Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 91 Entries. Friday, June 5 View Page I started out with 4 plants, kids broke two. Then I was down to 2 plants. 936 Holland "07" 1203 Daletas "07" The 936 was more vigorous than the 1203. We had rains forever. The plants were unattended. The 1203 was attacked by squash bugs like a Plague. This is the 936 as of June 4th. Main is at 10ft. Friday, June 5 View Page This is the 1203 as of June 4th. It is the same age as the 936. Killed as many squash bugs as I could find and removed all eggs that I could find 4 days ago on June 1st. There are a few secondaries that are growing just fine now but the main is in very poor shape. Will wait a few more days but the main will most likely be removed and the healthiest secondary will take its place. Friday, June 5 View Page The first pumpkin patch is 20x110. You can see the difference between 936 and 1203 in this photo. 820* Lovelace was sown on the far end of this patch on May 24th and germinated on May 28. It took the place of a plant that a child broke (it was the 1289 Holland) So disappointed! The second patch is 15x200. Narrow---So I will grow the plants out there in a Spider pattern. No photos of it yet. The ground there is worse than the 20x110. Each plant had a hole dug and amended with manure, topsoil, some with peat moss. Holes were dug with a tractor bucket. Seeds are in the ground in the 15x200 patch. I do not expect some of them to germinate because they were lost and uncared for til I found them this spring. 530 Lishness "05" 1000.5 Lishness "05" Both Lishness in same hill-- 556* Lovelace "06" 679.9* Lovelace "07" 898 Holland "07" Already germinated 4 hills total in the 15x200 patch. Hills 50ft apart. 25ft space at each end of patch. Friday, June 5 View Page I am rooting 2 vines off the 936 in 6 inch pots to replace losses or seeds that do not germinate. Filled the pot with soil, laid the leaf node on pot and covered with more soil, then laid something a little heavy on the vines to keep them from blowing off the pot. I was told it should be rooted in a week and cut the vine in a week. Will do. Tuesday, June 9 View Page I set up a misting system on the 936 Holland on June 7th. Its not the best system, not pretty either, but it works. Cleared away more weeds from surrounding patch and made patch bigger. Tuesday, June 9 View Page Keep finding dog tracks in the patch. Neighbor has 5 dogs. A dog stepped on the 820* Lovelace and broke the main. The plant is still very young. The main had just started to run, and had two tiny secondaries. The secondaries are still there. Hoping it keeps growing. I was very angry. I put up a barrier fence with the only materials I had. The patch is now 40+ x 110 but the fence is 18x90. Will let the plants run past the fence barrier. I just want to protect the trunks and fruits. Tuesday, June 9 View Page Corn growing on the side. Tuesday, June 9 View Page the 1203 Daletas completely wilted. The plant was pulled and bagged up for trash. The rooted vines are almost ready to transplant. Female on the 936 almost ready to pollinate. Its 11 feet on the main. I rather have one further out. Wednesday, June 10 View Page looks kinda small. will most likely pollinate June 11. Thursday, June 11 View Page Pollination time. 936 Holland "07" 11ft out. 5 segment X Self Friday, June 12 View Page This is Pretty! Friday, June 12 View Page I rooted two vines off the 936 7 days ago. I cut them from the Main Plant today and transplanted. The big leaves wilted so I cut them off. Crossing Fingers. The Almanac Sign for today was Fairly Productive. Monday would of been a better day but these vines were 4 and 5 feet long. They had to go before they were unmanageable. Saturday, June 13 View Page 936 Holland, 2 DAP Temporary shade shelter Sunday, June 14 View Page The storms broke several large leaves. I mulched the vines and surfacing roots with shredded leaves, shredded rabbit maure, shredded straw, bio-gro endo plus, all mixed together. 936 holland 3 DAP Monday, June 15 View Page 936 Holland 4 DAP ( actually 4 1/2 days) Tuesday, June 16 View Page I will pollinate females further out but I just have a bad feeling about the next two females cause ----the fruit looks fine but the blossom petals are retarded. I got impatient and set the first female up as my keeper. But will still watch the others too. Mean while, the 1st is on the vine like this. I have been inching the female in a more perpendicular angle to the vine using sand. She is almost there. I don't really like the vine. It is curved, but I don't like how the female is positioned in the vine. There is a sheet tent above the female to protect from sun. Storms broke the leaves surrounding the female so I cut them off now. Roots have been cut, but if she ends up not being the 1, at least I know roots can still grow later on. Tuesday, June 16 View Page 936 Holland #1, 5 lobes, 5 DAP = 12" CC... did not include the outtie blossom end with the measurement. #2 female blossom half open, deformed petals, deformed lobes, only 4 lobes. should open fully tomorrow but I already know I don't want it. #3 Has deformed petals also. I am assuming it will have the same problems as #2. X X Tuesday, June 23 View Page I have learned a lesson this week. They say " Live and Learn". But this is not the way I wanted to live and learn. I killed two plants. Plum stupidity. I mulched my vines with shredded leaves, straw, aged rabbit manure and Bio-Gro Endo Plus mixed in. I then watered the plants down with a liquid fertilizer. It killed the plants. The roots were melted dead. But, on one plant, one of the first secondary vines was only mulched with shredded leaves, straw and aged rabbit manure with No bio-grow. It is the only surviving vine left on the plant. It is the 936 Holland plant. I removed all the dying vines and it is down to one vine again that will now be the main. Sigh ! Tuesday, June 23 View Page This is the 898 Holland. It is growing like a tree. About a foot tall and straight up. "What am i suppose to do with this?" was my question. I did get some advise in the Chat Room. The stalk/trunk is about 2 inches thick. Tuesday, June 23 View Page the 898 holland from a distance Yesterday June 22. yes it is under 30% shade cloth. I just put that up to help prevent scorching leaves. It got up to 98* (105 index) today and it never flagged. The plant will be grown in a Spider pattern. I want the main vine to grow east. I think it wants to fall west. I put a piece of styrofoam on the west side of it today to help it fall east. Tuesday, June 23 View Page Our State Fair is not until mid Oct. They should have it sooner but they don't. The last state record grower here told me that Alabama pumpkin growers have a problem getting giant pumpkins to grow longer than 45 days. That really sucks. So, I have to pollinate late in the season to get a giant for the Fair. That's bad cause that means I have to pollinate one around Mid August and see if i can get it to grow 60 days for our state fair. My chosen seed for this is the 275 VanHook. It was soaked and sown on June 16. It had roots showing by June 19. seed cleard the soil on June 20. Was transplanted to the patch June 22. Tuesday, June 23 View Page forgot to mention 275 VanHook 2006 (1,443 Palmer X 1,407 Wolf) The seed was excellent. Very healthy, and germinated quick. Wednesday, June 24 View Page 275 VanHook, 8 days after sow date. June 24 Wednesday, June 24 View Page The 936 Holland , secondary vine= now the main vine. Wednesday, June 24 View Page HOpe this works. Supported the bottom to prevent break. Supported top to make vine lay down and go eastward. Plant started out normal, then grew kinda flat, now growing normal again. Thursday, June 25 View Page 898....slowly but surely. But this plant is growing faster than I can train. Its about 24 inches "tall" now. Saturday, June 27 View Page 898 holland gradually laying down. half way there. 29 inches long. Tuesday, June 30 View Page We have "Touch Down" on the 898 Holland Plant. The vine is now 54 inches long. No females in sight. Tuesday, June 30 View Page 898 Holland, Main positioned where it should be. Narrow bed. the whole bed is actually 15x 220 feet long. I widen the bed grandually each year. It use to be 3 feet wide. Tuesday, June 30 View Page 275 VanHook, 14 days from Sow Date Tuesday, June 30 View Page 820* Lovelace that was damaged by dogs. Slow plant. Friday, July 3 View Page I like the plant just as much as the giant pumpkin. 898 holland is 6ft 8 inches long today. 80inches. The secondaries are growing straight up like the main did at first. There is a tiny female showing now. My guess is it will settle around the 11 foot mark. Sunday, July 5 View Page 898 holland, this end tip, plant 9 feet long. first few secondaries are already growing in the opposite direction as the main vine. Tis why the plant looks narrow. Sunday, July 5 View Page 275 VanHook,( Halloween Pumpkin) 19 days from sow date Sunday, July 5 View Page 275 VanHook, main vine view, only 8 inches long. Sunday, July 5 View Page resting place Sunday, July 5 View Page 820* Lovelace, (main broken) cant remember if i mentioned it before. I have to choose between two secondaries for my main vine. One is stalker than the other. Do I choose the thicker vine? Or the longer vine? 1 ft difference in length between the two. Or do I let them both grow their own secondaries and see which one grows the better squash? Sunday, July 5 View Page 898 plant pattern plans. partially my idea and partially sambo pattern plans. Tuesday, July 7 View Page 820* green baby. It had a tiny leaf growing on its stem. I pinched the tiny leaf off.(to the right) Tuesday, July 7 View Page 898 orange baby Tuesday, July 7 View Page 275 VanHook main is 12 inches long. Tuesday, July 7 View Page 820* plant. 4 secondary vines survived the dog paw. The first two will be primaries. One is 6 feet long. One is 7feet long. Tuesday, July 7 View Page 820* vine pattern plans. Got this idea from Sambo. Wednesday, July 8 View Page 898 Main is now 11 ft 2 inches long this morning. With another female showing. 2nd female should end up 3 feet further past the 1st female. I will pollinate several and keep the best. If those days will ever get here. The 275 main was growing 2 inches a day (at week 3 ) and decided to grow 6 inches in the past 16 hours. We have shifted in growth cycles now. Wednesday, July 8 View Page I set a misting system around the outside edge of the 898 patch. Mist from both sides reaches the center of the plant. I will not use the misting system unless the plant looks like it needs to be cooled off. Friday, July 10 View Page 275 main, 33 inch long. 3wk 3day from sow date. First two (twin) secondaries are over a 1 foot long. Friday, July 10 View Page 820* cannot get whole plant in picture due to barrier fence. Friday, July 10 View Page 820* first female Friday, July 10 View Page 898 Friday, July 10 View Page 898 1st female Monday, July 13 View Page 275 1st secondary vine split. Thats ugly. Worried about infections later on. Very close to stump. Monday, July 13 View Page 898 holland, first female , will be ready for pollination tomorrow. Nice long stem too. Males are iffy. Monday, July 13 View Page 275 VanHook, 27 days from Sow Date, Main vine 5ft 2 inches long. I don't know all the genetics in this little plant, but she's got it goin on. Tuesday, July 14 View Page 898 Holland, 1st female, 11ft out, 4 segment, pollinated with 3 males. X self, 6:35 am. temp at time of pollination 69*F. Todays high around 91* Female has long stem. Segments are not pretty. Might be an oddly shaped pumpkin. Males and female were tied shut last night. Tuesday, July 14 View Page Female tied shut after pollination Next female is at 14 ft. Should be ready this weekend. Tuesday, July 14 View Page Cooling the pollinated female. 93* at 1pm. 81* at female. Tuesday, July 14 View Page The highest temp on thermometer today was 95*. The highest temp around female was 85*. Been almost 12 hours since pollination. Crossing fingers cause the next female is at 14 feet on the vine and should be ready this weekend, but the 3rd female on the vine is 9 leaf nodes past the 2nd female. wow. Its now or never. Wednesday, July 15 View Page 898 1 DAP , kinda small compared to others i have grown. Wednesday, July 15 View Page 275 VanHook Females at end of main. Wednesday, July 15 View Page 275 plant thinks that its in a race. 6ft 5 inch long today , 29 days from sow date. She is forcing me to feed her bloom booster. The secondary with a vine split is 3 feet long. Water sitting in the split. Guess I will use a piece of ShamWow to soak up the water. Thursday, July 16 View Page 898 1st female , 2 DAP, almost size of Tennis Ball. Thursday, July 16 View Page 898 2nd female--pollinates tomorrow. Has a shorter stem than #1. #1 is oblong, #2 More round. #2 Sits at 14ft. Tomorrows temps will be perfect for pollination. 6 males are will be ready. No ice needed. Also the last on main vine for at least 2 more weeks. Friday, July 17 View Page 898 2nd female, 14ft, 5 segment, X self, 7 males, 6:10 am. Cloudy morning, chance of rain. Males and Female were tied shut yesterday. Segments are not perfectly lined. Friday, July 17 View Page 898 2nd female, round shape Friday, July 17 View Page 898 #1 female, 3 days after pollination. Friday, July 17 View Page 820*Lovelace Plant. Storms broke over the large leaves. Took down barrier fence so plant could grow further out. First few females turned yellow and did not make it to pollination day. Have several more getting ready. Plant actually runs 6 feet further on the right. Friday, July 17 View Page 820* female getting ready. showing some yellow in petals. I was hoping tomorrow---Most likely Sunday. Friday, July 17 View Page 275 VanHook plant, 8ft 2in long. 31 days from sow date. Friday, July 17 View Page crack in vine, at one leaf node past 2nd pollinated female. hmmmmm. what to do? Saturday, July 18 View Page 820* Lovelace X self, lobes deformed, Looks like 4 lobes with an extra one in front of---on top of one of the 4 lobes. The next picture will also show a narrow skinny deformity that points downward with a yellow head like lobes have. ???? Saturday, July 18 View Page a deformity---looks like a deformed skinny lobe pointing downward. Has yellow head like regular lobes do. Saturday, July 18 View Page 820* Lovelace 1st female pollinated today with 4 males Saturday, July 18 View Page 898 Holland, 2nd female, 1 day after pollination. Smaller than an egg. Smaller than #1 at 1dap. Saturday, July 18 View Page 898 Holland, 1st female, 4 days after pollination. Used a string to get CC. Laid string on measuring tape. 12"cc. Monday, July 20 View Page 898 Holland, 1st female, 6 days after pollination, 15 1/2 inch CC. Monday, July 20 View Page 898, 2nd female, 3 dap, 9 1/4 inch CC. pretty. Monday, July 20 View Page 898, 2nd female , view with no objects Monday, July 20 View Page 820*Lovelace, 1st female on 1st Primary Vine, 12 ft out, 5 lobes, X self, 5 males, 7:30 am, morning temps 64*. Pretty set of lobes. Small bloom. Small female. Monday, July 20 View Page 820* , 1st female , 2nd Primary Vine, 2 dap, Monday, July 20 View Page 275 VanHook, had 3 females showing at 7ft, 8ft, 9ft. Pinched off 7ft, and 8ft. Waiting on 9ft . Should end up about 10ft out. Goin to be a very Oblong female. I'll take what I can get. Tuesday, July 21 View Page 898 1st female, 7 days old, 18"cc Tuesday, July 21 View Page 820* Lovelace, 1st female, 1st Primary. 1 DAP, with the pretty 5 lober. Thursday, July 23 View Page 820 * Lovelace, pollinated today, 2nd Primary Vine, 12+feet out. 6 lobes, X self with 5 males. (wow, 6 pretty lobes, shocker) Thursday, July 23 View Page 898 , Day 9, 21 1/2 " CC. Did not grow much during our pour down Flood. Hoping todays warmy sunshine will help it out. Thursday, July 23 View Page "Pink" ? mill fabric ! Friday, July 24 View Page 898 , Day 10, 23 1/2" CC. Thats pretty sad. I can only hope that the rainy floods are the reason it is so small. It was doin better before the heavy rains. I had just fertilzed the patch the morning before It flooded. Thursday, July 30 View Page Lessons Learned the hard way. I had cut the 2nd female off the 898 when it was only 4 or 5 days old cause #1 was growing faster. 4 days later, I dropped my camera on #1 and split it. (note : tie camera to wrist and don't give up on others so soon) The same day---I pollinated a female that was on the 3rd to last secondary on the main. (main was terminated two weeks ago) It is now 6 days old and only 14 1/2 "cc. The 275 VanHook 1st female (9ft+ out) is 5 days old today and is 16"cc. And it only had 3 Giant Lobes. Oblong fruit. Sadly there were no males and pollinated it with 898 Holland. 275 #2 female (12+ ft out ) with 5 lobes was pollinated yesterday---and sadly again---pollinated with 898 Holland again. I wanted to self pollinate. There is a 3rd female at the end of the patch waiting. Friday, July 31 View Page 275 VanHook, 1st female, 3 giant lobes, X 898 holland (275 had no males) 9ft 4 inchs out. Pollinated July 25. Today-- Day 6, 19"cc. Friday, July 31 View Page 275 2nd Female, 5 lobes, 12ft out, X 898 holland (275 had no males) Pollinated July 29. Today= Day 2. Waiting on female #3 in a few more days. Friday, July 31 View Page 898 Holland 07, female on secondary vine, 15ft out, 4 lobes, X self, pollinated July 24th. Today= Day 7 , 17"cc. Saturday, August 1 View Page (275 VanHook 1st female, Day 7 = 23" cc.) (898 Holland, female on last secondary, 5 lobes, X 275, 21 ft out. Plant has powdery mildew.)