Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 57 Entries. Friday, June 16 View Page Hi everyone. Last year I didn't grow giant pumpkins. After a few consecutive lackluster years, it was decided that the patch and I needed a rest. The patch had disease issues from too many years of growing in the same place. This needed to be addressed. Also, a little basic crop rotation could only help. Three cover crops were planted and tilled in over the last year. I did grow a regular food garden last season, and had my first foray into growing giant tomatoes. It gave me something to do while waiting it out for this year. The soil should be well rested and ready to go now.   Friday, June 16 View Page This plant is from the 1977 Rea. A big and beautiful pumpkin. An 1885 Werner X 2350 Gienger cross. About 11 feet long. I think this cross is the path to consistent big and orange.   Friday, June 16 View Page Early on, I had a hard time choosing between the 2493 and 2006 Wolf seeds. They were planted side by side and the 2006 was chosen when the two plants were over crowding the hoop and one had to go. The 2006's main vine was about a foot longer when decision time came. Another big beautiful orange pumpkin. 2365 Wolf sibbed. In case you were wondering about the stick forest in my plants. Reading Dave Stelts article in the SNEGPG newsletter, he stated he didn't bury his vines last season. This resulted in healthier plants that lasted well into the early fall. Like Dave, I have a heavy clay soil that is prone to causing disease issues. With the incredibly successful season he had, I thought this break from standard doctrine merited a try. I am lightly covering only the vine nodes. The sticks will have to stay in place until the vines are rooted down.   Friday, June 16 View Page The 2425 Daletas. 2365 Wolf x 2469 Daletas. A little sun starved for now, hence the smaller size, but it will grow into sunnier areas.   Friday, June 16 View Page Rounding out the quartet is the 1832 Graham. 1938 Sperry x 1339 Graham. Grew the 2480 Graham. This seed had been on my short list the year after it was grown. Should have gone with my instinct then.   Thursday, June 22 View Page Number one for 2023. Five minutes after this one was disposed of, another one was spotted eyeballing my plants. Can't win with these animals.   Thursday, June 22 View Page Picture   Saturday, June 24 View Page A black bear is taking his own personal tour of the south shore area of Massachusetts. For many of you, a black bear sighting is not unusual. For my suburban area, he is quite a sensation. In the picture of him swimming by a boat, that is my boat!!   Sunday, June 25 View Page Despite a week of less than optimal pumpkin growing weather, the plants are doing well. This is the 1977 Rea. Should pollinate the chosen one tomorrow morning at about 14 feet. Several flowers have opened on secondary vines. Their lobes are considerably larger than normal. Wonder if that is a good sign of things to come.   Sunday, June 25 View Page The 2006 Wolf is about sixteen feet long now. Not too female friendly. One flower on the main that should open before the end of June. Not many on the side vines.   Monday, June 26 View Page The 1832 Graham.   Monday, June 26 View Page The first of two pollination this morning. Nice six lobed flower on the 1977 Rea crossed with the 2006 Wolf.   Monday, June 26 View Page Damn near perfect flower on the 1832 Graham crossed with the 1977 Rea   Thursday, June 29 View Page Sixteen feet out on the main of the 2006 Wolf, this nice five lobed flower was pollinated this morning. 2006 Wolf X 1977 Rea.   Thursday, June 29 View Page Five lobed flower on the 2425 Daletas crossed with the 1832 Graham. About fifteen feet out. If all of the pollinations are successful, I am on my way.   Thursday, June 29 View Page It has been tough to keep up with plant care. Every day this week, rain has fallen at some time during the course of the day.   Sunday, July 16 View Page I haven't posted in a while. Life has been busy. I got this crazy idea that I could go on a week long family vacation and come back to a patch that needed some work upon my return, but nothing that couldn't be caught up in a few days. I arranged for an avid gardener friend of mine to do the watering. He and Mother Nature did a great job of that. But OMG the work that needed to be done! As you can see from the picture, there was some culling involved in the patch restoration program.   Sunday, July 16 View Page Three out of four of the main vine pollinations aborted. Quite discouraging to say the least. Not sure why. Wet pollen from the excessive July rains, heat, just bad luck? There are multiple secondary vine candidates on each plant. Decisions will need to be made soon. It has to be made before they are too big to get the plywood under them without damage.   Sunday, July 16 View Page Well it wasn't all bad news. This is the Day 20 pumpkin on the 1977 Rea. At 201.5 OTT, I'm pretty happy with that.   Wednesday, July 19 View Page I found this mutant hiding under the canopy.   Thursday, July 20 View Page Six days after my return from vacation, the patch is mostly caught up.   Thursday, July 20 View Page Picture   Saturday, July 22 View Page Nicely shaped Day 20 1832 Graham. 212 OTT   Sunday, July 23 View Page The 2006 Wolf X 1977 Rea on Day 20. This Pumpkin is on the fifth secondary vine. Day 20 numbers are the smallest recorded this year. But at 137 pounds, 180 OTT, there is hope for greatness.   Sunday, July 23 View Page Day 20 2425 Daletas. At 182 OTT, she is not a world beater. Yet!   Monday, July 24 View Page So to summarize, three of my four pumpkins are growing on secondary vines. Only the 1977 Rea is on a main. I'm not too concerned. I've seen other growers manage to get some very large pumpkins on secondary vines. Grew a decent one myself with the 2469 Daletas coming in at 1399.5 pounds in 2109.   Wednesday, July 26 View Page The 1977 Rea pumpkin reached Day thirty today and her measurements did not disappoint. At 286 OTT, she weighs an estimated 540 pounds. Her Mom's name was Crazy Daisy, I think I will call her " Lucy Goosey".   Sunday, July 30 View Page This is "Pheonix" on the 2006 plant. 2006 x 1977 Rea. DAP 30 369 pounds. Grown on the fifth secondary vine. Not sure what type of critter mauled her, but like the mythical bird, she will rise again.   Tuesday, August 1 View Page Meet “Scarface Steve”. Grown on the sixth secondary vine on the 1832 Graham, he is 30 days old today. This pumpkin has raccoon hand prints imbedded in its skin, raccoon or groundhog bite scars on the stem end, a healing BES that didn’t go into the cavity, and a sunburnt patch on top because a covering sheet had an area of spray paint that the sun heated up. Shouda known better I know. Despite all this, he is growing well. At an estimated 532 pounds.   Wednesday, August 2 View Page DAP 30 pumpkin on the sixth secondary vine on the2425 Daletas plant. This is "Bob the Man". 452 pounds estimated weight.   Saturday, August 5 View Page Lucy Goosey is getting fat. The 1977 Rea pumpkin came in at an estimated weight of 923 pounds on DAP 40. She grew 38 pounds per day over the last ten.   Saturday, August 5 View Page Side view of this gorgeous full figured girl   Saturday, August 5 View Page Took my grandson fishing. He showed me how it is done landing this 41 inch striper   Sunday, August 6 View Page I had to perform surgery on Scarface Steve today. I was under the impression that the skin of the pumpkin burned by a sun heated dark spot on the covering sheet was dry and healing. This morning I discovered circular mold spots were coming up everywhere in the affected area. I got a spoon and scraped away all of the infected tissue down to the healthy. Doused it with bleach, and dusted it with sulfur. Fingers crossed.   Wednesday, August 9 View Page Phoenix the 2006 Wolf pumpkin has reached Day 40. At an estimated 661 pounds.   Wednesday, August 9 View Page Side view.   Wednesday, August 9 View Page Scarface Steve the pumpkin on the 1832 plant has succumbed to his various wounds. At about 750 pounds. Thanks for the seed Jamie.   Saturday, August 12 View Page " Bob the Man" pumpkin on the 2425 Daletas is 720 pounds on Day 40   Saturday, August 12 View Page Side view   Tuesday, August 15 View Page Lucy Goosey, the pumpkin on the 1977 Rea (1977 X 2006) is 50 days old today. Looking good and growing well.   Saturday, August 19 View Page So I had this other pumpkin that was never mentioned in my diary before. For one reason or another, there were two pumpkins being grown on the 1832 Graham plant. After Scarface Steve the preferred pumpkin on the 1832 met his untimely demise, this one was left to grow. It was entered in the Marshfield Fair weigh-off, a non GPC site. At 844 pounds and 20% over the chart it was good enough for first place.   Tuesday, August 22 View Page Patch overview. From left to right, 2006 Wolf, 2425 Daletas, and 1977 Rea pumpkins.   Tuesday, August 22 View Page Leaves on the plants look great. No sign of PM or any other disease issues.   Friday, August 25 View Page Day 60 1977 Rea pumpkin. Growth has slowed to 15 pounds per day over the last week.   Thursday, August 31 View Page Because so many New England growers lost pumpkins this year due to the excessive rain that fell in June and July, there were only five entries at the Woodstock Fair weigh-off this year. In most years there are a dozen to fifteen. Because of the narrow field, I managed to place second at 1033.5 pounds with the pumpkin off the 2006 Wolf.   Thursday, August 31 View Page Norm Gansert took first with his 1078 pound pumpkin grown from the 1552 Young crossed with the 1634 Rea. This pumpkin was also given the Howard Dill Award.   Monday, September 4 View Page Day 70 1977 Rea X 2006 Wolf "Lucy Goosey". Growth has slowed down some but still moving.   Monday, September 4 View Page Side view   Monday, September 4 View Page 2425 Daletas selfed. " Bob the Man" at Day 63. About 1125. Thumps heavy!   Sunday, September 10 View Page I haven't mentioned by tomatoes before because up to now there hasn't been much to report. Its late in the season, but there are a few out there that may become respectable.   Sunday, September 10 View Page Any day I catch seven lobsters in one dive is a great one. Their shells will be buried in the patch to further enrich the soil. I do believe that there are the ghosts of more than a thousand of these creatures buried in the patch/garden over the last 25 years.   Wednesday, September 13 View Page I got Lucy a tiny house.   Sunday, October 1 View Page At the Topsfield Fair Lucy came in at 1684 pounds a new PB, and was given the Howard Dill award. The bad news was a dripping soft spot gave her a DMG designation. Thank you for the seed Glenna.   Sunday, October 1 View Page Longtime growing buddy Steve Halliwell came in third with his 1631 pumpkin grown off the 2240 Connolly.   Sunday, October 1 View Page Right photo this time   Friday, October 6 View Page With rain in the forecast for tomorrow, Steve and I decided to load up today. Little Rhody bound.   Sunday, October 8 View Page At the SNGPG weigh-off in Richmond R.I my 2425 X 2425 Daletas pumpkin came in at 1460.5 pounds for seventh place. It was 11% over the charts