Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 63 Entries. Tuesday, March 5 View Page This is my first entry for 2013. I am very hopeful that my new watering and fertilization system works good. I spent lots of time and money on a pvc system with micro sprinkler heads that Thad Starr promoted and made a couple of my own modifications like shut off valves every 5 foot off the main line. No more putting together drip line fittings anymore. Wednesday, March 27 View Page Really excited that my son wanted to grow 2 of his own plants this year. I told him it was a lot of hard work and he would have to do the weeding himself. He is only 7 so I am a little worried that I may get stuck with the majority of the work, but it will at least be a good learning experience for him and teach him about hard work. Wednesday, April 3 View Page Put 88lbs of azemite, 20lbs blood meal, and 50lbs alfalfa meal down on the patch today and tilled it all in. Now just to get my spring soil test to see where the Patch stands for this season. I am also excited that my 7 year old son wants to grow 2 plants this year. I told him he would have to do all the weeding so we will see how he keeps up or if he can without dads help. Wednesday, April 3 View Page I think I have my 2013 lineup almost complete. I will have 1670 Parks,1605 Sweet, 1409.5 Miller my son's plant, 1386 Sherwood, 1303 Sweet, 1165.5 Marsh for big fruit and then for color hopefully 1610 Leiber my son's 2nd plant and 1187 Johnson. I was also going to plant 2 squash this year if I can get another seed. I have a 1236 Vincent that I would like to cross or maybe I will have to self it. Saturday, April 13 View Page Pumpkin patch is A little under water right now. Hopefully we get no more rain. Tuesday, April 16 View Page At least patch is no longer under water, but it is to wet to put out greenhouse's and get down a few more soil amendments. Tuesday, April 16 View Page At least patch is no longer under water, but it is to wet to put out greenhouse's and get down a few more soil amendments. Friday, April 19 View Page 2 more inches of rain last night. It has my patch completely under water again. Looks like a lake. Going to be a late start this year unless I find some really big pots. Sunday, April 21 View Page Potted 4 seeds today 1605 Sweet, 1592 Platte, 1409 Miller, and 1256 Platte. Hopefully it is not to early as some of patch is still under water but I hope it will dry out and warm the soil up enough to transplant in 1-2 weeks. Will put out hoop houses as soon as possible. Wednesday, April 24 View Page 1256 Platte and 1409.5 Miller are up and out of oven/germination chamber. 1605 Sweet and 1592 Platte still not up yet. Oven with light on works great as germination chamber as it keeps temp about 85 - 90 degrees F. Also found space heaters on clearance at meijers for half off so I bought 2 to get temp up in hoop houses. This should work a lot better than 500 watt halogen work lights I used last year. Saturday, April 27 View Page 1605 Sweet came up 1592 Platte didn't germinate. 1592 will be replaced in patch with 1256 Platte which was 21% heavy. Also planting 1670 Parks, 1610 Leiber, 1386 Sherwood, and 1303 Sweet today in pots. So for now line up is 1670 Parks, 1610 Leiber, 1605 Sweet, 1409.5 Miller, 1386 Sherwood, 1303 Sweet, 1256 Platte, and 1187 Johnson. Squash will be 1236 Vincent and 834.5 Sandercock. Tuesday, April 30 View Page 1670 Parks, 1386 Sherwood, and 1303 Sweet are all up. Still hoping for 1610 Leiber, 1187 Johnson, and 1236 Vincent squash to pop up. Wednesday, May 1 View Page 1610 Lieber finally popped up and my son was really excited that his seed from big orange was up. Just a couple left to come up and my lineup for the year will be complete. Only 1 seed so far that did not germ. Pretty good results again this year with oven as germination chamber. Saturday, May 4 View Page All plants are up and doing fine except 1236 squash was stuck in the seed shell to long today but was planting corn. No time to stop for that its MAY. Sunday, May 5 View Page Finally got some pics Sunday, May 5 View Page 1386 Sherwood Saturday, May 11 View Page 1610 Lieber Saturday, May 11 View Page 1386 Sherwood Saturday, May 11 View Page 1303 Sweet Saturday, May 11 View Page 1670 Parks Saturday, May 11 View Page 1256 Platte Saturday, May 11 View Page 1187 Johnson Saturday, May 11 View Page 1409 Miller Saturday, May 11 View Page 745 Knochel Saturday, May 11 View Page Could not get picture for 1409.5 Miller to load but that is the other in the ground right now. Lost 1605 Sweet it had a weak spot on stem. I think it got a little to long as it was not close enough to light. I also have a couple inside still 1236 Vincent Squash, 1579 Revier pumpkin and 834.5 Sandercock squash. Saturday, May 11 View Page Soil test Results. Advice definitely welcomed. Saturday, June 1 View Page Gave all plants a dose of nectar of the gods and they seemed to like it. They really shot up last couple of days afterward. Here is 1256 Platte. Saturday, June 1 View Page 1409.5 Miller Saturday, June 1 View Page 1670 Parks Saturday, June 1 View Page 1303 Sweet Saturday, June 1 View Page 1386 Sherwood Saturday, June 1 View Page 1610 Leiber Saturday, June 1 View Page 745 Knochel Saturday, June 1 View Page 1187 Johnson Saturday, June 1 View Page 834.5* Sandercock squash Saturday, June 1 View Page 834.5* Sandercock squash Sunday, July 7 View Page Lots of pollinations today and yesterday. Better late than never. 1409.5 Miller was pollinated July 6th with 1670 Parks, 1670 Parks was selfed today, 1610 Leiber was pollinated with 1187 Johnson, and 1386 Sherwood was pollinated with 1409.5 Miller. Monday, July 8 View Page Had some more pollinations this morning. I pollinated the 1303 Sweet with the 1256 Platte and the 1256 Platte I Pollinated with the 1670 Parks. Both were four lobe females. Monday, July 8 View Page I forgot to put in the diary the females from July 6th and 7th. 1670 was a 4 lobe female, 1409.5 Miller was 4 lobe female, 1610 leiber was a 4 lobe female, and 1386 Sherwood was a 3 lobe female. Saturday, July 13 View Page 1256 Platte Saturday, July 13 View Page 1670 Parks Saturday, July 13 View Page 1303 Sweet Saturday, July 13 View Page 1386 Sherwood Tuesday, July 23 View Page 1256 Platte 16 DAP Tuesday, July 23 View Page 1409.5 Miller 17 DAP Tuesday, July 23 View Page 1670 Parks 16 DAP Tuesday, July 23 View Page 1386 Sherwood 16 DAP Monday, July 29 View Page Day 23ott for 1409.5 Miller is 197, Day 22 for 1256 Platte 170ott, 1670 Parks 214ott, 1303 Sweet 160ott, 1386 Sherwood 174ott. They have been slowly plugging along with the cool temps. Friday, August 2 View Page 1256 Platte 26 DAP 210ott 215lbs est. Friday, August 2 View Page 1409.5 Miller 27 DAP 223ott 255lbs est. Friday, August 2 View Page 1670 Parks 26 DAP 241ott 320lbs est. Friday, August 2 View Page 1303 Sweet 26 DAP 167ott 110lbs est. No growth since last measurements so I think I lost this one. Friday, August 2 View Page 1303 Sweet 26 DAP 167ott 110lbs est. No growth since last measurements so I think I lost this one. Friday, August 2 View Page 1386 Sherwood 26 DAP 201ott 190lbs est. Saturday, August 17 View Page 1256 Platte 41 dap 286ott est. 524lbs Saturday, August 17 View Page 1670 Parks 41 dap 303ott est. 620lbs. Saturday, August 17 View Page 1386 Sherwood 41dap 258ott est. 389lbs Sunday, August 25 View Page 1256 Platte 313ott 681 lbs. Sunday, August 25 View Page 1256 Platte 313ott 681 lbs. Sunday, August 25 View Page 1409.5 Miller 301ott 608 lbs. Sunday, August 25 View Page 1670 Parks 320ott 726 lbs. Sunday, August 25 View Page The 1670 has humped up in the middle and has a rib that has wrinkles in it. Is this bad? Sunday, August 25 View Page 1386 Sherwood 276ott 473 lbs. This plant has not had the benefit of my new micro sprinkler watering system. This seems to be the reason it is behind. Next year system will be extended to run entire length of patch.