Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 26 Entries. Sunday, June 27 View Page ok, So you all are complaining about growing conditions...its 108 degrees today...like these odd looking pumpkins? Sunday, June 27 View Page Here was my first success story, 50 tomato plants, seeds started Dec 18, in the ground Jan 30 with row covers. They say "if you can grow tomatoes, you can grow big pumpkins....we'll see....not sure if its possible in the middle of the summer in the low desert... Sunday, June 27 View Page now, right side up...sorry, newb at work Sunday, June 27 View Page Ok, here we go...Fredricks 754 on May 23...I'm planting my pumpkins in my Vedge garden, letting them take over as the tomatoes and corn fade away. Harvesting tomatoes, I notice the cooling affect of water evaporating off ot the plants...maybe it will give me some benefit, along with the 30 percent shade cloth. Sunday, June 27 View Page Fredricks 754 june 2....thought my tomato plants would be geezing a little sooner...but good shade for my first AG Sunday, June 27 View Page Brandywines on left, Cherokee purples on right, path for Fredricks right down the middle...june 11 Sunday, June 27 View Page This is where I started to install the 30 percent shade cloth, my garden is beside the open plots...oh, by the way, I added one of these open plots to my other two...pumpkin patch! Sunday, June 27 View Page here is the shade cloth installed, double plot is 30 x 45 Sunday, June 27 View Page I'll post some recent pics of my Bosworth 711, and Fredricks 754. both at 14 feet, Bosworth is attempting to set fruit...I have shade cloth, more shadecloth, micro sprinklers running every 1/2 hour...praying one sets, despite the heat....they are surrounded by other plants,tomatoes and corn, soaking the woodchip paths, anything to promote cooling effect...I know Im not a purist, with a pumpkin only garden...hope the respiration of the other plants helps shade, cool the pumpkins while they get going. Tuesday, June 29 View Page My Bosworth 711, female pollinated, in cooler with frozed water bottle per Dusters reccomendation. Placed 7am today, at 6pm outside temp was a brisk 108f, inside the pumpkin condo, a frigid 91.8f....simple but effective. Duster's 754 Fredricks is less advanced, but at 18ft amid tomato plants....maybe female flower in a week....too hot, but I'm trying anyway... WDB gave me a Jongeneel that was very aggressive, but broke off in a freak windstorm.....I had it covered on three sides, and kinda on the fourth side...and of course, wind came in from that side overnite and snapped it...newbie not adhearing to Murphy's Law Tuesday, June 29 View Page 754 Fredricks at 18ft end, looking back...its between Rutgers and Roma tomato hedges, they are starting to die off, 754 to take over, females in a week? More styro coolers and Frozen waterbottles to come.... Wednesday, June 30 View Page Side Comment....as a kid I lived in Kitchener Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Minneapolis...now I'm in Arizona...if only I had started as a kid, climate would have been a heck of a lot easier... Wednesday, September 1 View Page DO OVER... Ok, So growing amoungst tomato plants sounded Birkenstocky (new adjective), but was not practical....plant lasted beyound the Tomatos, but succumbed to Downey Mildew, and heat, no fruit set. So, this being Arizona, Do over started July 4, dedicated 600 sq ft patch (still squeezing in Prizewinners for practice.) Discovered the wonders of Eagle 20....learned it is well worth-holding food from children and dog to buy it. After making an error and applying 6 times strength, and going back in the middle of the nite and washing off with ivory and seaweed, I think I'm learning. Next lesson learned...you can grow a plant, pray for cool in next month for pumpkin set...tryed cooler,ice trick, too hot still...picks to follow... Tuesday, September 21 View Page Grew vines in the new patch, fruit would not set until mid August when nite temps dropped, for a brief period. 958Jongeneel on Sept 21 Tuesday, September 21 View Page re-post of picture on entry for sept 21 Saturday, October 2 View Page We had liftoff in the Desert (Phoenix, AZ) Extreme heat means no fruit set, until nite temps dropped. After torturing seeds this spring/summer (sorry Duster), I finally get the big grin everyone else got in mid July, in October... Sunday, October 17 View Page After battling the heat, my Prizewinners took off first. Left 10 on, spread out over 3 plants, the one my daughter gets came in at 75lb, biggest one, I sold, came in at 88lb. Rest are about 30+lb. Man are they prolific...a nice plant for beginners, with some nice big orange fruit. Tuesday, October 19 View Page #1 Jongeneel in middle of patch. OTT is 199, this set first, off of a secondary main vine, in the middle of the Prizewinners, I assume because it was cooler there. 30 percent shade cloth, by the way... Tuesday, October 19 View Page #2 Jongeneel on same plant. This set off main vine 3 weeks later, but is "pouring on the coal" and catching up to #1 pumpkin quickly. OTT is 189.5. I left both on, on separate mains off of the main stump...plus when you are a newbie, and struggled all summer in the Desert...its fun to have two cranking away... Tuesday, October 19 View Page A nice picture of #1 AG and two Prizewinners. Tuesday, October 19 View Page The "business end" of #2...about 20 ft out. Rain in the desert tomorrow...well see what happens. Friday, October 22 View Page Me and one of two. I have cleared out all the Prizewinner vines, this was in the middle of the patch. Late set because of heat. Thursday, October 28 View Page Here are some of my smaller Prizewinner pumpkins...I had one 88lb and one 75lb...all grown on 3 vines. Great plants to get your feet wet...nice and orange, and you can get them out without a crane! I grew these in the same space as the AG...next year, Big one gets the patch all to himself... Sunday, October 31 View Page Prizewinners on display, the 77lb on left. Nice and orange. Tuesday, November 23 View Page Here was the final results of my first year in the low desert. Grown off a Jongeneel seed, 290 lb on left and 209 lb, cut 3 weeks earlier, on the right. Both off of the same plant, two separate mains. The Arizona record is 469lb....cant I just add them up for 499? Lol.. Thursday, December 23 View Page Here's the 290 split open...cut in 6 piece, weighed on bathroom scale...next year I hope I need a tripod to load it for a road trip...