Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 34 Entries. Thursday, March 27 View Page 2008 Season Diary Hi! My name is Kris O'Donohue and this will be my second year growing. Best of luck to everyone and may you all have a blast getting caught up in the fun & excitement of this awesome quirky hobby! Friday, March 28 View Page The 08' Patch This is a new patch that was created in October as my previous one was found to get to much shade in the late season. This new location does not do that but with the exception of a large 70 foot maple that shaded it in the spring/summer season.... so tree was removed! Now I have a year round sunny patch! It was tilled 2 feet deep with peat moss, coffee grounds, maple leaves, composted steer manure & organic bagged compost, then it was limed and planted with a 3-way cover crop. Last week the cover crop was tilled under and cornmeal, alfalfa meal & composted steer manure were added along with prilled gypsum and a mollasses drench. I haven't checked my PH yet, I will in a couple weeks... I suspect its in a good range and wont need to much doctoring.... but we will see! Saturday, March 29 View Page 2008 Seed Line-up I am very excited about my seeds. This Holland seed grew Michelle Lofthouse's record pumpkin last season and the other seed.... well how can you go wrong with a seed that came from names like Dill, La Rue, 998 Pukos and 1502 Wallace. As for the O'Donohue, it was my seed from my last years pumpkin and I will use it as my test seed to #1 Test my germination set-up and #2 Confirm that I harvested and stored my seed satisfactorily. Tuesday, April 22 View Page Now all we do is wait....... tick-toc... tick-toc... tick-toc... Wednesday, April 30 View Page The 930.5 LaRue is up! She just barely broke the soil on the 28th. I am still patiently waiting for the 1014 Holland, I did peek (dig) on the 28th and there was a root beginning, so I carefully put it back and continue to wait, time will tell. Thursday, May 8 View Page The Holland came up.... the seed case was not releasing so I had to intervene. This cot has me worried, but Pap posted about curly cots not being an issue so I am going to keep the faith. I did not use Hydrogen peroxide as this was alluded to being a reason for curled cots... although I did use endo/ecto mycorrhizae in the peat pots. My Larue had a "funky cot" as well.... but not as bad.... (see next post) Thursday, May 8 View Page The LaRue is doing well, a bit of a curl in the cots and a little in the first true leaf.... going to go into the soil tomorrow. Thursday, May 8 View Page This is my tomato bed for this year.... its not about the money its about producing at all costs! LOL! Tuesday, May 13 View Page I planted the LaRue and Holland into the ground today. The Holland has just been stalled getting that first leaf out and the LaRue NEEDED to get outside, so my thought was that the Holland will now get what its been needing to GROW... and the LaRue will continue to preform. My transplanting went perfect to the end... all watered and mycro all placed along the roots...UNTILL I realized I didnt plant them in the right vine direction!!!! I could have cried! Had to screw up my nice planting job and move them... stressful for them and ME! Sometimes I think I have no buisness trying to grow these things! Anyway, I think I managed not to kill them. Gave them a nice B1 drink after it was all over. Nice little heat wave expected this weekend..... Monday, May 19 View Page Both Plants made it through the "Heat Wave" The Holland appears to have about 4 true leaves coming out at all once so I'm not sure what direction it will want to vine... seems too like the heat, and the La Rue is doing well, as it always has. Its like watching two kids with different personalities develop. Ah, what will they become when they grow up.... Monday, May 19 View Page The Patch Today. Cant wait too see what it will look like in a month or two. Wednesday, May 21 View Page Howard Dill Passed Away. Very Sad. I purchased my La Rue seed from him this December right before he went into the hospital. His son Danny was very nice to have gone and found my order and process it for me in January when I called to check on the order. I felt like I needed to honor and show my respect for this man and the seed that I am growing this season that he is responsible for, so I went and bought a Canada windsock Flag and placed a black ribbon from it. It will fly above my patch till the season's end. Tuesday, May 27 View Page Here are "the kids". The Holland to the left, The LaRue on the right. The LaRue is much larger but its still so early in the game of pumpkin plant development, anything can happen. Tuesday, May 27 View Page Close-up of the LaRue. Wednesday, May 28 View Page Close-up of the Holland. Wednesday, June 4 View Page It has been cold and rainy.... where is JUNE? Fortunately The cover cloche is keeping the plants happy... dry and warmer. I am also VERY thankful for the thick soil heating cables I purchased from Joel Holland. Looks like the LaRue's Main vine is inching towards laying down... ahhh my good child! Now for troubled child, The Holland.... well it looks as if it is a DOUBLE VINE... and that would explain alot. Its just not looking good for that one.... Sunday, June 8 View Page This is the Holland. The Vine is one of those double or ribbon vines... not sure specifically, all I know is that it is not good and this plant will be pulled. Monday, June 9 View Page A leaf from the LaRue.... good thing I got a pic before the wind came through the next day messed it up. Tuesday, June 10 View Page Yesterday the wind kicked up and messed up some of my leaves, (blew the cloche off), luckily the main was OK despite the fact that it still had not layed down yet and was not secured! Turned out that the wind was a blessing in disguise as when I cut off the broken leaves the main began to lay down because one of those leaf stalks was propping it up. I also secured the end with a bamboo hoop stake and made my cloche a bit more wind proof. Pulled the Holland, necessary but a bummer. Friday, June 27 View Page So Sad! Mac'N Jack of Poulsbo were supposed to visit my patch today, but nooooooo she burned! If you read this..... Ms. Shannon.... I have my eye on you! (Meet the Parents!) LOL! Monday, July 14 View Page After a a week of good weather, I am finally getting some plant. Its been a late start. Females are showing up and will pollinate as soon as they are ready. Monday, July 14 View Page Let's call her Mrs. Big Potential! Monday, July 21 View Page First pollination with self this morning on the LaRue Monday, July 21 View Page What she looked like inside. How many lobes is that? Thursday, July 31 View Page CRAP! Split on my main vine about 7 feet out and BEFORE my two pumpkin sets! The plant vine has continued to grow since this occured a week ago, but am I wasting my time with these pumpkins on the main after this? Should I go for a pumpkin on a secondary that is right BEFORE this split? Help, please...I need some good advice! Thursday, July 31 View Page This is a look at the main. The split is right after the bamboo stick marker. The two pumpkins are about 7 and 9 feet after the split. Main vine is now terminated at 20 feet. 8 side vines are also terminated. Havent been applying much seaweed fertilizer, mostly just going with what is in the soil. Need advice. Saturday, September 20 View Page Split is pretty deep but still not into cavity. Also, this morning I realized the warmin cable has been unplugged for the last two weeks! DOH!!! Saturday, September 20 View Page The Stump of the Larue Saturday, September 20 View Page Mr. Merrick is still holding on. Saturday, September 20 View Page Meet Mr. Merrick! He is NOT an animal, he in Not a vegetable, he is a FRIUT, he is an Atlantic Giant Pumpkin! Saturday, September 20 View Page Mr. Merrick through the vines. Tuesday, October 14 View Page Well despite the season playing havok, Mr. Merrick won 1st Place at our local nursery and $150! He weighed 194... obviously it wasnt Central Market in Shoreline.... but with all that was against him, he did great! This season I learned about Dill Rings, vine splits, rib intersections and fruit splits and the virtues of silicone caulk.... Mr. Merrick had them all and more.... The Fall cover crop is planted and I cant wait for next year! Till then.... give thanks for all that you have! Wednesday, December 24 View Page At the moment, there is about 2 feet of snow on my patch and under it a pretty nice winter cover crop although I find myself nostalgic for last spring when I would walk out every morning in my boxer shorts to check on my seedling. Saturday, December 27 View Page Well Tonight I picked up a 500 Northrup at the GPC Auction. Which BTW...was fun to watch and make comments on as well! While I loved "Mr. Merrick" and all his deformities this season.... were going to try for some pretty genetics next season.