Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 42 Entries. Tuesday, January 1 View Page Well, I got $300 in Home Depot gift cards for Christmas. So I went over there today and got 500 feet of snow fence and 50 T Post. I have enough snow fence to go around the patch twice. Hopefully this should resolve the wind problem tying my plants in knots. More on that issue in my next post. Tuesday, January 1 View Page Here is the amazing story of my 212 lbs pumpkin. Last year was my first year and I know that 212 is a decent first year. My plant got pollinated on Sept. 1st and the pumpkin froze on Oct. 3 and then picked on the 4th. To top it off my root system never broke through the 4 inch peat pot. That's right, my entire root system was still in the peat pot when I dug it up. On top of that I had my soil tested at the end of the year and was told "I'm surprised anything grew in that soil, it is so out of tune for pumpkin growing." To make things worse my pumpkin has to start growing over, 4 different times. 2 seperate hail storms demolished it, a tornado tore it off at the trunk, and then I got to happy with the ferts and thought I killed it. Each time it kept coming back. On August 14th it had no leaves or vines, just a trunk, on Sept. 1st I was able to pollinate, and a month later I had a 212 pumpkin that was 16% heavy. Good news is 2008 has to be a better year! Saturday, February 9 View Page Finally got my lineup set for this year. 1502 Wallace, 1402 Bosworth, 1180 Pukos, 500 Northrup, with the 1096 Privitera (sp?) as a backup. I can't wait, it will be end of April or even May 1st by the time we can plant around here. Monday, February 18 View Page Here is a picture of my son sitting on my 212 last year, not bad for only growing 30 days and being my first year. Monday, February 18 View Page Yeah, we finally got our manure. This is me and my daughter shoveling it into our wheelbarrow and dumping it into the patch. 42 loads in a 10cf wheelbarrow and we had our 2"s of manure in the patch. Sunday, February 24 View Page I know a lot of you out there will appreciate this, with me being from Canada and having heritage there, this is a rite of passage. The first time going skating! This is my daughter McKenna and me. Sunday, February 24 View Page Here is my son Collin, who is 2. Wednesday, March 5 View Page Here is a picture of the Wiz and Biz that I obtained from a confidential source. Monday, March 17 View Page I thought I had pruning down, but I am confuse again. This is a practice plant I have going. I am planning on a classic Christmas tree pattern. Here is what I know help me if you can. "A" and "B" are the cots. "C" is the first true leaf. What is "D" "E" and "F"? Will the cots be my secondaries or will "E" and "F"? Do I cut "D" off and if so when and where at on it? email me please, [email protected] thanks-Duke Monday, March 24 View Page I don't know what all growers do to celebrate Easter, but this is a picture I snapped of the Wiz and Biz. Monday, March 24 View Page Here is a good pic of me, finally see what I look like. Monday, March 24 View Page Stretching out to do some patch work. Monday, March 24 View Page Here are our cows. The one with horns is Jodie, she is the mom to the other two. The middle size one is Mollie, she was born April of '06. The little one is half Scottish Highlander and half Black Anugus, she was born Nov of '07, and her name is Tender, that's right we are going to eat her, yum yum. Monday, March 24 View Page Fortunately he didn't see me, the next picture will reveal how I got close. Monday, March 24 View Page Ah yes, I found my self several acres of wild blueberries while we vacationed in Alaska last summer. Apparently I was putting so much away the bears had to ask me to leave. Monday, March 24 View Page My daughter thinks the Wiz looks like Moses, so that is what she calls him now. Monday, March 24 View Page Here is the family! Monday, March 24 View Page Here is the photo of the two Dukes. I am the good looking one. Monday, March 24 View Page This is a sturgeon my brother and his friend caught in the Columbia River. 8'2"'s Monday, March 24 View Page This is what happens to a highlander when it gets cold. Monday, March 24 View Page This is Meat Grinder and Zorro. Meat Grinder is on the left and he is ours, Zorro is one of the coolest bucking bulls ever. Monday, March 24 View Page Getting our Christmas Tree. Tuesday, April 8 View Page It is official, I am an actual pumpkin grower, I have a shirt that says it! Tuesday, April 8 View Page Uh oh, my 2 year old stole my shirt and has the fever now. Tuesday, April 8 View Page I am testing the method of putting a 15W light bulb in a cooler and germinating that way. I stuck the light in there for 6 hours and then check the temp, it was 87, just right. No more water bottles at 3 am. I am soaking the seeds and will stick them in tomorrow morning, see how long it takes. Wednesday, April 9 View Page The Biz versus the Iceman, round 1 Wednesday, April 9 View Page The Biz iz coming out Swinging! Saturday, April 12 View Page It took me awhile to find this picture of the Iceman, but apparently next year at Niagra won't be his first time in orange spandex! Sunday, April 27 View Page Got my seeds in the pot today. The 1502 Wallace, 1402 Bosworth, and the 1180 Pukos. My daughter is growing the 500 Northrup, go check out her diary, her name is "McKenna" Tuesday, April 29 View Page The magic glow, it may not look that cool in this picture. but I have the plants germinating in a big white styrafoam cooler with a 15W bulb inside, it makes the cooler glow in the dark, it amuzes me. Tuesday, April 29 View Page Here is a picture inside the cooler. It shows the 4 plants and the light bulb (thanks cojoe, I finally figured out your method). You can see the temp sits at just about 90, and the soil temp is about 87. I have the 1502 Wallace, 1402 Bosworth, and the 1180 Pukos. Plus the 500 Northrup is my daughters. The 1180 is the first one breaking through, but the 1402 is moving some dirt. Saturday, May 3 View Page Well the 1402 Bosworth was the first to move dirt, but in 4 days since then, (6 days total) it hasn't come up yet. So I carefully dug down and "peeked". It looks like the side blew out of it. There is not root coming out the bottom or anything. One side of the seed cracked open and something is coming out of it, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions please email me [email protected] In the mean time, I am starting the Colorado Record 1075 Sherber. It should be a good one. Tuesday, May 6 View Page I am glad Pap's posted about ugly cot leaves. The 1180 Pukos is curled up and the 1502 lost one. But I think they will both make it. The first true leaf is green and starting to emerge on the 1502 Tuesday, May 6 View Page I got my 4 plants up and going now. from left to right, 1180 Pukos, 1502 Wallace, 1075 Sherber, 1041 Sherwood Tuesday, July 1 View Page Here is my 757 Biz, taken on July 1st. It is the first to grow out of the house, but also has the smallest leaves. The sad thing is, my 5 year old, has the best looking plant out of all of them. Check out her diary, her screen name is McKenna. She planted the 1041 Sherwood and has done everything herself, and she is doing awesome. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Here is my 1289 Bosworth (805 Pukos selfed). It is stout and thick and really starting to go now. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Here is my 1075 Sherber. This plant is a roller coaster, it takes off, then looks like it is going to die, then takes off, etc. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Here is a view of my patch and setup, nothing to fancy, but it is working. Wednesday, July 2 View Page Here he is on the scale, our new boy Joel, offical weight is 9 lbs 6.6 oz. Wednesday, July 2 View Page This is after he got cleaned up and calmed down. He is number 3 for us, we have a daughter that is 5 and a son that is 2. I am ready to get going on child number 4, but I think my wife wants me neutered. Saturday, July 19 View Page It has started already, he is 2 weeks old and has the fever already! Monday, September 1 View Page Well, I have thrown in the towel for this year. We have had too many problems with water, and have lost 3 of our 4 plants. Plus I have been gone at least 2 weeks of every month, which makes it hard. So my daughter has been doing all the work this year, so I guess that would make the pumpkin her's. All I did was select the seed and measure the pumpkin every 10 days. She filed it, planted it, pruned it, burried vines, etc. So her name on here is McKenna, she will bring it to the weigh off in Denver on September 27th and enter it in the JR Division.