Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 92 Entries. Tuesday, March 10 View Page Entry 1 for 2009. Greenhouse is up and in place for the Indiana State Fair. Current plans are to start the 275 Van Hook after the Ohio Seminar and win the fair. Watch out Kentucky! Wednesday, March 18 View Page Greenhouse is closed and the 275 Van Hook has been started. Wednesday, March 18 View Page Filed and soaked the 275 Van Hook goes it for germination. Thursday, March 19 View Page Here is my new patch assistant, Gretta. She is a purebred German Shepherd and is about 5 months old. Tuesday, March 24 View Page The 275 Van Hook has been transplanted into the greenhouse with a nice temperature of 70. Wednesday, April 1 View Page State Fair update. Wednesday, April 1 View Page 275 Van Hook, state fair update. Wednesday, April 8 View Page 275 Van Hook for the Indiana State Fair update. I applied subdue, cleary's and some fish washed down with some 15-30-15. Wednesday, April 15 View Page State Fair update Wednesday, April 15 View Page 275 VH update. Wednesday, April 22 View Page ISF Update Wednesday, April 22 View Page Looking good, thanks to Tom for opening the greenhouse, 115 at 1pm and still 80 at 7pm. Monday, April 27 View Page Filed, soaked and started: 904 Stelts, 985 Werner, 1161 Rodonis, 633* Blalock and 1346 Marchand. Thank you Dave, Quinn, Bill, Adam and Terry. Tuesday, April 28 View Page I had to start my 863 from '08 the next day. I left all my seeds at work. :-) Sunday, May 3 View Page All 6 are up and ready to go in. Sunday, May 3 View Page 985 Werner and 633* Blalock in hut #1. Sunday, May 3 View Page 1161 Rodonis and my 863 in hut 2. Sunday, May 3 View Page 904 Stelts and 1346 Marchand in hut 3. Monday, May 4 View Page Huts are open and the plants are doing great. Tuesday, May 19 View Page The 275 Van Hook outgrew the greenhouse so it is on its own now. Hopefully it won't be completely sunburnt today. Sunday, May 31 View Page 985 Werner Sunday, May 31 View Page 633* Blalock Sunday, May 31 View Page 1161 Rodonis Sunday, May 31 View Page 863.5 Klinker Sunday, May 31 View Page 904 Stelts Sunday, May 31 View Page 1346 Marchand Sunday, May 31 View Page 275 Van Hook Sunday, June 28 View Page 1st 275 Van Hook pollination aborted. 2nd pollination looks OK. Monday, June 29 View Page 1161 Rodonis x 904 Unibrow @ 16ft. I think it was 5 lobe and I used 3 flowers for pollen. Tuesday, June 30 View Page 985 Werner x 1161 Rodonis. 275 VH x 985 Werner @ 22ft Friday, July 3 View Page 1346 Marchand x 1161 Rodonis and 904 Stelts x 1161 Rodonis 275 Van Hook Day 11 29" Monday, July 6 View Page 863 Klinker x 985 Werner Monday, July 6 View Page 1161 Rodonis Day 10 19" Tuesday, July 7 View Page 275 Van Hook Day 15 44" Thursday, July 9 View Page *CORRECTION* July 9 1161 Day 10 19" not July 6. Friday, July 10 View Page 985 Werner Day 10 19" Sunday, July 12 View Page 275 Van Hook Day 20 65" Monday, July 13 View Page 1346 Marchand Day 10 23" * Split down a rib but continues to grow* 904 Stelts Day 10 23" 633* Blalock x self Tuesday, July 14 View Page 1161 Rodonis Day 15 36" Wednesday, July 15 View Page 985 Werner Day 15 34" Thursday, July 16 View Page 863 Klinker Day 10 21" Friday, July 17 View Page 275 Van Hook Day 25 84" Saturday, July 18 View Page 1346 Marchand Day 15 45" 904 Stelts Day 15 40" Sunday, July 19 View Page 1161 Rodonis Day 20 60" Monday, July 20 View Page 985 Werner Day 20 48" Tuesday, July 21 View Page 863 Klinker Day 15 39" Wednesday, July 22 View Page 275 Van Hook Day 30 102" and 218 OTT Thursday, July 23 View Page 1346 Marchand Day 20 71" 904 Stelts Day 20 54" Friday, July 24 View Page 1161 Rodonis Day 25 85" 197 OTT Sunday, July 26 View Page Ohio Valley Tour at Nick and Christy's. My yellow '65 mustang and Christy's "modern" pony car. Friday, July 31 View Page Picture from 8-6-09 275 Van Hook Day 39 258 OTT EST of 367 lbs by 08 GPC chart. Friday, July 31 View Page Picture from 8-6-09 1161 Rodonis Day 32 249 OTT Friday, July 31 View Page Picture from 8-6-09 985 Werner Day 31 210 OTT Friday, July 31 View Page 985 Werner, forgot the picture. Friday, July 31 View Page Picture from 8-6-09 1346 Marchand Day 28 227 OTT Friday, July 31 View Page Picture from 8-6-09 863 Klinker Day 25 197 OTT Wednesday, August 5 View Page The 904 plant began to turn yellow so it was removed. Also, the pumpkin stopped growing along time ago and began to rot. Thursday, August 6 View Page 633* Blalock x self. I have not measured yet. Thursday, August 6 View Page The 985 Werner's blossom end split either today or yesterday. I will try to caulk it and see how long it will last. 249 OTT. est 333 lbs by '05 chart. cir-106, ss-73, sb-70. Friday, August 7 View Page 275 Van Hook Day 46 273 OTT. EST '08 Chart 434 lbs. Gain of 67 lbs over 7 days or 9.5 lbs/day. Friday, August 7 View Page 863 Klinker Day 32. 239 OTT EST 296 lbs. Gain of 124 lbs over 7 days or 17 lbs/day. Friday, August 7 View Page 633* Blalock x self. Day 25. 192 OTT 160 lbs. No prior measurements. Friday, August 7 View Page 1161 Rodonis Day 39. 288 OTT or 507 lbs. Gain of 174 lbs over 7 days or 25 lbs/day. Friday, August 7 View Page The 1346 has shut down and isn't looking very good. I will take final measurements and weight it this weekend. The pumpkin is 35 days old so the seeds might not be mature yet. It was crossed with the 1161 Rodonis. Friday, August 14 View Page 1161 308 OTT 617 lbs. +110lbs/7days = 15.5lbs/day Friday, August 14 View Page 863 Klinker 268 OTT 412 lbs. +116lbs/7days = 16.5lbs/day. Friday, August 14 View Page 633* Blalock. 233 OTT 275 lbs Day 32. Thursday, August 20 View Page 985 Werner finally quit growing. 281 OTT or 472 lbs EST. +139/7days = 20lbs/day. Thursday, August 20 View Page Final weight is 513.5. +41.5 lbs heavy or +8% . Thursday, August 20 View Page After caulking it for about 2 weeks you can see how the damage continued to spread. Friday, August 21 View Page 633* 262 OTT or 386 lbs. +111/7days = 16lbs/day. Friday, August 21 View Page 863 277 OTT or 453 lbs. +41lbs/7days = 6/day. Friday, August 21 View Page 1161. 311 OTT or 635 lbs. +18lbs/7days = 2.5/day. Saturday, August 22 View Page Note for the week. We received about 4" of rain in one day and about 8" for the entire week. This could explain the slow down. Also I applied Subdue and Cleary's then drenched them in with 12-12-12. After a few hours I applied Warrior, Quadris, Banner, Provado and Daconil. Sunday, August 23 View Page This will be my new mascot, my patch monkey. LOL. Friday, August 28 View Page 633* OTT 278 or 458 lbs. = +92lbs over 7 days or 13lbs/day. Friday, August 28 View Page 863. 287 OTT or 502 lbs. +49lbs over 7 days or 7lbs/day. Friday, August 28 View Page 1161. 330 OTT or 756 lbs. +121lbs over 7 days or 17lbs/day. I do not believe I measured this pumpkin wrong. Friday, September 4 View Page 633* 287 OTT or 502 lbs. +44lbs over 7 days or 6 lbs/day. Friday, September 4 View Page 863 288 OTT or 507 lbs. +5 lbs. No signs of a split and no rot on the stem. Friday, September 4 View Page 1161. 333 OTT or 777 lbs. +21 lbs over 7 days or 3lbs/day. No signs of a split or rot. Friday, September 11 View Page 633* 293 OTT or 533 lbs. +31 lbs over 7 days or 4 lbs/day. Friday, September 11 View Page 863 290 OTT or 518lbs. +11 lbs over 7 days or 1.5 lbs/day. Friday, September 11 View Page 1161 339 OTT or 819 lbs. +42 lbs over 7 days or 6 lbs/day. This is now the largest physical fruit I have ever grown, not the largest I have ever weighed. Saturday, October 3 View Page 980 Klinker '09 (1161 Rodonis x 904 Stelts) estimated weight was 858 lbs. +122 lbs heavy. Wednesday, October 21 View Page Tom at Circleville. LOL Saturday, November 7 View Page The end of the 495 (Indy fair pumpkin). I guess you can blow them up to the get the seeds out too. Thursday, November 19 View Page OMG The pumpkin gods must be smiling on me. THE World Record Holder 1725 lbs Christy Harp sent ME seeds. I think I just peed my pants LOL Thanks!!!!! Monday, November 23 View Page http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/980-lb-pumpkin The news came out and interviewed me about giant pumpkins. Wednesday, December 9 View Page One last shot of the 980. Wednesday, December 9 View Page It was very consistent along the walls, bottom and top. The blossom was thinner but I think it could have grown for a very long time. Wednesday, December 9 View Page Just another view. It did start to rot at the very bottom, but it wasn't very bad.