Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 31 Entries. Thursday, May 6 View Page Well here are the seeds that sprouted for me. 1180 Pukos, 1154 Doucet, 1385 Jutras , 772 Poirier and 275 Van Hook. I had two seeds not sprout (810 Dill and 991 Urena) . 923 Gerhardt and 670 Daigle are waiting as backups. Sunday, June 13 View Page The best looking plant so far is the 1154 Douucet which has 7-8 ft long main and 1385 Jutras is closing in fast. 1180 Pukos is slow and steady. Late started plants as backups (670 Daigle and 991 urena)are just starting to lay down. 772 Poirier is coming along . Just trying to keep up with them guys in Dyberry and Honesdale . Saturday, June 26 View Page Pollinated 1154 Doucet and 1385 Jutras this morning but both females look deformed , should have another to pollinate on each plant in 4-5 days I hope . Still just trying to keep pace with them PA growers from up north. Monday, July 5 View Page Cut off the deformed females that were pollinated from all the plants and am waiting for more females to show up. I hope they appear fast because I`m already behind most Pa growers including those from up north . Saturday, July 17 View Page Still can not get a pumpkin pollinated on the 772 Poirier. The 1180 Pukos is growing ok. 1385 Jutras and 1154 Doucet starting to pick up the pace alittle. 670 Daigle is only hope for a good orange one . How long until the Altoona weighoff ? Wednesday, July 21 View Page Heres the 1180 Pukos . It`s the best in the patch so far. Butt is growing over blossom end. Wednesday, July 21 View Page The 1385 Jutras is coming on pretty strong after a very slow start. Sunday, August 1 View Page Well as you can see that no matter what I tried to do the 1180 has officially grown over the bloossom. Growth has slowed down to almost nothing since last post. I hope it picks back up. Sunday, August 1 View Page The 1385 Jutras is still growing but very slowly. I`ll never catch them Pa. growers from up north . Sunday, August 1 View Page I finally got some good orange ones growing . A 772 Poirier and 923 Gerhardt. Very nice color and shape on all of them for now. Should have a couple Howard Dill Award contenders at Altoona . Monday, August 16 View Page Just back yesterday from a week of church camp as a leader of the young boys. Alot of patch work to get caught up on and yes the pumpkins still look the same size . Got get a tissue sample or something done . My plants go pretty decent for the first 30-40 days then they just like to stop dead in there tracks . I`m open to suggestions. Still am not going to get that 1000 lber . Wish I lived up in northeastern PA where they all grow big ones . Wednesday, August 18 View Page Heres the 1385 Jutras . As you can see , no growth since last post . If the pumpkins keep growing at this rate I can just keep reposting the same pictures. Wednesday, August 18 View Page Here is the best orange one in the patch . Can`t tell what seed it is off of because all the orange growers would want one. Just hope it keeps growing steady for another 6 weeks. I hope it darkens up . Alright , you could probably get one of these seeds off of George or Becky and I also grew this seed last year. Thursday, August 19 View Page Here is the 1154 Doucet . I think I`ve seen another 1154 shaped like this one from Norm on a patch tour. I don`t think mine is as big as his but you never know. Don`t wheel shaped go heavy , I think 20% (Dreaming). Saturday, August 21 View Page Plants are starting to fall aprat . They have been hearing all the smack said about me (Orange with Envy) and my orange pumpkins getting our butts kicked at Altoona. But the pumpkins have brought to my attention that not all pictures of our orange pumpkins have been posted. There is a 923 Grehardt looming in hiding till Altoona. It should be fun if all the orange ones from all the Pa growers make it. No , I will not be Orange with Envy if we do not take the Howard Dill award this year . We have been lucky enough to take the award home the last two years in a row . It is a very high honor for any pumpkin grower. Saturday, August 21 View Page Plants are starting to fall apart . They have been hearing all the smack said about me (Orange with Envy) and my orange pumpkins getting our butts kicked at Altoona. But the pumpkins have brought to my attention that not all pictures of our orange pumpkins have been posted. There is a 923 Grehardt looming in hiding till Altoona. It should be fun if all the orange ones from all the Pa growers make it. No , I will not be Orange with Envy if we do not take the Howard Dill award this year . We have been lucky enough to take the award home the last two years in a row . It is a very high honor for any pumpkin grower. Saturday, August 21 View Page Oh and by the way. I`m still way behind them awesome growers up in the northeast part of Pa. Monday, August 23 View Page My daughter has gone on the record that the weeds have taken over our patch. Not to much to do about that now. We have been doing alot of trimming with the pruner I have gotten off of extreme pumpkin. Tuesday, August 31 View Page Just got done watering again . It has been much easier since my daughter started helping. Without her the last month it would have been nearly impossible to keep up with the plants. She even wishes that we could grow big pumpkins like them guys up in the northeast part of PA. Measurements are now taken in millimeters instead of inches. Friday, September 3 View Page NO growth at all on any of the plants . Just trying to get the pumpkins to the Altoona weighoff (hopefully). My daughter has suggested that we move between Sayre and Honesdale if we want to be competive with the rest of PA growers. I told her we can`t afford the cost of living up there. Saturday, September 11 View Page My daughter finally let me take her picture with some our little pumpkins , shes hates for me to post a picture of her with our little pumpkins but I talked her into it . Here is the 1180 Pukos , very rough skin . Saturday, September 11 View Page The 772 Poirier , it is not a Howard Dill contender but could give me my personal best pumpkin if it could grow any at all before Altoona . Saturday, September 11 View Page 1154 Doucet , I can`t say to much bad about this plant except for no really big growth days . Very slow continuous grower. Saturday, September 11 View Page Last but not least the 1385 Jutras was my biggest grower until last week and the stem is getting very soft . I did a 1385 x 991 Urena cross and I might just plant my own seed next year. My daughter said that she wish we lived up northeastern PA , they never have any pumpkin problems up thier. Saturday, September 11 View Page All objects in the last four picture post appear alot bigger than what they really are . Still no growth on pumpkins. Wheres the skunk cap ? Thursday, September 23 View Page Any chance of new growth is about gone. Storms rolled in at 50 mph gusts and helped level most of the remaining good leaves . No chance at catching them growers from the northeast this year. Maybe I need next year off. Monday, September 27 View Page I haven`t had to measure for weight gains because plants look like they are about done. I`ll never have a pumpkin or squash as big as them guys from Northeast PA. Congrats Ned and Alex with the RGB. Thursday, September 30 View Page Well we loaded the trailer today with our little pumpkins in the pouring rain that will be heading to Altoona. Didn`t even need a front loader this year. Hoping to beat my new personal best that was set last week. I still wish I could grow them monster pumpkins like them guys up in northeast PA do(Rocky, Ned, Mark, Andy & Scottie) . Going to take some pictures tomorrow. Sunday, October 3 View Page Well we took our little pumpkins to Altoona with a bit of adventure on the way. We had to use two trailers to haul the pumpkins , one broke down on the way . Had to take one trailer in and unload and then go back pick up the other trailer . Made it and had a great time talking to alot of great people. Had a new PB on pumpkins of 926lbs it was increase of 317lbs. Thanks to all the growers that helped me with questions this year (PGPGA members and Phil Hunt). Thursday, November 18 View Page Well, after much time in thought . I will not be growing more than one plant next year . Things beyond my control will not allow anymore than one but I will still continue to search for that special seed to plant. Thursday, December 23 View Page Still trying to get permission to grow in old patch next year but no response yet. Just planning ahead for next season in case I have to start in a new area . One pumpkin plant and one squash if that is the case. Merry Christmas to all ....