Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 53 Entries. Tuesday, May 21 View Page This will be seventh year at this crazy hobby. Over the years I have enjoyed folowing other local growers on this site. This year I figure I'll give it a try myself. I planted the winter rye on 4/1 after tilling in 10 pounds of mycorrhiza. I plan to till a couple weeks ahead of the plant growth. Four plants, two in each 16 X 10 greenhouse. Tuesday, May 21 View Page 1566 Rodonis. A little leaf burn on one leaf. It got a little too hot in the greenhouses one day last week. Tuesday, May 21 View Page 1614 Watson Tuesday, May 21 View Page 1634 Werner Tuesday, May 21 View Page 1756 Lancaster Saturday, May 25 View Page The next two nights are supposed to get down in the 30's. Hope the plants can make it through the next couple days, after that it looks like maybe we turn the corner. Not exactly ideal growing conditions right now. Tuesday, May 28 View Page Greenhouses came down this weekend. Plants are doing good despite the cold weather. All mains are between 8-9 feet long. These are the largest plants I've had this early in the season. I started everything a couple weeks earlier this year, we'll see if it pays off with a bigger pumpkin at the end. Here's a picture of the garden now Tuesday, May 28 View Page 1566 Rodonis Tuesday, May 28 View Page 1614 Watson Tuesday, May 28 View Page 1634 Werner Tuesday, May 28 View Page 1756 Lancaster Tuesday, May 28 View Page Another shot of the garden. All plants received a drench yesterday of Rootshield, Azos, fish & seaweed. Tuesday, June 4 View Page The plants are really starting to take off now. All vines are out about 12 feet. Drenched with Merit 75 this morning. This is the 1566 Rodonis. My nicest looking plant so far. Tuesday, June 4 View Page 1614 Watson Tuesday, June 4 View Page 1756 Lancaster- my second best growing plant Tuesday, June 4 View Page 1634 Werner- slow starter, seems to be picking up Monday, June 10 View Page This is the Rodonis 1566 back to back with the Watson 1614 Monday, June 10 View Page The SVB trap has been up for a week now. So far, nothing caught Monday, June 10 View Page view of the patch Monday, June 10 View Page All plants have pumpkins at about 12 feet that will be opening in the next couple days. I thinking of culling these in favor of pollinations in another week or two with much more plant behind them. Friday, June 21 View Page I pollinated this one yesterday about 15 feet out on the 1634 Werner. This is the third pumpkin on the main, I culled the first two as they were very early. Friday, June 21 View Page I have one ready to open in a couple days at 15 feet on the 1566 Rodonis. This will be the second one on the main. Friday, June 21 View Page A view of the 1566 Rodonis back to back with the 1614 Watson Friday, June 21 View Page View of the entire patch. Plants are growing well and seem healthy. So sign of insects so far. Monday, June 24 View Page Pollinated this morning on the 1566 Rodonis at 15 feet. Highs today in the 90's. I built a cooler around with an ice bottle in it and put a table over it to keep it shaded. Fingers crossed. Tuesday, July 2 View Page Day 11 on the 1634 Werner Tuesday, July 2 View Page Day 7 on the 1566 Rodonis Tuesday, July 2 View Page Day 5 on the 1614 Watson. This one is the size of a grapefruit and still wants to stand straight up in the air. With the help of a couple rubber bands, I am trying to get it to lay down in the right direction. Tuesday, July 2 View Page Pollinated one 6 days ago on the 1756 Lancaster, however the blossom was deformed and full of seeds. Had another one open up this morning at about 20 feet, also deformed and full of seeds. Not sure what I'm going to do with this plant. Should have another opening up by the weekend, we'll see what that one looks like. Tuesday, July 16 View Page 1614 Watson X 1843 Geddes Day 20 Tuesday, July 16 View Page 1756 Lancaster X 2009 Wallace Day 20 This was the pumpkin with the deformed lobes. Tuesday, July 16 View Page 1566 Rodonis X 1634 Werner Day 22 Tuesday, July 16 View Page 1634 Werner X 1756 Lancaster Day 26. This one has been a slow grower. Yesterday was the first day it gained 20 pounds in a 24 hour period. Hopefully it will start to pick up. Tuesday, July 23 View Page Day and days of rain + one week of 90 plus degree temps = Rhizoctonia. My leaf stems are turning into this. Losing multiple leaves every day. Drenched the whole patch with Clearys last night in an effort to slow it down. What seemed like a promising season is quickly turning to mush. Tuesday, July 23 View Page View of the 1566 and 1634 this morning. Tuesday, July 23 View Page View of the 1756 and 1614 Wednesday, July 24 View Page The pumpkin on my 1614 Watson has aborted at over 200 pounds. Will pull the plant tonight. Thursday, July 25 View Page Did some vine maintenance last night on the 1614. Too bad, the pumpkin has no cracks, splits, etc., it just stopped growing. I expected the vines to be soft and rotten, but it was just the opposite. With all the moisture in the ground, the vines did not have a drop of juice in them. It seems the pumpkin just stopped growing because there was nothing flowing through the vines. Thursday, July 25 View Page The good news is I could be the first person ever in my neighborhood to have a pumpkin in the front yard in July. Thursday, August 1 View Page Plants are looking a little rough- they look like they usually do around the beginning of September. Pumpkins are still growing, although not as fast as I would like- Thursday, August 1 View Page 1566 Rodonis at 430 pounds. 17 pounds per day the past 10 days Thursday, August 1 View Page 1634 Werner at 475 pounds. 19 pounds per day the past 10 days. Thursday, August 1 View Page 1756 Lancaster at 350 pounds. 15 pounds per day the past 10 days. Thursday, August 8 View Page 1566 Rodonis Thursday, August 8 View Page 1756 Lancaster Thursday, August 8 View Page 1634 Werner Monday, August 19 View Page Well, it looks like this year will go down as my most disappointing season to date. My three remaining pumpkins have all stopped growing. I don't think any of them are over 600 pounds. It seems that I just lost the root systems on all the plants due to disease. No roots = no growth Wednesday, August 21 View Page The New Hampshire Giant Pumpkin Growers had the final summer twilight meeting last night at the home of Jason Dubois house in Merrimack NH. Wednesday, August 21 View Page Jason has a nice looking pumpkin growing, still putting on the weight- hopefully she'll go over 1000 pounds! Thursday, August 22 View Page Pulled the plant on this one last night. You can't see it in the picture, but the whole stem area is beginning to rot. The stem already fell off. I'll be making worm food out of it tonight. Thursday, August 29 View Page I had planned to bring this one to the Hopkinton Fair last night. Sadly it had some serious soft spots on the bottom and was too rotten. Sorry Bruce and Mary. Now I'm down to only one pumpkin. Thursday, September 12 View Page This is my oldest daughter with the only pumpkin I have left in the garden. It seems to have stopped growing a couple weeks ago. Trying to save it for a late September weigh off. Monday, September 23 View Page I pulled my only pumpkin out of the garden this weekend. It's in the back of the truck waiting for the Deerfield fair on Thursday. It won't win any prizes, but it's a lot of fun anyway just to bring one.