Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 30 Entries. Thursday, April 23 View Page First day for 2009! Trying to make a more interesting diary. Thinking of a theme. It was suggested Snoopy or Garfield. My favorite verse is, Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you". Not bad advise. Best wishes! Hope to get a pumpkin this year. Thursday, April 23 View Page The lineup. These were all gifts. Thanks Jim B., Jim K. and Jim F. Triple Jims. Can't find better friends! Monday, May 4 View Page Seeds are up. Well, two of the eight are anyway. The 1307 Pierce and 1128 Beauchemin popped out of the seed coat on Apr 26th. In pots on Apr 30th and the 1st leaf is growing. For those who would die for a 1209.7 Kuhn, I'm sorry, I should have given it away to a better grower. So, I have two of my three... Hey Jim! got anything for me yet? My Dad's getting out of the hospital tomorrow after dialysis... My lemon of a car (grrrrrrrr...) Spent more money than it's worth in the past week! I'm thinking dynamite and rolling it off a cliff. Tuesday, May 5 View Page Thanks for the idea for the germination setup Al Kopp. Instead of the baggie, glad plastic container. 40watt bulb. Saturday, May 9 View Page Patch facing NE. Expansion is to the left in the pic. Pile of roots removed from the planting 'pit'. Added about 5yards of Midwest Organics compost. Approx 550sq/ft. Drainage issues on left side of the pic. Saturday, May 9 View Page Foreground, 1128 Beauchemin. Background, 1307 Pierce. "one will be taken and the other left." Luke 17:36 Sunday, May 24 View Page Planted the 1248 Ford in the second patch today. Nice, healthy plant that Jim gave me. Thank you Jim, you're a class act! The only concern that I have is putting it in a place where it can shine. My back patch needs more sun due to over-hanging trees and a shed too close to the patch. So, I'm trying to have the trees cut down for $425. The other plants, the Beauchemin and Pierce are still inside the cloche and are doing well. Which one will be taken? I'll answer that question, the Pierce is the smaller of the two.... It has excellent genetics but isn't taking off. Now, I can deliberate about this but, my choice right now would still be the plant that shows more aggressive growth over the plant with proven genetics but is slower-growing. Maybe this will bite me in the end but, heck, I've only grown a 667 and anything like that will make me happy! Thursday, June 4 View Page 1248, it's doing ok. This is the 10th day after planting in the patch. Sunday, June 28 View Page pollinated on 6/28 5 lobe at 14' on main. Monday, June 29 View Page Sorry, no pics this entry because I can't find the camera USB cable. So, with encouragement from people on BP.com, I pulled the 1307 Pierce at 11ft. The 2 keepers are the 1128 Beauchemin and the 1248 Ford. 1248 started well and now is a double vine. It's at 10ft today with one secondary. Tomorrow, the 50gal of water technique to seperate the vine will be tried. It also shows signs of leaf disease (very slight). I will try two fungicides and clearing up the patch. 1128 Beauchemin is 18.5ft today with females at 11, 14.5, 16.5 and 18. I didn't pollinate the female at 11. 14.5 was pollinated yesterday morn., the 28th (1128x1128). (no male flowers on the 1248) 16.5 will be pollinated tomorrow, the 30th. (1128x1128) and the next, 18, in another 3 days. Spotted 1st SVB on the 27th and again this morn. Sprayed 1/2oz. Cyonara 9.7 in 1.5gal. water this morning. This plant throws females more than males. Thank the Lord, males just started to mature yesterday. I have a feeling all pumpkins will be selfed unless the 1248 is corrected. Catching up on node burying. Longest secondaries are 13' today. Hot two days ago but today, very pleasant, not great temp for growing fast. Have Ca to apply with Merit tomorrow. Thursday, July 2 View Page Patch filling out on 7-2. 14' set on 6/28 5 lobes, selfed. Thursday, July 2 View Page View 4 days after 1st and 2 days after second pollination. Main is about 18.5 in this pic. Long 2nd about 15'. I never had a plant this big in July. That's not saying much compared with others. Saturday, July 4 View Page The 1128 from the front... Fills up my 17'wide patch huh? The main is at 22' today. Two babies females not pollinated are at 21' and 22'. The main had 2 going, 14' (6days old) and 17' (4days old). Saturday, July 4 View Page Here's the 1128 cutie at 14'. born 6/28, 5 lobes, selfed. Looks like her mother. Has a younger brother at 17', born 6/30, 5 lobes, also selfed. Monday, July 6 View Page The double vine on the 1248. Monday, July 6 View Page This is the second poll on the 1128 at 17' (6/30). 6 days old. Tuesday, July 7 View Page Three days later and still vegetating. Main over 25'. Pumpkins still growing. Monday, July 13 View Page No pics today. Bad news. the 1248 secondaries are growing very slow... But, the good news is the secondaries aren't flat/double. Good news, the 1128 Beauchemin main at 28' is terminated. Killed one SVB and am concerned that they've been left alone since last week without a complete cover of insecticide. Applied 1/2 oz. Cyonara/gallon to plant this evening and tomorrow AM. I used 28oz Humic Acide, 56oz Fish and 10oz Calcium O yesterday. Cutie at 14.5' growing. 2.5' down the main at 17' is his sis growing too. I have been occupied with stuff so I need to catch up on my burying but, Lord has blessed me with a great plant.. hoping for a giant. Giving thanks! Monday, July 13 View Page day 15 for the 1128 at 17.5'. Its slower than it's sister at 14.5'. I'm torn between the two. I like the position on the vine and the stem is longer. I wonder if the 2in/day is really taking away from it's sister. Saturday, July 18 View Page No pics this time. The week was wonderful for growth.. Two straight days of over 6in per day and a couple days of 3+ per day. Compare that to my '08 pumpkin which was pollinated on 7-19-08. That means 'Woohoo~!' how about 22days in front of last year! thanking God! I won't win any awards but I'm gonna be happy to make it to the scale! The second pumpkin at 17' on the main will be culled in 2 days. I made the 1/3 cut in the stem today. It's been growing 2"+ per day steady. Time to give the keeper at 14.5' more E(nergy). Einstein gave us E=mc2. The 1128 Beauchemin has been as trouble-free as possible! Monday, July 20 View Page This is day 15 for the 1128 selfed. 39CC. Notice the stem is lower than the blossum. It's growing good putting on 4-6in CC/day. I like the translucent skin. Wednesday, July 22 View Page Shade on the 14.5'. Notice leaves on the main after the pumpkin and the secondaries slowed down almost immediately when the pumpkin became established. Thursday, July 23 View Page The 1128 at 14.5' around mid-July when it was putting on a steady 4cc/day. Temps were cool then but growth was good. All the secondaries were terminated at this time. In this pic, the shape was odd. the blossum starting to suck in and the stem is still below the blossum. Friday, August 7 View Page day 40 284.5 OTT Ave 22lb/day over last 5 days. Good week. Very thankful. Tuesday, August 11 View Page day 45 OTT 306. Here is 'Lumpy', a name given by my wife. It has put on an average of 21 lb/day between day's 20-30 and 23 lb/day between days 30-40. On day 43, the blossum started to flatten out and look slightly 'thinner'. That is a bad sign considering that almost every other pumpkin of this shape has split, even HH have had not much success bringing one to the scales. I'm preparing for the worst, hoping for the best and praying to handle a second season without a pumpkin with faith that 'it is what it is'. In the pic you can see it has grown over the stem. I excavated under the stem and that has stopped any chance of the stem being 'planted' into the ground as it grows. No sign of stem stress. Tuesday, August 11 View Page The morning doesn't always bring good news. I have a feeling that this won't last too long. Tuesday, August 11 View Page BES ! It was a good but unfortunately, short year. Lumpy split on that flat blossum end. It was putting on 25 lb/day for 5 days. I was preparing for this after reading so many growers who's birdbaths didn't make it. Yes. I'm sad but very humbled. I met great people this year. Jim Beuchemin gave me the 1128 seed and introducing me to Jim Kuhn. They both inspired me to have fun growing and to give it all while not being too serious. They opened their homes to a visiting mid-westeren and we had a great lunch talking. I met Steve Connolly in Ma. later the same day and talked with him about 1 hour in his home. They are all terrific people and tremendous growers. I have patched the split to hope for 10 more days. I hope to grow over my PB of 667. Tuesday, August 11 View Page The split on the blossum end. Yes, through to the cavity. Tuesday, August 11 View Page I dug under the stem/main so it wouldn't be 'planted' into the ground. I also dug under the main on either side of the stem about 1ft. Another option was to slide the pumpkin away from the main. I thought about that. I think there would have been to much sideways force which may have sheered the stem away from the pumpkin. So, I left it alone. Tuesday, August 11 View Page Lastly, the patch using GreenCure covered with Liquid Nails. After this, I patched every morning for 3 more days as the split widened. The pumpkin has put on 72 lbs. since it split. Yet, it is a matter of time. What do I do with it?