Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 39 Entries. Monday, January 23 View Page We were starting to get concerned because it hasn't been raining here in Northern California this winter. That worry has passed, as you can see here. Over the weekend we got about 8 inches of rain at my patch. I've had a pump running for the past couple of days. Wednesday, April 25 View Page I'm trying something new this year. We have an early GPC weighoff (the Heirloom Festival) on September 16th, so I'm starting one plant extra early. Since it was raining like crazy with no end in sight I put in some soil heating cables. Wednesday, April 25 View Page I started a 1421 Stelts and a 1532.5 Pugh on April 1st. The both sprouted and were in the hothouse on April 6th. My keeper was the 1421 Stelts. Last year this was an early grower for me, so I hope it will do the same this year. Wednesday, April 25 View Page It was still rainy and cold, so I got a 700 watt halogen hight to add a little heat. Wednesday, April 25 View Page I actually had help from ten year old Owen who is hoping to de enough work in the patch this year to claim a 1486 Jarvis fruit as his own. Only time will tell if he can stick with it. Wednesday, April 25 View Page Here is Owen with his beloved 1486 Jarvis seed. Hopefully we will grow a biggun from it. He thinks he looks good in green. Particularly green jackets. Wednesday, April 25 View Page On April 18th I started these seeds. Unfortunately the 1807 Stelts (which was paper thin) and the 1404 Bryson (which looked like it had already started to germinate in the pumpkin) seeds didn't germinate. Everything else dod though. Thursday, April 26 View Page Today was the big day that most of my seedlings made it into the ground. Here they are in my "heated" hothouse along with the 1421 Stelts plant that has been growing in it for about 20 days and some Nasturtiums that I' growing. I've heard that they will repel cucumber beetles...I guess we will find out. Thursday, April 26 View Page Here is Owen after planting his 1486 seedling. Thursday, April 26 View Page Owen and his Grandpa actually put together the hothouse for his 1486. He even used the battery powered drill himself. So what if I put together three other hothouses in the time it took them to build one, they did it...not me! Thursday, April 26 View Page I was disappointed when I opened the 1404 Bryson seed I purchased at auction because it looked like it might have already started to germinate inside the pumpkin that it grew in. But I tried to germinate it anyway. It didn't go. Today a package showed up at my door with a new 1404 seed curtosey of probably the most generous person in the sport. It is now in my incubator. I think this will be a lucky one for me! Thursday, May 3 View Page My early plant (1421 Stelts) had its main vine hit the ground yesterday. It was just over 3 feet out. Sunday, June 3 View Page I pollinated a female on my 1421.5 Stelts plant on June 1st. The fruit is sitting 13.5 feet out from the stump. The pollination is exactly 100 days before the Heirloom Seed Festival contest, so it should be perfect for that contest. Hopefully it will give me a good start on my top-three GPC average for the year! Sunday, June 3 View Page This past week I've been taking down my hot houses. This is my 1794 Pugh plant. I pruned and buried its vines yesterday and discovered that the females on it are the same shape as it's mothers were. This is a great sign! I wouldn't mind taking that ride again. Sunday, June 3 View Page Owen helped take down the hothouse for his 1486 Jarvis. He's still interested in helping with this plant regularly. I amazed that kids actually do eventually grow up! Tuesday, June 5 View Page My 1535 Pugh (which was pollinated with males from the 1161 Rodonis plant that grew my 1794 last year) also has females which are shaped like the ones that grew my 1794 last year! I've always liked to see elongated females that looked like little footballs...but now on fruit with the 1794's genes I'm very glad to see females that look like they will grow into wheel-shaped fruit. Tuesday, June 19 View Page I was turning the main vine of my 1421 Stelts plant to set up the fruit that I'm going to keep and noticed all these little white specs under my leaf canopy. As I uprooted the main vine and the side vines that I needed to move to get a nice curve in my main I was surprised at how rooted down everything was considering that it had grown in the past couple of weeks. Turns out that all of the white specs were roots. Everywhere. I don't know that I've seen this in previous years. Either RTI has some extra potient mychroizae this year, or I'm getting early-onset alzheimers. Anyway, it was very cool! Tuesday, June 19 View Page Here is the 1421 Stelts plant with my chosen fruit setting out about 18 feet. The fruit was set on June 7th. Thursday, June 21 View Page I spent three hours burling vines last night. Wehn I was done I was amazed at how great my 1532.5 Pugh looked even in the dark. It is going to grow a slunger! Thursday, June 21 View Page Every year on June 21st I measure my vines soI can compare their lengths from year to year. Here is what I found this year: 1794 Pugh - 17', 1495 Stelts - 16.5', 1532.5 Pugh - 15.25', 1409 Miller - 14', 1634 Werner - 14', 1381 Che3ckon - 13', 1486 Jarvis - 13', 1409 Miller #2 - 12.5', and 1421 Stelts 24.5' with my keeper fruit set at 15'. Friday, June 29 View Page I found this male flower on my 1421 Stelts plant this morning. It is gigantic. Monday, July 23 View Page A connection on my irrigation system came loose and uncovered some crazy root growth. This is located at the far end of a secondary which was buried and terminated about 12 feet out from the main vine. I guess that roots like this are what grow big'uns. Monday, July 23 View Page Speaking of big'uns, here's one that's going to be nice. This pic was taken on day 43, back when it was just about 750 lbs est. Today was day 46 and it will tape to over 900 lbs. tomorrow. It is going to be REAL big when our first GPC contest rolls around on September 11th. I've got three others that look like they will be fun rides too. I really love growing pumpkins. Monday, July 30 View Page After a month of July filled with putting on big triathlon races, I'm looking forward to spending more time in my patch! Monday, July 30 View Page Toady was day 30 for my 1532.5 Pugh fruit. It taped to 262" OTT, making it my new presonal best for a day 30 fruit. The plant looks great, and knowing what its parents did last year I'm excited about this one. It should give me something to keep my blood pressure up during the month of September and early October. I'll be singing the Half Moon Bay pumpkin song to this one soon. Monday, July 30 View Page Today was day 52 for my 1421 Stelts fruit at 366 OTT. It keeps cranking along at 4 to 5 inches OTT a day. I like the shape and color of this one...it reminds me a lot of one I had growing last year. Thursday, August 23 View Page When your fruit get big, the vultures come out of the wood work. Here is a pic of my buddy, Jim Devore, who tried to grow a big pumpkin about 7 years ago and ended up with a 300 and something pounder. Now he keeps an eye on my patch and waits until there is a big one to get his picture taken with...the he posts it on face book and acts like he grew it. This is the 1421 Stelts back on August 8th. Friday, August 24 View Page The day after Devore visited my patch the 1421 developed a pin hole at a rib intersection where there was a slight sag line. I cut if off the vine before it ripped itself apart with another 50 pound growth day. Friday, August 24 View Page The next day we gathered the troops and weighed it. It taped out to 392" OTT ( 183"x107"x102"). With a month to go before the Sept 11th contest, it was going to be huge. I was depressed. That's probably why I haven't been posting much. Friday, August 24 View Page Even though the scale showed 1348 pounds, it actually weighed out at 1327.5 pounds after subtracting the weight of the lifting aparatus. Friday, August 24 View Page Last week (August 15th) we took a six day trip to San Diego to hang out, watch the Giants beat up on the Padres, and stalk Giant players for autographs. It was good to get away from the patch for a few days. Friday, August 24 View Page Before we left my 1634 Werner was starting to pack on some nice daily gains. On August 14th it taped out to 338.5" OTT or an estimated 854 pounds. It was my largest day 42 fruit ever. Friday, August 24 View Page When we returned from the trip it taped 366 inches OTT or an estimated 1070 pounds. Friday, August 24 View Page Meanwhile my 1532.5 Pugh fruit continues to chug along. It looks like an orange version of the 1794 that pollinated it. It is going to be big as it continues its steady march to hugeness. The big question is where it will stop??? It is now at day 55 with another 40 or so days left to grow. Friday, August 24 View Page But there is a new sheriff at the Pugh patch, and it is growing on the 1634 Werner! In the three days since we've been back from San Diego it has put on another 100 pounds. At day 55 it has smooth, soft skin and looks like it has a lot more growing left in it. Wednesday, August 29 View Page "...if you ain't blowin' 'em..." RIP the 1634 Werner Fruit. Day 54 179.5"x107"x106"=392.5" OTT of fruit destined for the dumpster. Fun while it lasted. Victim of excessive growth causing a hole on a sag line. Makes me like the superwheel growing on my 1532.5 Pugh even more. Tuesday, September 4 View Page September is here and my 1532.5 Pugh fruit slowly moves toward the end of the measuring tape. This is one big wheel-shaped fruit. I wish I had grown it about four years ago, because it would have been legendary then. If it doesn't grow another 20 inches or so, and then go nice & heavy, it will be just another one of the common monsters that was grown this year. I do like the 1532.5 a lot and will be growing more than one of them next year. I think that it is a shape that can grow really big without falling apart...like my other big ones have done this year. Saturday, September 8 View Page Two nights this past week someone had been in my patch going through my tools, etc. This morning I discovered what they had taken and found the place where they came in and out...then I boobie trapped it! I hope they come back tonight. Saturday, September 8 View Page I loaded up two damaged pumpkins that each tape 392.5" OTT to take to the Heirloom Festival on Tuesday to get official weights on them. One has been off the vine since August 8th and the other has been off for a couple of weeks. I know what they weighed before, so it will be interesteing to see how much weight they lost. I've never had two pumpkins loaded on the same trailer at the same time that should both weigh over 1300 lbs. One of them is VERY light...and it was grown on the 1634 Werner.