Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 131 Entries. Tuesday, May 1 View Page I'm trying again. It's been two years since I tried growing a large pumpkin. I miss it. I really have a lot of fun just growing the plant itself. I am attracted to the large leaves and the young culled pumpkins taste good too. (sliced, battered and fried like squash) This seedling is just a mutt from hollands giants. The seed came from an unimportant pumpkin. I don't know who it's mama and daddy is but I have adopted it anyway. I really chose a mutt seed cause my plot is new and I didn't want to waste good breeding on a small poor patch. But I am working on amending another patch for a June planting. I need to get my hands on a good seed. Meanwhile. I have a few extra pumpkin mutt seedlings that germinated and I don't have the heart to throw them out the door but I have no place to grow them. I decided to grow them in 32 gallon and 50 gallon barrels. I might get some male blooms to cross pollinate and a few young pumpkins for frying and a few for ---just because. Like I told someone else. I can kill the seedlings now or I can grow them in 50 gallon drums and give them a slow and more fun death. I realize that buy growing them in this manner that they will be smaller plants and they will be more open to squash vine borers. We shall see what happens. Thursday, May 3 View Page My soil is not rich enough to grow world records and I am not rich enough to make it happen. I do what I can. I enjoy growing large veggies and I know manure is the key but if you don't have a key, you have to figure out how to break the door down. I haven't figured that out yet. Meanwhile, I have 17 rabbits and about 8 on the way.(new babies) I have amended the soil to the best of my income and will have to feed the plants rabbit manure tea and rabbit manure. I also have 25 chickens. I want to grow a large watermelon but not sure if it is worth my effort in trying to grow for bragger rights. I planted two Carolina Cross anyway. They are mutts. One is in the garden and one is in a 100 gallon container. The container has 3 five gallon buckets of rabbit manure and a gallon of chicken manure, promix, peat moss, compost manure, lime, and bone meal. Not sure if i want it to grow one or several melons. I'm not growing pedigree so it is hard to find someone that would even talk to me about growing in a container. Anyway, I have clay soil. It is some ugly stuff too but it does have a sandy top soil. I planted a carolina cross in a 10x10 raised bed. I know the plant will travel much further than that but this is where I will water and feed the plant. That area has 2 bales of promix, 11 bags of commercial compost, lime, gypsum, and bone meal mixed into the bed. A poor womans watermelon hill. Question is, do I grow just one or set several for the dinner table? Pics are in transit. Thursday, May 3 View Page the garden......promix, compost, and other stuff added to make raised beds. Thursday, May 3 View Page the 10x10 for the mutt Carolina Cross Thursday, May 3 View Page The other carolina cross in the 100 gallon soil container. It is a 3x3x 2ft deep Thursday, May 3 View Page Then we have the extra mutt atlantic giant pumpkin plant that is growing in a 50 gallon barrel cause It was an extra plant and I had no place to grow it and by growing it in the barrel, I could place it in a small 16x24 hoop greenhouse frame that can be covered with 30 percent shade cloth to prevent squash vine borers from doing their thing and it will help cool the plant during our extreme summer heat. Plan to place hay bales around the barrel to help prevent the soil from heating up. The soil is promix, a little peat, commercial composted manure, 5 gallons of rabbit manure and a shovel of chicken manure, lime, and bone meal. I realize that I won't get a world record and not even a giant, but it will be fun and relaxing. As they say, Psychiatrist agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind. And i didn't want to throw the plant away. Thursday, May 3 View Page And, I have a giant mutt green squash growing in a 32 gallon trash can. I know.....It is retarded and funny. But what would life be like if I didn't give yall something to laugh at. The seedling is just now breaking through the soil Friday, May 4 View Page Well..... I have a 705.9 Lovelace 2007. It's parents were the 869 Calai X 1370 Rose. I did not think it was going to germinate. The seed has had a hard life due to house fire, moving, no refrigeration, and building a house....etc..... It has a sprout this morning. I placed it in a pot of soil. i am sure it will emerge in a few days. I have no place to grow it. NO special place. I will have to till a plot for it. I was already going to till a plot for two other mutt seedlings. This is one plant i do not want to throw away. Monday, May 7 View Page Finally found someone who would let me get a load of manure. It is aged manure that has been sitting in a barn for a year. It is a mixture of mostly goat manure with some donkey and cow manure. It is 4 years of compacted manure and wood shavings. Scheduled to go get it Saturday morning. It should be 4 pick up loads. Better than nothing. Tuesday, May 8 View Page Super Heavyweight Bell Pepper Wednesday, May 9 View Page Did I mention that I have 15 rabbits. 2 have had 8 babies each. Today 4 wild baby rabbits that are about 2 weeks old have been added to the new baby rabbits nest and it seems the mama rabbits have adopted. (long story) These rabbits will enrich my soil.....slowly but surely. Along with the 28 chickens.....Ameraucanas ( Easter Eggers) Wednesday, May 9 View Page 705.9 Lovelace. It was warm when it emerged from the soil. Then it started raining and cooled off. It's just sitting there right now. Taking it's ever loving time. Wednesday, May 9 View Page This is a mutt in barrel. (from holland) Wednesday, May 9 View Page This is a mutt in a barrel. (from holland) Wednesday, May 9 View Page Two mutts in the garden Wednesday, May 9 View Page Another mutt off in its own tiny patch. Some Aphids attacked the first two leaves and made them crinkle. Sad . Got rid of the aphids. It is doing better now. Fish is buried all around this one. Wednesday, May 9 View Page Giant mutt Squash in a barrel Wednesday, May 9 View Page Carolina Cross mutt growing in 100 gallon container 2 ft deep. I didn't have any other place to grow it. Wednesday, May 9 View Page Carolina Cross mutt growing in the garden Friday, May 11 View Page Giants or Not......I love playing in the dirt. I made some progress. The patch is now 13x60. I need it to be a few more feet further out. The patch is on a slight slope and the trunks are on the hill of it. It should not sit in water like my other patch did when it flooded. Saturday, May 12 View Page The 705 Lovelace seems to be a dud or extremely Slow. It hasn't grown it's first true leaf yet and it has been 6 days since it emerged from the soil and even then it took 8 days. Guess I better sow another seed. Dang it. Monday, May 14 View Page forcing the holland mutt to lay down. Tuesday, May 15 View Page I did not make a post for SEpt 12,2012.... I didn't even touch the date selection. that is crazy Wednesday, May 16 View Page This is the Holland mutt #1. I don't know what else to call it. This is all the space it has to grow. I tilled in 10 deep wheel barrows of barn litter. (mostly goat) It is what it is.........now to see what it does. I love the plant. Wednesday, May 16 View Page Holland mutt #2 in the 50 gallon barrel. The temps have been cool and everything is slow. Thursday, May 17 View Page I just took a picture of this plant 36 hours ago. (may 16) It decided to get up and gooooooo. I won't make a habbit of posting the growth every single day but I was amazed. Named the plant Speedy. The 705 also decided to Grow some leaves and very quickly......after I sowed another seed thinking it was a gonner. In just a couple of days the 705 has 2 leaves growing. I call it the Ugly Duckling. Dunno what i will do with the seed that is about to germinate. Friday, May 18 View Page Ok. Ya'll said my plants didnt have enough room to grow. I tossed and i turned and I fretted. Then I got an attitude and just walked over to one of the plants and jerked it out of the ground and tossed it to the side. I was sad and relieved at the same time. There is enough space for two plants to have 20x16 each. Friday, May 18 View Page My pattern plan for the two plants . Sunday, May 20 View Page I am not able to post photos right now. Something wrong with something on the puter. The Holland Mutt #1 is 3 feet long now. A few secondaries starting to run out. A tiny female on the main tip already. I would like to have one 11 feet out. The plant is growing in a 16x84 greenhouse frame structure only. I put 30 % shade cloth on the 12x34 section that it will be growing in. I tried 50% shade and that was too dark. It might be ok to use during the dog days of summer during the hottest part of the day. Sunday, May 20 View Page Holland Mutt #2 Sunday, May 20 View Page 705 Lovelace sure was slow. maybe it was too cool. Sunday, May 20 View Page roops, that was holland mutt #3 two post up. this is holland mutt #2 growing in the barrel. Sunday, May 20 View Page And the mutt squash in a trash can. Sunday, May 20 View Page Holland Mutt #1. I think that leaf is 24 inches wide. Tuesday, May 22 View Page lol, I called that leaf 24 inch......that was a typo. It was suppose to say 14. My apologies. Wednesday, May 23 View Page I do not have a breaking plow. All I had to till the patch with was a regular tiller. After it was all amended and tilled I was so unhappy with the depth of the loose soil so I used my heavy duty pick fork that is 10 inches long and I dug down about 8 inches and pulled the deep soil , which was clay and top soil mixed ,to the surface and then I went back and tilled over it again. I only did 16x35ft of the patch and that took half a day in this heat....I still have some to loosen. Thursday, May 24 View Page I plead temporary insanity and will be back to normal in a few months. Thursday, May 24 View Page Temps goin up to 97 this Sunday. Thursday, May 24 View Page the barrel is running. should have a female out at 8 ft. I wont have room in the greenhouse shade house any further than that. Thursday, May 24 View Page I plead temporary insanity Thursday, May 24 View Page I thought the shade cloth was a little narrower than it turned out to be but I was not about to pull all those post up and move it back a few feet....not.not. there is also 3 northern giant cantaloupes growing under there but not growing for giant this year.....just learning the plant this go around. Thursday, May 24 View Page 705 Lovelace 07. It finally started growing when the temps went up. Slowly but surely. It's growing under the giant shade cloth Thursday, May 24 View Page the holland mutt #3 growing under the giant shade cloth Thursday, May 24 View Page holland mutt #1... in a shade cloth house off by itself. Thursday, May 24 View Page Giant squash mutt.....growing in a 32 gallon container. Wish I had one in the ground. This is like growing a giant Philodendron vine....you know.....the kind you string along the ceiling cause you don't want the vines growing in your livingroom floor. Friday, May 25 View Page I really don't know how growing in this container is going to turn out but I am having fun with these plants!!! Giant Squash= Incredible Hulk Plant Sunday, May 27 View Page Loosing a plant to stump rot. The main vine stopped growing but the secondaries were chugging along but it started to wilt yesterday and it was hot but no other plant was wilting like that so I watered it. Went out this morning and it was extremely wilty at 10 am. I checked it out thinking svb but nope.... the stump is turning gray and it is not firm like it should be. I will pull the plant.......and prepare the plot for my fall plant. But the good news for today is that my new grandson came into the world around 5:30am.......6 lbs and 14 oz. Monday, May 28 View Page This Super Heavyweight Bell pepper weighs exactly one pound Wednesday, May 30 View Page had a strong short storm... strong gust of whirling wind pushed the post over on the shade structure. Broke the big leaves on the pumpkin plants but did not break the main vine. It did break a couple of secondaries. It blew the 705 lovelace plant over but It did not break....it was getting ready to lay down. It was an unexpected pop up storm. Pushed some corn over.....broke a few tomatillo plants, blew over a lot of stuff in the yard. tore up the Sugar Pie pumpkin plant and some crookneck squash plants. Friday, June 1 View Page I guess the main is about 10ft long now. Friday, June 1 View Page same plant Tuesday, June 5 View Page Well......about 5 feet down the main, there is 3 secondaries on one side of the plant that are taking their ever loving slow cells to grow. Makes the plant look kinda bare. Tuesday, June 5 View Page Same plant. It is kinda weird. The first 5 ft of the plant has good growth on the left and slow on the right. But in the second half of the plant, there good growth on the right and slow on the left. I started curving the vine already cause the two females on the main are both on the side side. With the growing at an angle and curving, It's actual length right now is 13 ft. I am running out of patch length. I only have 16 feet out. Tuesday, June 5 View Page 705 Tuesday, June 5 View Page had a few more storms. It blew a lot of stuff around in the yard. I thought the shade structure was a gonner but only a few minor repairs to do. this is the green mutt in the trash can. Some wind damage but it still has a main and as soon as the secondaries touch the ground they will root down and be fed. Tuesday, June 5 View Page another greenie mutt .....yep, growing in a 15 gallon earthbox. I do realize that eventually this plant will be a chore to water but currently I only water it 2 1/2 gallons every 3 days. It uses what it needs with no waste. Tuesday, June 5 View Page The first female on the previous pic of greenie plant. Tuesday, June 5 View Page Most all the plants are 42 days old from germination date except for the Lovelace. Lovelace plant is about 31 days old Tuesday, June 5 View Page I need some help. Storms must of waved the main end around and caused it to have a weak point at a leaf node junction. It's not deep. More like a fracture stretch. It is about 2 ft behind the first female on the vine.......around 9 ft down the main. Will it be an issue in the future? Is it gonna break no matter what I do? Can it be fixed? Tuesday, June 5 View Page a top angle view Tuesday, June 5 View Page i posted a few pics but dunno when they will post. here is a link also to a main vine issue I have and need some opinions. http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii105/CricketsGreenhouse/100_2916.jpg http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii105/CricketsGreenhouse/100_2913.jpg Wednesday, June 6 View Page I cut the vine. As most hate to do that but know they have no choice. It was cut about 10 ft out. This really sucks. I was getting ready to pollinate Friday, June 8 View Page 6 lobe greenie Friday, June 8 View Page greenie Sunday, June 10 View Page I see how things work around here. If you are not world class giant grower, you will be a target for snarky sarcasm.....Laughter at your own expense when asking questions. Don't ask, just read. That being said... the 705 has taken off and surpassing the other plants. It did end up with a very strong Broken secondary sadly during a windy storm. I didn't know it was long enough to support yet cause it was hiding under a large leaf. Lots of rainy weather headed this way today and the rest of the week. Sunday, June 10 View Page 2 DAP . That's pretty. Sunday, June 10 View Page This poor plant......i have no idea where it is going but when i check on it in the mornings, the vines have grown off side ways instead of straight out. I think it's drunk. The main broke ....remember....so I have to let the last secondary take its place which is to the left. Sunday, June 10 View Page I like this female. But she is on the plant with broken main and its on the same side that 4 secondaries did not grow on....its on the 4th secondary about 8 feet down the secondary. She has a long stem. Sunday, June 10 View Page 705 Lovelace......its about 8 ft out now Sunday, June 10 View Page Carolina Cross Sunday, June 10 View Page a different view of the broken main plant I gotta get some more boards....im packing my soil Monday, June 11 View Page It rained and rained. Finally got out and took the petals off some females so they could breath and do a little dusting. couldnt help myself ==== another picture. Monday, June 11 View Page I am allergic to sulfur antibiotic. Sulfur fungicide has never bothered me until today when i was dusting some leaves. I started itching and my throat was crackly and I instantly thought about being allergic to sulfur antibiotics. Called the pharmacy to confirm.....and yep, I will be or can be allergic to all sulfur. took a benedril ans shower...its all in my sinuses Wednesday, June 13 View Page Impatiently waiting to see if I got lucky with this greenie. 5 DAP Wednesday, June 13 View Page Here is the plant for that greenie above. I put 2 gallon pots of soil under the leaf nodes today so I can water and feed it more. Gave all the pots some kelp and fish today. Some of the roots were already long enough to place in the soil. Some will be there in a day or two. Will keep doing the pots until I run out of space for vine. Wednesday, June 13 View Page lower angle view. I like container gardening so I think its purdy. Wednesday, June 13 View Page The storm really messed this plant up along with the shade cover. It's all out of wack. The main grows at an angle and there is a female under the chair on a secondary cause the main broke. The other secondaries keep wanting to grow in the wrong direction.........I put them in their place and anchored them in place.(not in pic) 705 in the back ground. It is 12 long now. First female is not good. Waiting on another. Thursday, June 14 View Page she graduated from 2x4 to 2x6. I have to keep it elevated because of the pots. Friday, June 15 View Page 7DAP Friday, June 15 View Page I posted a pic for today of the greenie. It is doing really well considering .......its environment. Hubby says, if this is all it will grow, I already beat the state record. HaHa Friday, June 15 View Page 7DAP plant view Friday, June 15 View Page I am losing vines everywhere due to cracks. The vines insist on growing straight up and rapid growth is during the night and I have had a hard time staying ahead of them to keep them down. I don't see cracks until a few days after they are down. curse curse. I am running out of vines to grow a pumpkin on. the plant is about 325 sq ft now. to do, to do. Friday, June 15 View Page ok......too much nitrogen.....the plant has so many leaf node cracks that I am going to pull it but it might take me a few days cause I dont have the heart yet. Saturday, June 16 View Page 8 DAP. still growing. Saturday, June 16 View Page 8 dap, the greenie is 23 1/2 inches end to end, not including the belly button. I needed to measure so I would know if it was still growing by 10 days.. It has been set on a 2ftx2ft Styrofoam base that is 3 inches thick and I wont be able to visually see the growth. Saturday, June 16 View Page she is pretty, crack at node and she needs hope. Saturday, June 16 View Page it is a surface crack in the node of female. It's not deep but I do know it is hallow and it doesn't take much to crack all the way through. I cut the vine off past the female to relieve the stress. I will pollinate it and see how the crack heals..........heres to hoping and I have nothing Extra to loose. Saturday, June 16 View Page massive leaves. hard to work under there. putting up three hoops today so its not sagging. Saturday, June 16 View Page after the hoops were added. Sunday, June 17 View Page 9 DAP. still growing, still shiny 25 1/4 in. end to end. I am shocked and beside myself. Sunday, June 17 View Page female at a cracked node. 5 lobes= 4 large and one small abnormal curly type lobes. X self with 6 males. Monday, June 18 View Page 1 dap. the crack in node is scabbing over. crossing fingers. Monday, June 18 View Page 10 dap. 27 in. Cir still shiny, still growing. I'll cut back on the pictures of the greenie now. It grows 1 3/4 inch cir each day. If I can get it to grow for 25 more days at the same rate, I will reach the 100lb mark.......growing in the earth box. Monday, June 18 View Page Here is one I haven't mentioned. It is growing in the 50 gallon barrel. The plant is ugly. Wind damaged the plant badly. I have no hope for it. 8 dap. sitting on 2x6 plank Tuesday, June 19 View Page The greenie didn't grow any at all in the past 24 hours. @@ I fertilized the plant yesterday with 3/4 strength liquid and half strength extra phosphorus. Too much??? Tuesday, June 19 View Page 2 DAP Wednesday, June 20 View Page Remember I fertilized the giant squash 2 days ago---I also fertilized the giant watermelon plant with the same fertilizer and I didnt even use full strength. The squash has aborted and the watermelon plant has died.......Not done yet. I watered the cantaloupes last night with the same fertilizer. What fertilizer? Miracle Gro all purpose. NO WAY , you say. I know how to measure and I'm telling you I used about 3/4 tbs per gallon. This should not of killed the plant and it should not of caused the squash to abort but this is not the end of the story. 2 months ago I used the same fertilizer from the same container on some petunia baskets and they turned yellow. something is wrong with this fertilizer!!!!!!!!!! Thursday, June 21 View Page female with cracked node is 4 dap. It hasn't rested on the ground yet but almost there. Missed a another female yesterday. I didn't see it hiding under a leaf. This morning 75 percent of the bloom looked freshly opened and the lobes inside looked fresh too. Two petals were semi wilty. Never saw that before. I pollinated it anyway. pppffftt . And pollinated a for sure freshly opened female. Thursday, June 21 View Page this is the female I am waiting on on the 705 lovelace. Yesterdays picture. It is more noticeable today. It is at the end of the patch and the vine is growing at an angle. Guessing it is about 15 to 16 feet out. I now have to set up extra shade cloth past the patch into the grass land. I will mow the grass today and that will be the last until later. I thought about tilling the area too....to break the sod and grass roots so the future vines will have a chance to take root.....no idea what im doing. Friday, June 22 View Page I have read all 3 books and watched 6 videos. In the videos they tell you to remove the tendrils when they are small. But with the Wild plant growing crazy and straight up in the air and the vines cracking all over the place, I have noticed that the vines that I did not take the tendrils off of are laying down gently with less cracks. I am letting the tendrils grow until the vine has landed. Friday, June 22 View Page Pollinated an unwanted female yesterday in the back ground......its name is Lunch. but the one on this end is the one i am waiting for as a back up. Friday, June 22 View Page so, the 705 lovelace with female now sitting about 16 ft out is right on the drop off edge of the patch. I had to add soil at the drop off point and I had to add a Nursery Room Addition 8ft x 12ft for the baby to rest in. Here is the problem......The temps will be around 95 when it blooms. Ice, Gotta have Ice. Friday, June 22 View Page I use to read other growers say that you can tell how big your pumpkin will get by how big it is by day 10. They want it a certain size by day 10. etc.......bullsnot. I haven't grown very many pumpkins, but I can tell ya that day 10 size has nothing to do with how big its gonna be later on. So here is that crazy pumpkin that is growing in the 50 gallon container and only has about 50 leaves on it and probly wont have very many more. 12 days after pollination = 29 1/2 inch cir. sitting under a chair.. Friday, June 22 View Page 705 trunk. It had an extra wide trunk that ended up being two mains. Sunday, June 24 View Page 705 Lovelace. Female getting ready to pollinate. Monday, June 25 View Page The holland mutt plant= 8days after pollination Monday, June 25 View Page Finally. 705 has bloomed Wednesday, June 27 View Page The 10 day mark. 28 in. cir. Wednesday, June 27 View Page carolina cross melon 4 days after pollination Wednesday, June 27 View Page 705 lovelace 2 days after pollination. Thursday, June 28 View Page 11 dap Friday, June 29 View Page Please tell me... How often do stems grow this huge by 12dap. Not sure if I am growing stem or pumpkin. Sunday, July 1 View Page I am happy with the measurements.......14 days after pollination Tuesday, July 3 View Page 16 days after pollination Tuesday, July 3 View Page different view point. Thursday, July 5 View Page 18 dap, 64 in CC Thursday, July 5 View Page I was not able to lift the pumpkin and put sand under it but i was able to gently lift one side and put sand under it and did that all the way around and repeated it until I thought it had enough and while I was at it, I leveled the area with sand cause the ground is a slight slope. There is sand under the edges of the pumpkin and sand under the ground cover that it sat on. Tuesday, July 17 View Page WELL!!!!!!!!! It started darkening and growth started slowing down and quit growing at 25 days with a hiccup of growth a few days later. This picture is day 27. since then it has got much darker. makes no sense to me. Tuesday, July 17 View Page The pumpkin is doing poorly but this cantaloupe is doing great......i guess. never grew one before. I am estimating it to be about 24 days old and its 39 inch circumference. I did not write down the pollination date. roops I know it grew 9 inches in cir. in 4 days. Tuesday, July 17 View Page pumpkin growth rate went down in this pattern within 10 days. Circumference. 5 1/4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3.5 , 3.5 , 2, 1.5 , 2 , 1, 1 ,0 ,0 ,0 , 1/2 Friday, July 20 View Page Sunflower......about 9.5 to 10 ft tall. My goal is a large bloom and not height. I want the seeds. Friday, July 20 View Page 27.5 Gerchy( i think) North Carolina Giant Cantaloupe. Today 43 inch CC. Still not sure on the bloom date. Its between 25 and 29 days old. The growth rate is slowing down gradually. Currently growing 1.5 inches cc a day now. Wednesday, July 25 View Page Cantaloupe...48 in. CC. OTT 112. estimating between 36 and 41 pounds Two more= 38 in. CC, 35 in CC Thursday, July 26 View Page That's a Cantaloupe Party. Saturday, July 28 View Page Cantaloupe= measures 50" CC. still growing 1/2 to 3/4 inch in CC a day. Wednesday, August 1 View Page This envelope of cantaloupe seeds had no name on it. Just the size of cantaloupe that it came from and I received pumpkin seeds from Two Josephs in the same week and I couldnt remember who sent me the cantaloupe seeds. I went back and checked all my emails and it turns out that Joseph Young sent me the cantaloupe seeds. Thank you Joseph Young. Your 27.5 lb seeds has grown a cantaloupe that measures 45 to 48 lbs and we are assuming it will weigh about 42 pounds. It is just now turning a lighter green color and I smell cantaloupe. Thursday, August 2 View Page Taking giant cantaloupe to the scale today. The stem is pulling loose from the melon and you can smell it 6 ft away. Hoping for 40 lbs Thursday, August 2 View Page in the patch this morning. Thursday, August 2 View Page 45 lbs !!!! 121 inch OTT estimated 45 right on it. Thursday, August 2 View Page I could not hold it in the air for very long.....i had to sit down Wednesday, September 12 View Page scratch that.........we have the beginnings of a first leaf. I will give it some time and see how it grows.