Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 50 Entries. Monday, June 1 View Page Well better late than never.... Been a very wet spring this year. At least it been warm. Only have 1 pumpkin this year since i'm resting most of my spots due to using for 4 straight years. This years spot is a new one haveing been used only for vegs last year. I was going to grow the 275 Van Hook. The seed germinated but never developed any roots. (sorry John & Jim) My backup was my 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG. So i went with 2 of them. Here they are side by side, I have pulled the left one, leaving the right. Its all or nonething now. Monday, June 1 View Page 255 mitchell 07 Monday, June 1 View Page 239 leonard 08 Monday, June 1 View Page 2nd 255 mitchell 07 Awesome plant, Very vigorious Monday, June 1 View Page 267 edwards 08 Thanks Steve ! Monday, June 1 View Page 213.2 kent 08 I ended up keeping the one in the middle Saturday, June 13 View Page My size reference this year. Saturday, June 13 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Doing good, Growing now at 10 inches in length a day. Sides started slow by now filling in. Putting out lots of females. Started on the main at 6 feet & all sides too. Main is now about 10 feet long. Saturday, June 13 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Doing good, Growing now at 10 inches in length a day. Sides started slow by now filling in. Putting out lots of females. Started on the main at 6 feet & all sides too. Main is now about 10 feet long. Saturday, June 13 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG forgot the pict. Saturday, June 13 View Page 239 leonard 08 Strong plant Saturday, June 13 View Page 255 mitchell 07 Best plant so far Saturday, June 13 View Page 267 edwards 08 Saturday, June 13 View Page 213.2 kent 08 Fastest vine growth on the melons, about 6 inches a day. Friday, July 3 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Best plant i have ever had at this stage. The weather has been perfect for growing. We had lots of rain early in june, then since the june 29 it has been cool(80's)= very few burned leaves. Plant has ave to small leaves which helps. The plants side vines are almost complete, Just a few to go on one side. Friday, July 3 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Nice 5 lobe female selfed on june 29 Friday, July 3 View Page 255 mitchell 07 Growing fast. should hit the charts today at day 12. Set on a finger vine. Could not get a set on the main, and none in sight...so it looks like this is the keeper for this plant. Friday, July 3 View Page 213.2 kent 08 Day 9 for this one, doing well on a finger vine. I have one set on the main also that is 6 days old. If it looks good i may keep the main instead. decisions decisions Monday, July 13 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Growing, but i have a vine rot issue about 2 feet before the fruit. Doin't know what happened, was only covered about 2 weeks. The rest of the vine & stump is fine & all uncovered now. Too much rain i guess. If it doesn't heal, i have a set coming up on a side before the vine rot ! Monday, July 13 View Page 255 mitchell 07 1st plant day 16, about 42 lbs. Has a fat bottom, but is slowing rebalancing Monday, July 13 View Page That 1st 255 is on the main vine. Monday, July 13 View Page 239 leonard 08 On a finger & open pollinated. I have had problems getting a good set. I have 1 on the main, but this one is doing so well I will have a hard time cutting it. about 46 lbs at day 16 Monday, July 13 View Page 255 mitchell 07 2nd plant My best so far, a nice long melon. Day 20 at 68 lbs Monday, July 13 View Page 213.2 kent 08 A big fat melon on a finger. If this had some length it would be something. Its ahead of last years so I guess thats good. Monday, July 13 View Page 267 Edwards 08 Still trying to set, it keeps giving me these short deformed females. the main was fryed so i'm setting on fingers. There is an open pollinated set but in a bad spot. I have one set but its just a few days old so i have to see if it takes. The stems on the fruit are very long, so thats a plus ! Thursday, July 16 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Final on the main fruit. I believe i stoped the vine rot, but too late . Fruit was only gaining 12 lbs a day over days 14-17 no increase. Plus the shape was wrong. Very sunken in, almost deformed. The fruit must have been damaged/starved when young. This was the end of the vine. Thursday, July 16 View Page Here's a picture of the vine. BTW, the final weight est was day 17, 82 lbs Thursday, July 16 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Its not over till you have no females ! This is on a side vine near the top. Fastest fruit growth i have ever had. Day 7 and 77 inch OTT. Long fruit too. Yea I know, early growth means nonething, but its better than the alternative ! Thursday, July 16 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG And if that fails, i have another side set yesterday ! Thursday, July 16 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Stump view. Best looking plant still at this point in the season I have had. NEEDS TO QUIT RAINING EVERY DAY !!!!!!!!!!!! Saturday, August 8 View Page 255 mitchell 07 This is 1 of two plants. Doing well 151 lbs est Saturday, August 8 View Page 239 leonard 08 My best grower. 160 lbs est Saturday, August 8 View Page 255 mitchell 07 2nd plant. My bigest melon, nicest shape 165 lbs est Saturday, August 8 View Page 213.2 kent 08 Doing well too. 158 lbs est Saturday, August 8 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG The stump. Never could get a fruit to grow. No clue as to why. They seem to set, but then just break open at 10-15 days old. The fruit inside gets very hard and stops growing. Oh well, we will get em next year on the pumpkins ! Saturday, August 8 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Here's a pict of one sliced up. The orange flesh is very hard & dry. Saturday, August 8 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG Its only 14 lbs & 10 days old in this shot. It split on a rib ! Sunday, August 23 View Page 255 mitchell 07 plant #1 Sunday, August 23 View Page 239 leonard 08 Sunday, August 23 View Page 255 mitchell 07 plant # 2 Sunday, August 23 View Page 213.2 kent 08 The only one I can get a girth on. Currently about 63" :) Sunday, August 23 View Page 1026 Kent 08 EST DMG I did get a small side on a side to set. Something for the yard this year, about 200 lbs & bumpy Tuesday, August 25 View Page Final on 1 of my 255 mitchell 07 209 lbs on a shipping scale i have. Fruit was leaking this morning. Went out to checkon it & saw the merchants of death (fruit flies) swarming. I weighed it when i got home today. While not certified, its close considering it was leaking all day. Was estimated at 211 lbs. The cross is 209 kent 09 = 255 mitchell X 251 Mudd Sunday, September 20 View Page 213 kent on the scale at Ky weighoff. Now is the 243.5 kent 09 = 213.2 kent 08 X 267 Edwards 08 Was a great weighoff. Thanks to all for a great time at Bear wallow farms in Nancy Ky. Sunday, September 20 View Page Everyone's happy ! Monday, September 21 View Page Girth measurement. Monday, September 21 View Page Back at home Monday, September 28 View Page Inside of my 243 kent 09. No wonder it was light ! Monday, September 28 View Page Other side Monday, September 28 View Page What do you do with the melon after you get the seeds ??? My hound dog Hershey, he eats anything & everything. loves apples , watermelon (will eat the rind & all) He has started looking for the persimons that are starting to fall.