Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 18 Entries. Sunday, March 30 View Page Starting off the 2008 diary is a parting shot of my patch in Sept. 2007. Color was dominate and size was down from previous years. My soil program will get some major tweeks and seed selection critera is currently being totally re-thought. I still have the 1260.4 WEIR 2001 in my collection and I just might say "what the heck" and finally grow it this year. Snowiest winter 100 years they say. Hear in Brillion I was blowing snow ever other day for a few months. The last patches of snow are melting fast now. I cant wait to till and start seed starting! Some more upgrades include better early season huts and increased wind protection. Glad to be out of hibernation Monday, April 28 View Page I got a hut set up only to have the 40 MPH winds take it back down. Cold and snow today. I started some seeds as well. Thursday, May 15 View Page A view of the patch. The plants have been in the huts over a week now, its my earliest start ever. Growth has been excellent with noticable gains in plant size every day. temps have been around 50 during the day but windy. The new huts really heat up fast. Usually 80 degrees by 10 a.m. on a sunny morning. I also planted the giant sunflower seeds along the back edge of the cedars. So far everything is going good. I also started some back-up A.G.'s just in case. Wednesday, June 4 View Page My new early season huts are working out very well. Electric ground heating cables and 100 watt light bulbs are keeping the night temps in the mid 60's. Wednesday, June 4 View Page I had a few minor set backs already this year but this is my biggest current worry. The main on this plant is doubled and kinda flat. I have stuff growing out in all directions. Wednesday, June 4 View Page This is a picture of the vine tip. Double vined and throwing out mutiples of everytghing, tendrils,leaves and quad males at some of the leaf juntions. I think this is really bad but I going to grow it a bit longer and pray it starts looking normal soon. Monday, June 16 View Page This is my best plant. It went 90 degrees the wrong way and the hut has been open for a while now. I would like to be able to close it up for some of these cool June nights, not now. Monday, June 16 View Page whoops wrong photo on last entry. that is a picture of the double vine creature in my other hut Monday, June 16 View Page this is the good plant. a little insect damage starting to show again. tonight will be an insecticide application Monday, June 16 View Page a view inside of good plant hut. A back-up on the right is going strong but will see the knife soon. Nearly 5 inches of rain here and streams are flooded! Monday, June 16 View Page This is bad pumpkin hut. Double vined but nice green leaves and yellow vines. It has 12 inches of ribbon vine back near the basil crown but has since grew into to normal looking vines. I have 2 other plants in this hut growing as back-ups but they are 2-3 weeks behind the double viner, and normal. Decisions need to be made soon. As next photo shows..... Monday, June 16 View Page A view inside the double vine hut. Leaf space is going at a premium. There are 3 plants in picture 2 on left and the double creature on top and right. I think I will keep growing it and see if any normal females show up. I'm going to train one of the back-ups out to the left and keep 2 plants growing here for now. Monday, July 7 View Page 4th of July and the plants are growing well. Monday, July 7 View Page A June pollination and its about the size of my fist. Monday, July 7 View Page Some pollinations don't look too heathly. This one from 6-30 is starting to turn dull. Monday, July 7 View Page A female on the double vined plant. So far the mutant plant has produced some normal looking flowers. I still have both mains growing and I'm pollinating females on each. The secondaries have criss crossed into a viney mess. I need to make adecision soon and terminate one of the mains. Storms tonight with heavy winds expected. Tomorrow I will do some plant triming. Mosquito's are terrible and I feel like a human insect feeder when in the patch. I also saw a few SCB's today. Tuesday, July 15 View Page William is 3 1/2 years old and a certified Blue Gill slayer. The pumpkin plants are doing good. HOT Weather and I'm running the water almost daily. The giant sun flowers are 6 feet + now. Friday, July 25 View Page This is the best pumpkin I have. Its on a skinny secondary, all females on the main aborted. The plant is small in size overall. I have another pumpkin on this plant on a differant secondary but is smaller, it will see the knife soon. Hot and muggy weather with few odd ball cool nights thrown in. Insects are terrible