Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 16 Entries. Saturday, March 15 View Page Well, I'll start out my Diary with a picture of my 1400 lb club Jacket that I received from the GPC in Niagara. Boy are these some really nice jackets that I hope everyone gets a chance to wear. I for see a lot of guys getting them next year with out a doubt! Took me a lot of luck to get one I admit, and its gonna be real hard to top what I grew last year. ( 1402.5 , 1289.5 , 1019 , 776 , 711 ) I know its gonna take a lot of luck to beat my personal best, ALOT OF LUCK, but I do have some good guns this year to grow like another 1068 Wallace, thanks to Jim Kuhn and a 1450 Wallace,1231 Pukos and a 1407 Hemphill.(thanks Pap& Ron, Joe and Edmund!) I also have (2) 805 Pukos I'm going to grow along with a 810 Dill ( Thanks Ben Hebb and thanks Matt Wickless, and Eddy Z!!) There's a few more seeds I'm growing that I think might grow big as well. I'm just hoping my luck this year is going to be as good as last year, and I already know is gonna be tuff act to follow for me. Friday, March 21 View Page This is my lifting ring. The metal ring is a part that goes around the outside edge of a old wooden wagaon wheel. The chain is looped around the ring and then bolted to four sides of the ring. The chains are then bolted together in the center for the for chain hoist to attach to for lifting. Simple, cheap, strong lifting ring with out the welding. Friday, May 9 View Page Well, I can finally relax a bit, I'm finally ready to get the season underway. Here is what I have in the ground under hoop house's. 1068 Wallace 1450 Wallace 1231 Pukos 805 Pukos 1462 Gibson 1402 Bosworth (2 plants) 1071 Houghton 1407 Hemphill Wickless '07 I was going to plant about 4 more plants, but with all that's going on with my Dad who's in the hospital and my personal life, I'm just gonna go with these plants I have planted, I think they are gonna be some good ones, hopefully. Only seed I had trouble with was the 1502 Wallace seed, I really dont know what happened to it, it came up fine but just stalled on me, it has only one cot leaf and is a really skinny lanky seedling that looks like its never been fed, it's really lagging behind the rest of my seedlings. I'm still gonna keep it around as a back up just in case something happens, and will probably plant it anyway once the weather is warmer and no signs of frost are in its future,I really dont have the time or gumption to make another hoop house. My over all best plants is my 1450 Wallace, 1231 Pukos, 1402 Bosworth and the 1071 Houghton. The 1071 Houghton is a picture perfect seedling, I just hope she grows as good as she looks. I'm impressed with how this seedling has grown so far and I'm kinda kicking myself in the ass now for not putting this seedling in a better spot in my patch, but the spot I have her in should be OK, I have done a lot of work to this 1000sq ft and the soil is reading better and looking better for me every year. Its shaping up nice, but its not perfect. Friday, May 9 View Page I dont know how I forgot about this plant, but I have the soon to be famous 904 Stelts planted also, shes looking good. Friday, May 9 View Page I knew I shouldn't have opened my mouth to soon, but I went out to close my hoop house for the evening and noticed the 1071 wilting real bad. I knew it wasn't from any heat because the sun hasnt been out all day. I checked around the base of the 1071 and found seed corn maggots has eaten it almost in half. The combination of the compost/manure, cold and dampness we been having the last couple days makes this a feeding ground for them little maggots. I did apply merit two days ago to the seedling but apparently the maggots where all ready in the stem, I didnt apply the merit soon enough before these maggots could take over. Looks like the skinny 1502 Wallace seedling is getting in sooner then I thought, its getting the call off the bench to take its place! Tuesday, May 13 View Page My Father and I have his seedlings in the ground and here is the plants hes been planning on all year to plant. 664 Liggett, 1385 Jutras, 1019 Bosworth, 1096 Privitera, 1402 Bosworth. He has room for all these plants to grow, but I think the smart thing for him to do this year is first concentrate on his health and then worry about his plants when hes feeling better, (let them grow '' wild'' if he needs them to), and just go with the best one or two plants that are growing the best for him at the time. Having him just go with one or two plants is gonna be real tuff for me to talk him into though.lol I really like the looks of his 1385 Jutras, and his 664 Liggett looks like a little beast as well. Wednesday, May 14 View Page Here is half of my plants I have planted this year. Things are growing really slow this year compared to years past, alot of rain and cold weather really got these plants growing at almost a stand still. Thursday, May 22 View Page 556 Andrews plant is still looking good. The 556 is planted about 30 ft from where I lost my 1071 Houghton and 904 Stelts to seed corn maggots. Hopefully they dont work there way over to the 556 Andrews (603 Muller x 940 Mombert) or my 1407 Hemphill. I also gave my other back up plant which was another 1407 Hemphill to a buddy of mine who lives in St.Clairsville, Mike Vador (3rd year grower). He put this in a prime spot in his patch. I think hes got a very good shot this year to go over 1000lbs with ether that pumpkin or a 1502 Wallace. Friday, June 20 View Page 1231 Pukos, I pollinated my first female today on this plant about 10 feet out. Friday, June 20 View Page 1450 Wallace Friday, June 20 View Page 1068 Wallace. Friday, June 20 View Page 1402.5 Bosworth Saturday, June 21 View Page I took the last 4 pictures at dusk and I can see now that my camera doesnt take very good pictures that time of the day,lol. My 1462 Gibson is growing well,along with my 556 Andrews and my 711 Bosworth. All three plants where grown in a small hoop house with no heat, and I think they should be caught up to my other plants in no time flat. My 1462 is just about there. I pulled my 805 Pukos due to a nasty double vine, and I lost some other great seedlings this year due to them nasty ass seed corn maggots, a few of my favorites that I lost, that made me sick to my stomach was a 904 Stelts and a 1407 Hemphill. I gave my other 1407 away to soon, I was holding the other 1407 as a back up just in case something happened to the 1407 I had growing. Looks like I gave it away to soon, so we will see what Mike Vader can do with this plant, I really think hes going to bust a big one out of that 1407 this year.(I just wish I had one growing in my patch this year. Hey Mike, you mind if I take my plant back!!!!!???, Ha!) I still have one more 1407 seed to plant next year, I really think your going to see a lot of big ones grown off that seed in 2008. Saturday, June 21 View Page 1462 Gibson. Here is another crappy picture that was taken at dusk, just not enough light. Sunday, June 22 View Page Pollinated the 1450 Wallace (x 1402 Bosworth) Its about 9 ft out on the main. Pollinated the 1462 Gibson (x 1450 Wallace) This pumpkin is only 6 ft out on the main. Thursday, June 26 View Page Pollinated the 1231 Pukos today( x 1068 Wallace). This is my second female that I pollinated on this plant and its roughly 16 to 18 ft out on the main.(I culled the first female) This is my only shot to set a pumpkin on the main vine because of a violent windy storm that came through a couple days ago, it caused the main to break about 12 inches above this female.(Lucky on that part I guess) I also pollinated the 1068 Wallace (x 1402.5 Bosworth) and the 1402 Bosworth (x 1450 Wallace)