Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 55 Entries. Monday, April 5 View Page Wow, extremely warm temperatures in March have given me the bug to get the patch cleared and get things moving. Have tons of work to do, fencing, tilling, etc. All good fun, and can't wait to get the season started! Good luck to all!!! Tuesday, April 13 View Page Contacted our cousins for another load of cow manure from his farm, he'll be delivering that sometime next week. Then it's time to call our neighbors to have help with the tractor and the digging of the pits. Then the season can begin to rock and roll...gotta look at my plastic to see if I can reuse it again this year or not, or have to buy some new stuff... checking the inventories to make sure I have everything I need to start seeds... Tuesday, April 20 View Page Cousins are coming Saturday with the cow manure, I can't believe I'm excited about that, and that I'll be able to have a girls night out to see Wicked Saturday too. Not pumpkin related but a good needed break. Gotta contact the neighbors and let them know tilling is ready to be done, then get the hoop houses ready for the season, then fencing. All good fun! Saturday, May 1 View Page Just started four pumpkins tonight, and am excited to start the season. Bring it on..... Friday, May 7 View Page Plants have been started. Hoops will go up this weekend. Hopefully plants in the dirt next week, horray! A bit chilly in these parts, but hopefully by next week things will level off on temperatures. Gonna dip in the 30's this weekend, glad I don't have plants in the ground yet, even with hoop houses. Thursday, May 13 View Page The patch has been plowed by a very kind neighbor with a tractor, yay, love tractors! Now if it warms up enough to put hoop houses up and harden off my leggy pumpkin plants we'll be good to go. I'm hoping by this weekend will be green light GO! Saturday, May 29 View Page Backups finally hit the dirt very late but this year is 1170 Vincent-McGill looks great, very healthy and very green, and the 1068 Papez in the dirt as well. A bit behind the 1170 but both doing well. Let the season begin...again!!! Monday, May 31 View Page Pumpkins are getting their first "real" dose of rain today, finally, it's been unusually warm and dry this month, soaker rains coming up over night, excellent. Sunday, July 18 View Page Pollinated my first female of the season this past Friday in the rain, and I think it may be a keeper at about 13ft out and it is my first ever self pollination. I also have another pumpkin about 15 ft out that should open tomorrow morning. I am hoping to do a cross with the 1068 Papez on that one to see which will grow the fastest. Then it's decision time. Friday, July 23 View Page Its time to play catch up. I have a grapefruit sized pumpkin on my 1170 Vincent McGill and a softball sized pumpkin on the 1068 Papez. The 735 Pukos backup is about 6-7 foot out and has a female on it, and doing very well for a late end of June planting. Been battling SVB eggs all week on my plants, and watching the leaves for any more signs of wilt. So far so good, lets hope we got em all in time.... Sunday, July 25 View Page SVB's are on attack, and I'm fighting back. We've had 2" inches of rain in less than 48 hours. My pumpkin is approaching basketball sized, and got the mat and sand underneath it this afternoon, let's get er done, better late then never... Thursday, July 29 View Page The 1170 Vincent-McGill, after a late start and battles with SVB's I think we're off to the races... Thursday, July 29 View Page The 1170 Vincent McGill, finally taking off, and doing well. Thursday, July 29 View Page The 1068 Papez, doing well after a late start and a much smaller starter plant, as a backup. Check out the long main vine. I do have a nice pumpkin set on it about basketball size and growin! Thursday, July 29 View Page 1068 Papez... Thursday, July 29 View Page 1068Papez Thursday, July 29 View Page Yes there are weeds in my patch and that's ok. I have two pumpkins late sets, bu we'll see what we can do with the season. I have wild raddish weeds world record sized roots. If there were an award for largest weed, I'd win hands down. Now if I can only get my pumpkins to grow like the weeds do, look out! LOL...pictures to follow. Wednesday, August 4 View Page The 1170 Vincent McGill doing well. A slow start and some awesome weather for July has helped the season a bit. Very warm and muggy week again this week. Thunderstorms due to the humidity have been in the forecast but not a factor. One quick rain shower on Monday has been it so far. Need a good rain shower to catch up, but otherwise some pretty perfect growing conditions. Sunday, August 15 View Page The 1170 Vincent McGill - approaching the 300 pound mark. I realize this isn't competition status by any means, but we're still growing pumpkins anyway this season, and look out for next year. Sunday, August 15 View Page Another closer shot of the 1170Vincent McGill, my first time doing a self pollination. Sunday, August 15 View Page The 1068 Papez, also approaching the 300 pound marker. This is the 1068Papez crossed with the 1170 Vincent McGill. Sunday, August 15 View Page A bit of the 1068 Plant, this plant was very small to start, and wasn't sure if it would produce a pumpkin or not, the first pollination didn't take, this was the keeper.... Sunday, August 15 View Page The 735 Pukos crossed with the 1068 Papez, this plant was started late as a backup, and it finally took off, and we have a very small porch pumpkin with very good coloring.... Friday, August 20 View Page Well behind prior years but we're still growing pumpkins. The latest measurements since early this week, we went from 325 pounds on the 1170 early this week to tonights 252" = 345 pounds. The 1068 Papez which had been the smaller of the two pumpkins breezed passed the 1170 Vincent/McGill tonight, went from 243" or 310 pounds up to a whopping 257"=365 pounds. My backup to the backup 735Pukos which was planted in June has an 83 pound baby on it with pretty orange coloring on it and very nice shape! First time measurements on that one tonight! Still fun to measure to see if they grew.... My 1170 snapped at the stem from the main vine about half not towards the main stump, which is a good thing. I have it tied together and working on stem stress issues. Lets hope it holds together.... Sunday, August 22 View Page Good news is stem split seems to be holding together nicely, no oozing and nothing into the cavity of the pumpkin which is a good thing. Everything is dry and wrapped with hospital gauze! It comes in handy for some things. After this next rain storms from today, we'll have to venture out to make sure it's still holding together, meanwhile, hope they hold and hang on for the next wild growth spurt! Fun Fun!!! Thursday, August 26 View Page Pumpkin was still oozing green ooze but everything seems solid on the 1170 pumpkin and stem except where it had snapped off the main vine at the pumpkin stem. It's barely hanging on. I hope it continues to grow but expecting it to drop off in pounds. Dang it was just starting to pick up the paces too. It was on Monday 412 pounds and the 1068 Papez is packing on the pounds as well at 477 pounds. My backup 735Pukos is 125 plus pounds and very orange, nice shape. Lets hope this next week full of summer heat will help add extra needed late August pounds... Saturday, August 28 View Page The 1170 Vincent-McGill at 463 pounds and still growing... Saturday, August 28 View Page This is why I say still growing, vine snapped at stem, and have wrapped it with hospital gauze for now, seems to hold it in place. I had to chop the main vine past the pumpkin to relieve stress. Seems to have helped. Lets see if it holds. Pumpkin seems solid. Saturday, August 28 View Page The 1068 Papez, now at 482 pounds earlier in the week it was 448 pounds. We've had some pretty cool nights and powdery mildew is starting to set in. Saturday, August 28 View Page Another view of the 1068 Papez, this is a very wide pumpkin, and still packing on the pounds.... Friday, September 10 View Page The patch at sunset. Friday, September 10 View Page The 1068 Papez at 650 pounds... Friday, September 10 View Page Sunset... Friday, September 10 View Page Patch Shot w/sunset...beautiful... Friday, September 10 View Page Sunset.... Friday, September 10 View Page Another late patch shot, sunset is awesome! Friday, September 10 View Page Sunset, awesome show tonight.... Friday, September 10 View Page Love the colors.... Saturday, September 11 View Page I realize I'm using pumpkin tape on a potato but it was just huge! Saturday, September 11 View Page Harvest from this afternoon to compare sizes.... Saturday, September 18 View Page The prettier side of the 1170 Vincent McGill now at 523 pounds and still growing. This pumpkin had some serious stem stress and snapped off almost half off the stem and holding with hospital gauze, and cut the main vine past the pumpkin to relieve stress. So far so good. Finally broke the 500 pound barrier at 523 pounds and still growing, whew! Saturday, September 18 View Page Side view, turning very green in the front. Saturday, September 18 View Page The 1068 Papez crossed with the 1170 Vincent McGill now at 611 pounds, and very wide! Saturday, September 18 View Page another view... Thursday, September 30 View Page Heavy rains before Oswego, so far so good in the pumpkin patch. Harvest day tomorrow, not soon enough....whew. Saturday, October 2 View Page Harvesting the 1068 Papez out of the patch Friday night for Oswego today... Saturday, October 2 View Page My pumpkin headed to the scales... Saturday, October 2 View Page The competition, tons of pumpkins this year... Saturday, October 2 View Page 190 pound watermelon, Nice job... Saturday, October 2 View Page And introducing the 622DuRoss10, good enough for 13th place... Saturday, October 2 View Page It's late, 662DuRoss10, officially... Monday, October 4 View Page Some of the heavy hitters... Monday, October 18 View Page Fall patch prep is complete, and last thing needed to do is soil sample, and hurry up and wait for April 2011! Tuesday, October 19 View Page Soil sample sent in the mail today, waiting now begins for the results... Monday, November 1 View Page Soil report is in, looks like we're in good shape for 2011. Winter Rye is up about an inch. Bring on 2011!!!