Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 39 Entries. Wednesday, April 23 View Page Seeds are started indoors Saturday, May 3 View Page 4 plants are planted out doors 2 in each plot. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Hello Vancouver Growers, It's been a while since I have updated anything on the this sight, but rest assured North Shore Boys there are some other growers still around. This year I continued to not give up hope for my front yard patch and added more amendments this spring. All with the hopes of being able to grow something in the front yard after 3 years of unsuccessful soil. As you can see by the picture, this year seems like it could be it!!! Wooohoo. I have the healthiest plants yet planted there. So nice to see the soil finally working for me instead of against me. I have 2 plants this year 638 Lockley and a 466 Werner. The plant in the picture is the 638 Lockley. This plant I have in my main patch with heating cables underneath it. I guess it's time to shut them off with all this nice weather. It is vine-ing our very nicely with lots of secondaries. My Personal best is 228lbs my first year. If there is a year to beat it, It will be with this plant. Fingers crossed. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Second View. Everything is nice and green. All but the few original leaves that got burned in the greenhouse. Tuesday, July 1 View Page 3rd View Tuesday, July 1 View Page Here is the 466 Werner. This one is a lot smaller than the other, I believe it has something to do with the soil heating cables, but also could be that the patch is not a clean or big. In any case in the past few days of sun the main fine has been growing like a weed. The secondaries are a little slower to start than the Lockley. But the fact that it's doing well makes me happy. Sunday, July 6 View Page This warm weather has been great for the plants. The Lockley Growing strong. Spent some time weeding and repositioning her yesterday. Really excited this year because these are my healthiest plants ever. 400lbs is my goal Sunday, July 6 View Page Top View of the Lockley, the little babies are starting to pop up now aswell. Couple more weeks to pollination. Sunday, July 6 View Page Did a whole bunch of weeding and positioning on the Werner and this thing is beginning to go NUTS!. The main is growing like a weed. The Trick for me this year is going to be, where does the pumpkin grow? Friday, July 11 View Page She was a windy one here today. A summer sunny day windstorm. The leaves on the plants were holding on for dear life. I wish I could say that all survived unscathed but I can't. Thankfully it was only a couple of secondaries that got blown over and split the vines. Hopefully they will heal and continue to grow but if not it's still nice to see that the damage was minimal. Still probably another week at least before their is any pollinating happening. I just can't wait. The main females on both plants are forming just where I was hoping. Right on target for the ground that is prepared for them. With the space I have in my patch if the mains don't give me pumpkins then it's trouble finding space for any others to grow. Good year this year. Tuesday, July 15 View Page Big day for the pollination crew. I went out this morning looking to pollinate the 2 babies that I was hoping to make my keepers and upon closer investigation I had 2 more that I didn't expect to open, sitting ready to be pollinated aswell. These one's are for the "just in case factor" as they are not in Ideal locations but the got pollinated non the less. That brings 6 pollinations in the last 2 days. Time to get the charts out I guess. Wednesday, July 16 View Page Here is a progression update from July 1st to now. Wednesday, July 16 View Page Here are the main pumpkins I hope to use the Lockley. This it was pollinated yesterday. Wednesday, July 16 View Page Lockley Wednesday, July 16 View Page werner Wednesday, July 16 View Page Main pumpkin candidate from the Werner. Pollinated yesterday Wednesday, July 16 View Page Lockley Thursday, July 17 View Page 3 more pollination's today. 1 on the Lockley and 2 on the Werner Wednesday, July 23 View Page This is what I culled off both plants tonight. These things are baby making machines these days. I have left 3 on each plant still. At day 10 I will narrow it down to the main pumpkins. Sunday, August 3 View Page Here is a shot of the Lockley. Not growing as fast as I would hope for such a nice looking plant. It's actually growing slower than my Werner which has the plant that has smaller leaves and looks kinda unhealthy. Hopefully with the days of sun forecast things will pick up. The 19 day total so far is only a mere 35" in Circ Sunday, August 3 View Page Here is a mystery for anyone if they think they have an answer I would love to hear it. After the few days of rain and cool weather I went out today to find that this group of leaves, many from different vines but all in the same place, decided they wanted to just wilt away and die. I cut out about 4 dead wilted leaves. The other leaves outer of the pumpkin are also not looking to sturdy either. 90% of the leaves look good and strong, why are the ones that died and the farthest out of the main vine looking droopy? Hmmm. Sunday, August 3 View Page Here is the Werner. This plant doesn't look nearly as good as the Lockley but the pumpkin is growing faster. Not by much thought. Day 19 is only 36.5" Circ. Sitting pretty in it's new shade structure. Saturday, August 9 View Page My Werner Pumpkin is doing great gaining 10 lbs a day for the past 2 days, I wish I could say the same for the Lockley. This plant is continuing to be plagued with something that is killing off leaves. The leaves are still great but the just wilt away. So much of the plant still looks big and healthy but the wilting leaves closer to the ends of the main are concerning me. Today I cut off about 6 feet of the main past the pumpkin because everything was begining to wilt away. My pumpkin on the plant is not do so well either. Where the Werner has gained 20 lbs the Lockley has only gained 3. Hmmm Any thought? Thursday, August 14 View Page The Victims of the Darwin System. Left is the main and only Lockley. I culled off the others to soon and this one aborted at 35lbs. Uhg, Now I only have 2 little pumpkins left that are about a week old. I will just let them grow to see what I can get out of them. On the right is the second Werner. Culled at 47lbs. I left the main fruit on there to do the best it can all alone. Thursday, August 14 View Page Here is my last fruit remaining. The Werner. Topped the OTT at 159 today for 95lbs. Should break 100lbs tomorrow. I don't think I will be getting my 300lbs goal, so I am hoping to break my PB of 228lbs. Only time will tell. Thursday, August 21 View Page Fingers crossed I just might get a new PB this year. My last fruit the Werner 1 is still plugging along. During the hot days it was gaining between 10 - 15 lbs per day. Over the past 2 cold days it maintained 8lbs per day. My poor plants are getting ravaged due to lack of overall care. When I look at your pictures Glen in North Van I am envious of the greenery. The leaves on the mains of mine are dropping like it's october. The PM is setting in and the ladybugs are loving all the aphids. LOL At the current rate my Werner 1 should break my current best of 228. (Which was the first pumpkin I ever grew)If all remains constant that should be in about 1 week. Today I topped the OTT at 195 or 167lbs. Saturday, August 23 View Page Houston We Have a Problem! Here is my baby. Growing on pace to give me a new PB and turning a nice orange. Problem is SHE SPLIT TODAY!!! Ahhh Ok all you pumpkin Doctors any thoughts on stitching her back up? Saturday, August 23 View Page The unfortunate thing is that the split is all the way through to the cavity. Can she still be saved or is it just death in the waiting now? Bummer! OTT reached 201 today or 181 lbs. Sunday, August 24 View Page Pumpkin Split Update: The split was worse than originally thought. Upon closer inspections I learned that under the blossom stump the split was about twice as big. I must thank Chad and Glen for the replies on how to fix it. Today I was out there is the Silicon Gooping it all up. Lets hope she holds out. I like this fruit. It didn't appear that the split was growing since yesterday so that's a good thing. Pic to come. Monday, August 25 View Page Split Job sealed. But as you look closely on the bottom side you will see a little dark split through the silicone. It appears the split is still growing. I don't know if this operation will hold. I will be able to get a better look by tomorrow. Monday, August 25 View Page And here is a full look at the fruit, with is 195lbs today. Hang in there baby. only 34 lbs to go for a new PB. Monday, August 25 View Page Another view. She is really starting to turn orange now. Friday, August 29 View Page Here is the Werner-one. Watermelon on top for some scale. The split is still growing, the silicon I used didn't hold it. Oh well. As long as I can get about another 20 lbs I will be happy. It measured 212lbs today, that's only 3 lbs a day since all this rain and cool weather we have been having. Hopefully things will pick up this weekend as the sun is suppose to shine. Funny thing is, on my Lockley, the little watermelon sized fruit have exploded and split apart from all the rain. So much for any little ones from the Lockley. Tuesday, September 2 View Page Mr Werner-One's surgury didn't go so well. The Silicon didn't hold and the split continued as you can see in the picture. But on a positive note. It was still growing and WHALLAH. OTT of 218 = 228lbs. I am tied with my current record. Tomorrow I get a new PB!!! Whooo! Saturday, September 6 View Page My Pumpkin Season is Officially over. I went to measure my pumpkin today and to my sadness, Werner-One's split had turned to a big patch of fuzzy mold. When I shook the pumpkin it was jiggling like Santa's belly at christmas. The whole underside and split had turned to mush. The Picture is of it after I rolled it out of the garden and turned it up side down. The mush imploded inside itself. Uhg. Read the next post to hear the real disappointment... Sunday, September 7 View Page Without letting any of the mush fall out I rolled it onto a bathroom scale to confirm it's weight. My last measurement had it equaled to my PB of 218 OTT or 228lbs. Werner-One tops the scale at 225lbs. Noooooooooooooooo!!!, so close yet so far!! Well at least I had a pumpkin after 2 years of duds. I guess you could say this was a dud too but at least I have something. Sunday, September 7 View Page After I weighed it, I cut out all the rot and insides then rolled it up on my deck so I could at least put it on display for a little while before it's totally lost. This is a pic of me and my new Baby Girl 1 month old. Sunday, September 7 View Page As for the Lockley I just let the little fruits grow hoping for a couple of Jack-O-Lanterns and well lets say that rain we had the past few weeks that split Werner-one also destroyed the 2 fruits in the pics...check out the next pictures... Sunday, September 7 View Page Lesson to all pumpkin growers...This is why you do not over water your pumpkin plants. LOL BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THOSE STILL GROWING!! SEE YA NEXT YEAR!!