Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 55 Entries. Saturday, December 31 View Page Will be documenting my growing experiences on BigPumpkins this year. I have enjoyed following your successes and learning experiences. Saturday, December 31 View Page Last winter I started my beets indoors under light. Worked quite well. Saturday, December 31 View Page Last winter I started my beets indoors under light. Worked quite well. Saturday, December 31 View Page We moved our beets and tomatoes out to a greenhouse. Saturday, January 14 View Page This is how I started my giant beets last year. Saturday, January 14 View Page I started my tomatoes early and last spring it just kept snowing. We had a very wet spring. Here I am letting my tomatoes get a little sun. They thanked me for it later with lots of fruit. Saturday, January 14 View Page I am proudly holding one of my giant beetlings. I don't know if there is such a word. My largest beet last year was 18.6 pounds. Saturday, January 14 View Page I planted my beets and tomatoes in a makeshift greenhouse. I ran a little heater at nights. Saturday, January 14 View Page Tomatoes have always been a big part of our family. This year will be my first attempt at growing them big. Saturday, January 14 View Page My makeshift greenhouse. I just put plastic over the top of a car/boat shade cover support. It sure was warm inside despite all the snow and wind. Saturday, January 14 View Page It did try growing some large radishes. The plant in this image seeded and we collected a bunch of seeds for planting this spring. Saturday, January 14 View Page Growing sunflowers was a lot of fun. I am looking for some seeds if anyone has some to spare. Despite all the slugs and snails,a few of our sunflowers persisted long enough to reach maturity. Saturday, January 14 View Page One of our sunflowers on the 4th of July. Saturday, January 14 View Page Growing gourds was great fun. Last year was our first attempt and despite big time germination failures a few made it to the trellis. A big thanks for last years seed donations. Saturday, January 14 View Page All our fruit was hand pollinated. I did not see any insects visiting the flowers. I did not know it was that tricky pollinating flowers ten feet above the ground. Saturday, January 14 View Page I did not know when to thin so as you can tell there are many growing on the same vine. I will rectify that this year. Saturday, January 14 View Page "the three sisters"... on the same vine Saturday, January 14 View Page Many times throughout the growing season I worried about one of the fruits breaking off during a wind storm. A few growers shared with me some ideas but I could not figure out exactly how they supported their fruits. So I adapted their suggestions to the materials I had on site. It worked but my fruits were not that big. My largest was 85 inches. My goal for this year is 100. Saturday, January 14 View Page My trellis this year... my largest gourd 85 inches was from the 115.75 Courson. Thanks Jim for a wonderful plant. My soil is terrible, heavy clay with lots of rocks. I worked the soil the best I could...planted...fertilized...talked to the plants a lot. I crossed the 115.75 on a 117. I have brought in a bunch of turkey mulch this winter... I am on a mission to improve my soil. Saturday, January 14 View Page I am the proud grower with the orange shirt. My gourd (85) was the third longest in the state this year. Saturday, January 14 View Page my 85 inch gourd...first but not my last attempt Saturday, January 14 View Page Here are the three pumpkins I grew last year. I spent a lot of time with these plants and had an incredible journey. Thanks to all those who donated seeds and advise. Saturday, January 14 View Page A few weeks ago my son and I started to work on our soil we cleaned off the trellis and started to till. Saturday, January 14 View Page lots of leaves and debris needed to be recycled Saturday, January 14 View Page our little machine was working over time Saturday, January 14 View Page We also put a significant amount of rabbit dung in with the leaves, turkey mulch and garden debris. This will be our prime pumpkin / squash patch. Tuesday, February 21 View Page This is one of the two beets I kept for my breeding program. We brought it home tonight and it will stay in the house next to a south facing window. We will be taking it outside in a few weeks. Tuesday, February 21 View Page Here is a close up of the beet. It was fun to see the diversity of beetroot that came from just one package of seeds. Tuesday, February 21 View Page This is the second beet we kept. Sunday, June 10 View Page 1338 McConkie Monday, June 11 View Page Jarvis 1486.6 Monday, June 11 View Page Jarvis 1486.6 Monday, June 11 View Page 1037.5 Jarvis Monday, June 11 View Page one of our Mangel Beets... hoping to have it seed this year Monday, June 11 View Page another Mangel... Wednesday, July 18 View Page Jarvis 1486.6 is growing like a beast. Many female flowers. We have selected our fruit...crossing our fingers and looking forward to Sept. This is my second year growing and always welcome suggestions. Wednesday, July 18 View Page Jarvis 1486.6 stump...one day I hope to grow one as big as Tyler Quigley. Wednesday, July 18 View Page View from the stump....only half the plant. I need to get a wide angle lens (1486.6 Jarvis) Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1486.6 fruit.... day 18. Suggestions on growing this out to maturity are appreciated. [email protected] Wednesday, July 18 View Page 634 Vunak.... also an aggressive plant. This fruit is 14 days old. Noticed all the fruits have been long. Used pollen from the 1486.6 Jarvis. Saturday, July 21 View Page 1486.6 Jarvis.... update day 20 Saturday, July 21 View Page gourds starting to take off... Saturday, July 21 View Page My beet is finally sending up flowers... the plant is still putting on weight. It is starting to lean, need to provide some support. Saturday, July 21 View Page second flowering beet Saturday, July 21 View Page this years giant table beet and carrot...seeds came from EGVGA Saturday, July 21 View Page carrot Saturday, July 21 View Page carrot Saturday, July 21 View Page Meisner tomatoes Saturday, July 21 View Page Meisner tomato Saturday, July 21 View Page Meisner tomato Saturday, July 21 View Page My wife is growing beans, onions and mini pumpkins within an eight inch space at the front of the garden. The soil is only a few inches deep with pea gravel below. "Survival of the fittest" Wednesday, July 25 View Page 1486.6 Jarvis.....day 25 Saturday, July 28 View Page 1486.6 Jarvis, day 28, 178 Friday, August 3 View Page 1486.6 Jarvis Had to cut a vine next to the pumpkin and move the main. It is getting a lot wider. Have a little cracking on stem... put on some Captan Fungicide. Wednesday, August 8 View Page 1486.6 Jarvis....taped to about 377. Personal best for me but I was hoping for around 500 pounds at this stage. It is starting to green a little. Does not look much like its parent.