Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 36 Entries. Saturday, March 15 View Page Well time to start this off. This will be my first season growing with some good genetics. I have only used off the shelf seed for the past 3 years with a PB of only 155. Now its time to really give the growing a really good shot. I am shooting for the new manitoba record, although I'll be happy with something around the 500 mark, or just a new PB, LOL. I've learned alot from this place already with more to come I am sure, and it will soon be time to put it to good use. I have a small patch so I will only be planting 3 plants. 2 main plants, and I will grow a 3rd in a viper pattern for pollen and as a backup, as I will grow out any secondaries I can if one plant goes down. My two main plants will be a 400 est. langevin (897.5 davies x 1502 wallace), and a 998.6 pukos x self, from Dean C. Thanks again dean for the seed and all your advice. My pollen/backup/seed plant will be a 500 est langevin (1502 x 1502), and I will be using this plant to pollinate the pukos x self. Thursday, April 17 View Page The snow has finally left the patch a couple days ago, now hopefully no rain or snow for at least a week so I can work in some gypsum and maybe some more leaves. Framed up some cold frames yesterday, just need to put the poly on them tomorrow likely. Should be starting seeds in about a weeks time. Thursday, April 17 View Page Finally the snow is gone, and yes that is a little in the background yet. Thursday, April 17 View Page Cold frames almost done. Not as elaborate as some here, but will sure beat last years wooden stakes I pounded into the ground with poly stapled to them. Monday, April 21 View Page Well I started some seeds sat night in some paper towel/plastic baggies.....checked the germination chamber (an old food dehydrator with a low 85 deg setting), this morning and out of the 7 I started 6 have sprouted, and the 1 that didn't I was sure wasn't going to anyways, as it was very imature. I will let them go at least another 12-24 hrs. The bad part is I woke up to snow and -5 C this morning. And this past week its been very nice, with low to mid 20 C as the highs some days. I was almost ready to work the patch. Tuesday, April 22 View Page Well I got my seeds in some ice cream containers with the bottoms cut off for the top, lid side for the bottom. They are outside in my biggest of my mini-greenhouses. The temp outside today is about 37 deg, but inside the greenhouse my thermometer reads 80 ......perfect! If I had some place to keep them inside I would, but I think the greenhouse will work good. Tuesday, April 22 View Page I will be bringing them inside every evening though, till it gets nicer. Monday, July 28 View Page Well I should update this thing. Not a great season at all. May and June were not very nice, cold and rainy, lots of rain. Although I am not surprised it is Manitoba after all. I am a week to 2 behind last year. I have one 10 day old set at 8 ft and just pollinated one at about 13ft today, both on the 897.5x1502. I have one open pollinated on my 998.6 self but only at about 5 ft, and it was only a 3 lobe. One more should be opening up within a couple days a little farther out. I also have 1 more 897.5 davies x 1502 that is so so slow growing, and won't be ready to pollinate for at least another week or two, so I will likely just use it for seed. Next year I think I will try something different. If I can I want to keep a clone alive all winter then set it out in mid-may, and I should get at least 2-4 weeks ahead. Then I would likely be looking at good pollinations end of june-early july. I think it is the only way for me in central MB, unless I were to built a greenhouse, but that is not an option for me right now. I could also keep them alive longer inside, and let them get fairly big in some big pots like large 20 gal rubbermaid containers, they'd be root bound but still would likely still end up in better shape than this year. Tuesday, July 29 View Page More rain, nothing new, every second day its raining here. Since the beginning of the month I've only watered once, when we had a few days of no rain and the ground got to dry up a bit. I was able to give one 50 gallon seaweed drench, and other than that I've just been foliar feeding seaweed and blossom booster. I am sure glad I got the last of my myco trenched in at the beginning of the month. Yesterday was day 10 for my 897.5 davies x 1502 wallace, its starting to take off, yesterday I could see the difference in size every few hours. I didn't measure it yet, but was around 18-20", I'll wait till day 20 to measure. I also pollinated another at 12-14 ft out. Wednesday, July 30 View Page Time to built an ark I think. It was kind of nice today, the ground actually started to dry up a bit. Was able to get some vines buried this evening but not as much as I'd liked.........of course it started raining again. Friday, August 8 View Page Well day 20 was the 7th at 42". Today its at 46". Not bad, not great, but I will take it, I'm not going for any records just my own PB to beat which ain't much. At least I have the genetics this year to do it hopefully. I also pollinated my other 400 est.langevin (897 davies x 1502 wallace) on the 7th with the 998 pukos selfed. This one I want for seed mostly now being so late. The 7th was also about Day 10 for 1 on the 998 selfed pukos, and another on the 400 est. langevin, both were crossed with each other. They are both similar about 20" circ. I think I will cull the one soon on the 400, in favor of my bigger one even though its only at about 8ft out, as the other one isn't showing any signs of better growth yet. I will still give it a few more days yet. Friday, August 8 View Page Oh and finally some nice weather. It hasn't rained in about 6 days, this is the longest we've gone in a long time. I hope it stays nice for another month at least, LOL I doubt it. The cool weather will be here soon. Even this past week the nights have gone down into the mid 40s a couple times. I have my fingers crossed though for an unseasonably warm September. Sunday, August 10 View Page From 49.5" Circ. to 54" Circ. in the last 24 hrs, for about a 10 lb gain overnight. I sure hope it keeps up its steadily increasing pace. Wednesday, August 13 View Page The biggest one today @ Day 26 is 65.5" C, OTT is 168.5". It gained about 12 lbs overnight. It was taking on a birdbath look a few days ago. I think I got it remedied by propping it and the vine up. Its looking good now. Somewhat a wheel with a concave blossom end, hope it holds up. The one on the selfed 998 pukos plant is coming along good, I will measure it at day 20. I am letting an open pollinated one grow on a side vine too as the main fruits stem was starting to split a few days ago, its since stopped, but I'll leave the back up on for awhile yet. Thursday, August 14 View Page Circ 68", ss 54.5", sb 53.5" for 176" OTT. About 14 lb gain overnight. Starting to pick up more and more every day. Last night was cold too, down to 48 deg F, and it gained the most it has so far. I hope thats a good sign it will continue along the way its been going even with the cooler nights now. Saturday, August 16 View Page Day 30 for the 400 est. Langevin 190" OTT, about a 14 lb average the past 3 days. Last night was the biggest gain so far of about 16 lbs. This thing is growing way better than those store bought seeds ever did. Nice weather forecasted for the next few days too, YESSSS! I will have to get around to posting some pics soon. Saturday, August 16 View Page Day 20 for the 770 Baker/Christopherson (998.6 pukos x self) at 115 OTT for about 39lbs. I am using the 2001 chart right now too as my small 155 lber last year was way closer to the 01 chart. Its just for a reference anyways. Sunday, August 17 View Page Correction - Today is day 30 for the 400 langevin - 196.5" OTT Monday, August 18 View Page 82 c, 58 sb, 63 ss = 203" OTT for 178 lbs. Tuesday, August 19 View Page 84 c, 66 ss, 60 sb, 210 OTT, 18 lbs last 24 hrs. Monday, August 25 View Page Just got back from a few days of camping. Everything is looking good. The day before I left, my 400 langevin had slowed by about half. I hit all plants with some ferts before I left, and we also had an inch of rain a day latter. Its now taping 245 OTT, which puts it around 300 plus, almost double my last years PB. The baker/christopherson fruit is also looking good. I haven't measured it, but looks around 150 lbs or better. Its going to be an orange one as expected. Wednesday, August 27 View Page 400 Langevin, Day 40 251" OTT Saturday, August 30 View Page Yesterday was day 32 for the Baker/Christopherson @ 206" OTT, Today its at 217", but I think I under measured it yesterday as I am using 2 60" tapes joined together and the EE, and SS, measurements were right at the join yesterday. Still I could tell by looking at it that it gained a lot last night. Monday, September 1 View Page Day 45 for 400 est. Langevin - 261" OTT 381 lbs. Slowing down to about 8lbs/day avg. for the past 5 days. As long as its gaining something I am happy as I've already at least doubled my previous PB of 155 lbs. And considering the terrible spring/summer we've had and with no greenhouse, and with frost already a week ago I think it ain't too bad. Day 35 Baker/Chirstopherson (998.6 Pukos x self) - 221" OTT 237 lbs. Gained 20+ lbs/day last 2 days even in the cold.......sweet. We'll have to see how long it can continue at that pace in the cold. Friday, September 5 View Page Tomorrow will be day 50 and 40 for my 2 best right now. But I had to check the 400 langevin today at day 49 = 111" cc, 82" ee, 83" ss for 276" OTT for 448lbs est, but its likely a little less due to the sunken blossom end. It seem to have picked up again, likely a combination of the inch of rain we had combined with nightly lows being a little warmer the past couple days. 4 day avg. of approx. 16 lbs/day. Getting closer to my goal of 500lbs. Also getting worried now thats its getting up in age and ribs are getting bigger, noticed a couple surface cracks in between a couple of the larger ribs today. Friday, September 5 View Page My white birdbath 400 est. Langevin Friday, September 5 View Page Side view Friday, September 5 View Page My Baker/Christopherson selfed 998.6 Pukos fruit. Taping around 275 lbs today. Friday, September 5 View Page Another shot. I crossed this one with the 400 est. Langevin (897.5 davies x 1502 wallace) Saturday, September 6 View Page Today is Day 50 for 400 langevin. Made a mistake in measuring last night, heres the right numbers today 113 cc, 84 ss, 74 ee = 271" OTT, 425 lbs, which is still good. I will say its likely more like 400 lbs with the sunken blossom end. Its still going at its 8lbs/day pace, I am happy with that. Any lbs is better than no lbs. Sunday, September 7 View Page Day 41 for Baker/Chritopherson = 239" OTT for 296 lbs, about 10 lbs/day for the past 6. Day 31 for one on my other 400 langevin plant = 183" OTT 140 lbs Friday, September 12 View Page Day 55 - Langevin - 277 OTT, Day 45 B/C 246 OTT Friday, September 12 View Page That was measurements for the 11th. Sunday, September 21 View Page Well they haven't grown much at all in the past week or more, its way too cold now, and frost claimed some leaves a week ago. My largest 400 langevin now tapes 122 C, 87, 77, for 286" OTT, for 497 lbs. Not bad for here in MB, and not using a greenhouse. My smallest pumpkin the other 400 langevin, which was pollinated Aug 7 is over 200 lbs. Bigger than the 155 lber I grew last year, that was pollinated around July 18. The baker/christopherson is in between around 325 lbs, but the nicest looking one by far. Wednesday, October 1 View Page Well my new PB, and mark to beat next year - 480 lbs. I'll post some pics some day. Thats 325 lbs bigger than last year, lol. Monday, October 6 View Page 380 lbs, 480 lbs, 210 lbs