Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 86 Entries. Tuesday, February 28 View Page Here is a pic of my pb the 1065 Delaney 11. 1030 Delaney x 1161 Rodonis. 2011 Was a really disappointing year for me. I started 4 and ended up with 1. I took a couple months of thinking about pumpkins off and since January I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. Tuesday, February 28 View Page This is my Honda FRC800. It treated me well for 2 seasons but a friend of mine (Carl) accused me of not spending enough money on this hobby so I decided to trade it in. Tuesday, February 28 View Page Here is the front half of my new tiller. :-) Tuesday, February 28 View Page Here is the back half..... Tuesday, February 28 View Page This is my favorite attachment. Fred Cain subsoiler. Tuesday, February 28 View Page I had a really bad problem with mice last year. I used traps once the damage was done. I wont make that mistake again. Traps will be set from pollination time. Lots of traps. Tuesday, February 28 View Page My good friend Pat Watson on his way to Port Elgin Pumpkinfest Tuesday, February 28 View Page Another good friend and one of the most promising up and comers. John Matessa. Monday, March 12 View Page I had a great time in Niagara!!!! Here are the new champs sporting their orange jackets! I gotta say, Jims best creation is not the 1818. It's Kelsey! I hope my girls grow up to be as polite and well spoken as this young lady! She is a pretty funny kid too. Monday, March 12 View Page Here is another great growing team and the ones responsible for obliterating the squash WR. You wont meet a nicer family than Joels. Joel is a great guy but I give him a 9 out of 10 because he keeps secrets. :-) Monday, March 12 View Page When the cat's away, the mice will play. Nuff said. Monday, March 12 View Page The Canadian melon king and former Canadian pumpkin record holders! Monday, March 12 View Page The newest inductee into the 1600 pound club. Greg Mongomery. He wouldn't let me take a face shot. He wants to remain Canada's best kept secret! Monday, March 12 View Page These Team Pumpkin guys were a riot. I really enjoyed talking to Matt, Gene and Bart. I was a little disappointed in this banner. You would think as members of MENSA they could do a little better than black Arial font...lol Thursday, April 26 View Page Here is my 1065Delaney11 (1030Delaneyx1161Rodonis) at 8 days after soaking. This is from a group of 5 I started as trials. They are aggressive and stocky with no legs. Huge cots too and they are not a huge seed. Thursday, April 26 View Page Some trials under my new lights. Philips 23watt "Daylight" CFL's Thursday, April 26 View Page I started my game seeds today. 6 hour soak after filing and direct into 4" pots @ 87F in the incubator. Thursday, April 26 View Page Here they are soaking. Marked with a fine tipped sharpie. Friday, April 27 View Page Ive been wanting to do LG's for 2 years. I finally got around to building a little trelis. ;-) Friday, April 27 View Page Moving the kids playground for patch expansion. Friday, April 27 View Page Couple roots in the new patch from a tree I cut down 5 years ago. Monday, April 30 View Page 100% SUCCESS!! The 1404 was the last to come up but that was expected as I didn't soak that seed due to a major split. I love how they start to green up immediately after shell removal. Saturday, May 5 View Page So many changes/additions to my infrastructure this year. Can't believe I made my may 5th planting date. New tiller worked great and saved a lot of time Saturday, May 5 View Page Got 4 of 6 hoops done today and have 2 plants in each. 1065 Delaney with a 1657 Bryson as backup. 1495 Stelts, 1404 Bryson and 1566 Rodonis all with 1065 Delaneys as backups. Tomorrow I will plant the 1725 Harp and the 1818 Bryson. Saturday, May 5 View Page 110 Mailey Long gourds are the only ones I have been able to germinate so far. Have another half dozen in the incubator. Monday, May 21 View Page This is one of my 110 Mailey LG's I have 3 planted along side a 121.75" Johnson/Butler. First year growing LG's and many I started didn't germ. The 110's, had a 100% germ rate and are the best looking plants by far. None of my LG's are heated at night so they are a little slower than my pumpkins. Monday, May 21 View Page 3 Days of temps in the high 20's with high UV. 22% shade cloth on the left and 30% on the right. The cloth is supported by 12 gauge high tensile wire and can easily be slid off to the side like a curtain. Im pretty glad I have it over the plants this weekend. Tuesday, May 22 View Page 5 of 6 hoop houses have been reduced to one plant. :-) S1 - 1657 Bryson, S2 - 1495 Stelts, S3 - 1404 Bryson, S4 still has 1065, 1566. N1 - 1725 Harp, N2 - 1818 Bryson Tuesday, May 29 View Page Down to 1 per plot. Today I removed the 1566 Rodonis in "S4" and kept the 1065 Delaney. All others are full steam ahead and will outgrow the hoops this week. The season has not been without incident but Ive learned that not every mishap is the end of a season. Tuesday, June 5 View Page :-) Sunday, June 10 View Page Planted tomatoes today. N1 - 3.72 Delaney. N2,3,4,5 - 7.33 Hunt. N6,7 - 4.43 Landry. Wednesday, June 20 View Page My 1495 Stelts plant a couple days pre pollination. With 1657 Bryson in backround. Thursday, June 21 View Page Here is my 1684.5 One day pre pollination. :-) Tuesday, July 10 View Page 1065 Delaney x 1495 Stelts (4 Lobe) Day 13 Tuesday, July 10 View Page 1404 Bryson x 1495 Stelts (5 Lobe) Day 15 Tuesday, July 10 View Page 1495 Stelts x 1818 Bryson (5 Lobe) Day 16 Tuesday, July 10 View Page 1818 Bryson x 1495 Stelts (5 Lobe) Day 18 Tuesday, July 10 View Page 1657 Bryson x 1818 Bryson (5 Lobe) Day 18 Tuesday, July 10 View Page 1725 Harp x 1818 Bryson (4 Lobe) Day 19 Sunday, July 15 View Page One months supply of SVB's. Today I put in fresh lures and vapor tape. Can believe I didnt invest in these traps prior to this year. Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1065 on D22 Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1404 on D24 Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1495 on D25 Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1818 on D26 Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1657 on D26 Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1725 on D27 Monday, July 30 View Page 1065. growing slow as molasses. Plant looks amazing. I am thinking she is loaded up with borers but not 100% sure. Monday, July 30 View Page 1404 chugging along nicely. Monday, July 30 View Page 1495, she is in the running with my 1725 Monday, July 30 View Page 1818. Another one that I can figure out. My biggest D10 and 20 ever and she has slowed dramatically. She ribbed and cantaloped way too early for me. I am thinking borers have something to do with poor growth on this one too. Monday, July 30 View Page 1818. Another one that I cant figure out. My biggest D10 and 20 ever and she has slowed dramatically. She ribbed and cantaloped way too early for me. I am thinking borers have something to do with poor growth on this one too. Monday, July 30 View Page 1657. I identified and corrected a major deficiency in this plant and this fruit has taken off. She is on a tear now and has promise for a personal best. Monday, July 30 View Page 1725, the star of the show so far and was an early favorite from a friend. I had my doubts but not any more ;-) Monday, July 30 View Page I forgot to announce the return of Makka Pakka after his terrible tiller accident. Here he is beside the 1404 crown. Monday, July 30 View Page 2 0ver 100" so far. Not bad considering I dont know a thing about growing lg's Monday, July 30 View Page One of my 110 Maileys. Saturday, August 11 View Page My wife with the 1725 Harp on D51...... Its starting to go orange. Sunday, August 12 View Page My South patch with 1657 (forground) 1495, and 1404 Friday, August 17 View Page 239 doing 3 lbs a day currently @ 170" ott Friday, August 31 View Page Here is the 1725 Harp on its last day. sitting at about 1200 lbs by tape. A partial blossom split that happened 400 pounds ago finally broke all the way in. I chopped it up with the tractor and put it in the compost. Btw, thin walls on this one. Saturday, September 1 View Page 1818 Bryson sitting around 800 lbs. I suspected a virus on this one. Slowing after Day 20 and never doing more than 15 a day. Still, she is growing and solid so she has a chance @1000 Saturday, September 1 View Page My 4 year old with the 1404 Bryson. This has been no hell but a good constant grower. She sits @ 1156 by tape on Sept1 Saturday, September 1 View Page my 4 year old with the 1404 bryson. she taped 1156 on sept 1 Saturday, September 1 View Page my 6 year old with the 1495 Stelts. My smallest diameter main vine ever and my biggest fruit ever, by a long shot. over 1300 by tape Saturday, September 1 View Page Every year before weigh off time I give the old trailer a big once over. Check bearings and tires, electrical etc. This year I decided to dress her up a little. ;-) Saturday, September 1 View Page view from the side :-) Sunday, September 2 View Page my melon is still chugging along at 2 lbs a day Tuesday, September 11 View Page Here is the 1818 Bryson. My best 10 and 20 day numbers of all time but she slowed down between D20 and D30. She never did more than 15 lbs by tape. I suspected disease but did not confirm. She was good enough for first place at a small local fair @843.5 lbs. Thursday, September 20 View Page Debbie Lightle-Quan from CBC Toronot was here to do a little thing for the 6 oclock news. Here is the link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Toronto/ID/2281988994/ Saturday, September 22 View Page 1495, Growth has really slowed but she is still getting fresh splits daily. Friday, September 28 View Page 1495 Stelts fruit loaded and ready for Port Elgin! Saturday, September 29 View Page 1684.5 Delaney!!! Quite a shock @ + 18% to the new chart. A new Ontario record and good enough for 2nd at Port Elgin behind Jim and Kelsey Bryson. What an honor!!! Saturday, September 29 View Page On the podium @ Port Elgin :-) Saturday, September 29 View Page Me and my girls getting some hardware :-) Saturday, September 29 View Page The moment after they reveled my 1....6....8....4.5 . John Vincent coming in to give me a hug...... Me wiping tears out of my eyes. lol Ya, I was a little shooken up. :-) Sunday, September 30 View Page 1684.5 Again. A picture from the Norfolk fair. Great family shot! Friday, October 5 View Page Loaded up for the Woodbridge fair. Pumpkin was grown off the 1404 Bryson and the pollinator being the 1495 Stelts that grew my 1684.5. The melon is a 239 Leonard x self. Friday, October 5 View Page Here is the awesome Team Lunatic leader board designed by BP Mailey and myself. It was a great success!!! A couple more firsts for me (pun intended) My first time being on top for melon and LG. What a great day! Congrats to all growers and specially those with personal bests. John Matessa and Jason Aldred. Not to forget, John Vincent with his monster Canadian record cabbage @ 99 lbs!!! Friday, October 5 View Page 177 Delaney. (239xself) Good enough for first place at Woodbridge! Saturday, October 6 View Page Me and the girls and what is now officially known as the 1381 Delaney. + 7% to the new chart!!! My 3rd win of the season but my first ever GPC Sanctioned win. Sunday, October 21 View Page I will crack my fruit open the day after Halloween. Here is a sneak peak at my label design. I'm hoping for good counts!! Sunday, October 21 View Page 1684.5 Label :-) Tuesday, October 23 View Page Girls getting the seeds out of the 1381 Delaney (1404 Bryson x 1495 Stelts [1685.5 Delaney 12]) Wednesday, October 31 View Page Our Halloween display :-) Monday, December 31 View Page Happy New Year! Monday, December 31 View Page Happy New Year everyone!!! PB's all around in 2013.