand too quickly and trigger a catastrophic rupture, Whitty took swift, protective action. She first shielded the entire plant with a heavy-duty tarp to stave off the downpour. As the vegetable continued to swell, she took an even more drastic, high-stakes measure: she meticulously pruned away approximately three-quarters of the plant’s foliage. By restricting the plant’s ability to draw nutrients, she successfully slowed its growth rate to prevent the “sudden surges” that typically cause the fruit to crack.
The strategy worked perfectly. When “Secretariat” was officially weighed under the supervision of the Maine Pumpkin Growers Association, it tipped the scales at a staggering 170 pounds.
The association lauded Whitty’s patience and technical precision, confirming that her entry surpassed the previous North American record of 163 pounds by a significant seven-pound margin.
“Giant marrows have a notoriously high split rate,” the association noted in a congratulatory post. “Sarah set out to break the record for real this time, and through her dedicated care and strategic pruning, she kept ‘Secretariat’ intact to secure a historic win.”
With the record now officially hers, Whitty has transformed last year’s frustration into a definitive victory, setting a new, formidable standard for competitive giant vegetable growers across the continent.
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