Apollonia Castitlione said she has been growing vegetables in her garden for 26 years but she never expected to grow a Long Island zucchini larger than her own 5-foot frame, the New York Daily News reported Thursday.

"I didn't put Miracle-Gro on it, nothing, just a little bit of 5-10-5 fertilizer, water and my time," she told the newspaper.

Castitlione said she knew something was different about the plant last month when it grew an extra two inches in the same number of days but she never expected it to reach its current size, which is less than two feet under the world record of 7 feet and 10 inches.

"I was so in shock, I grow them every year, but never more than about 4 feet," she said. "I decided I wasn't going to touch it and just let it grow."

Castitlione said she has decided to save the zucchini, which is still hanging from its vine, and use its seeds for next year's crop.