The winner of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Weigh-Off broke the scale Saturday morning at the Roland Pumpkin Fair.

Milan Lukes, a 14 year old from St. Norbert in Winnipeg, won for the second year in a row with a gourd literally off the charts. Organizers had to transport the pumpkin to Delmar Commodities to get an unofficial weight.

Lukes' pumpkin eventually came in at 1352 lbs. The provincial record sits at 1379 lbs, set by Schanzenfeld's Henry Banman.

While winning is always gratifying, Lukes says he had his sights set on the record this year, "it would mean everything, since the beginning of the year that was always my goal... it's the next step up."

Lukes' winning pumpkin last year weighed just over 1348 lbs.

pumpkin trophy
Lukes' pumpkin only got an "error" message from the scale

He spent most of July and August watering the pumpkin with over 200 gallons of water, while continuosly burying the network of spreading vines that feed the pumpkin's growth. He also placed a tent over the pumpkin to protect the skin from drying out in the sun which could've limited its ability to stretch.

His greatest secret? Time.

"I have all the time in the world, other than school, to devote the time and energy necessary," Lukes says.

Brothers Henry Banman and Cornie Banman from Schanzenfeld came in third and fourth respectively last year at 1283 lbs and 1032 lbs.

This year Cornie took second place with 1102 lbs, his largest pumpkin since he started competing five years ago at the urging of his brother.

"The thrill is seeing it (the pumpkin) move from one day to the next," Banman says, adding you need roughly a 1,000 sq. ft. of garden space for one plant.

The Banman brothers helped Milan with tips and techniques when the young boy started growing, using a seed from Henry's record-holding pumpkin.

However, Banman says it was gratifying to see the young prodigy succeed.

"We really don't have many secrets, one year this works, one year that works. There's many things people try that don't always work," Cornie says, adding they've used everything from coffee beans, molasses and cow manure.

He says watching the competition grow in popularity is exciting. Giant pumpkins are entered from across the Province to compete for the top $1500 prize.