Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 62 Entries. Tuesday, April 1 View Page Just getting back into pumpkins after a winter off and a few disasters. Thursday, April 17 View Page Final preparations to the patch this week end and my selected seeds will go in too. Saturday, April 19 View Page I rotovated the patch today and added 20 barrow loads of well rotted cow manure. I added fish meal and chillian potash to it too, and then rotovated it all in. I have finaly planted my seeds. 1213 Foss 1230 Daletas 849 Ried 395 Keanneally Saturday, April 26 View Page I applied 56lbs of gypsum to the patch today and buried the permiable hose for the irrigation system. No seeds up yet. Thursday, May 1 View Page The 395 Keanneally sprouted today, perhaps more will come up,Yesterday an egg incubator I was using to sprout my back up seeds had a thermostat run away and was over 100F when I discovered it, so i think I may have fried those seeds. Jos kindly has sent me some of his seeds so at least I have a replacement if they don't germinate, Thanks Jos much appreciated! Saturday, May 3 View Page I planted my Back up Back ups today as none of the overheated seeds has sprouted. Using the tissue method after a 2 hr soak I put in, 1297 Ghaye 1174 Ghaye 819 VanHook 849 Reid Sunday, May 4 View Page I put the 395 out in the patch today, with a hoop house over it. Tuesday, May 6 View Page The 1297 Ghaye 1174 Ghaye 819 VanHook all came up in less than 24 hrs, they are all in dirt now and poking their heads through. As soon as the first true leaf shows they will be in the patch. Tuesday, May 6 View Page It has been the first warm day of the year 22C/72F Lovely and sunny, I had to open the hoop house at both ends! Wednesday, May 7 View Page I put my three plants ( 1297, 1174, 819 )into the drink chill cabinet today, as soon as the first leaf shows they will see the patch. Saturday, May 10 View Page They are in the Patch ! I planted out the last 3 this morning on a warm sunnyday. The Line up is 1297 Ghaye (998 Pukos X Self) 1174 Ghaye (1502 Wallace X Self) 819.5 Van Hook (932 Tanner X 998 Pukos) 395 Keanneally (1315 LaRue X 1250.5 Kline) Thursday, May 15 View Page After some glorious warm and sunny days my plants have had a taste of typical English weather today, Cool and wet. Friday, May 16 View Page Today was the same 55 F was the highest temp, It looks like we will have this kind of weather for a week or more now with the temeratures increasing slowly at the end of the week . Not great Pumpkin growing stats! Sunday, May 18 View Page Debbie with calf Dolly 2 of our Shetland cattle Wednesday, May 21 View Page I fed my Plants for the first time today a mild drench of seaweed mixed at 1 in 400.I watered it all around the roots. Saturday, May 31 View Page I removed my hoophouses today and exposed the plants to the elements. I gave them all a dilute feed 12.5/25/0 all plants look well, the 819 has a realy thick stump and all are starting to vine. I spent 3hrs weeding in the patch, it has been a plesent day with Temps around 70F. Sunday, June 1 View Page Pictures at last This is my 395 Keanneally (1315 LaRue x 1250.5 Kline0 Sunday, June 1 View Page 1297 Ghaye ( 998 Pukos x Self ) Sunday, June 1 View Page 1174 Ghaye ( 1502 Wallace X Self ) Sunday, June 1 View Page 819 VanHook ( 932 Tanner X 998 Pukos ) A great looking orange Pumpkin, I believe John won Best in Show with this one. Saturday, June 7 View Page 395 Keannelly about 18 inches of main vine, not landed yet Saturday, June 7 View Page 1297 Ghaye starting to vine Saturday, June 7 View Page 819 Van Hook vining as well Saturday, June 7 View Page 1174 Ghaye Vining and looking strong Sunday, June 8 View Page It has been the warmest day of the year today 78F/26C lots of sunshine. I weeded for 3 hours and have a weed free patch now. The 395 is still leading the race with about a 20 inch vine,the other three are a little bit behind but I suspect in 2 weeks time there will be little to choose between any of them. Saturday, June 28 View Page I have buried all the main vines and secondaries today, also trimmed of the tendrils, I noticed that some do and some don't, last year I didn't but this year I thought it worth a try. Main lengths 395 9 foot 6 inches 1174 9 foot 819 7 foot 1297 7 foot Ther have been high winds and there is leaf damage on all plants. a female has appeared on the 395 it will be at about 12 foot when it opens, so this will be the 1st one that gets polinated with the 1297 or the 819 depending on available males. Sunday, June 29 View Page 395 today, something has bitten out the growing tip on the main vine, its a shame as a well placed female had appered on it. I will have to train a secondary as the new main. Sunday, June 29 View Page 1297 Sunday, June 29 View Page 819 Sunday, June 29 View Page 1174 this has lept into the lead as it now measures more than 10 feet. Saturday, July 5 View Page yellowing leaves on the 1174. Tuesday, July 8 View Page Pollinated the 395 with an 819 male. The flower was a 6 lober but had a deformed lobe so it won't be a keeper. Tuesday, July 8 View Page Bagged up a female on the 819 this evening and a male on the 1174, up early tommorow for polinating. Thursday, July 10 View Page The First female on the 819 opened but it's lobes were so deformed that I couldnt count them.I culled it. I polinated a nice 6 lober on a secondary on the 395 with a male from the 1174, nice flower but not a good position on the vine, still beggers cant be choosers. The first female on the 395 looks deformed already. Friday, July 11 View Page Polled 2 on secondaries on the 395 with a 1297 male both 5 lobers, and one on the first secondary of the 819 with a 395 male, a 4 lober. Wednesday, July 16 View Page Polinated a 1297 female on the main with a 1174 male this morning, a 5 lober with one very slightly distorted lobe. I culled a female on the main of the 1174 yesterday as the lobes were all distorted, I also polled a 395 on a secondary with a 819 male a 5 lober. Saturday, July 19 View Page Polinated 819 F X 1174 M and 1174 F X 819 M second flower on the main on both with 5 perfect lobes, both around 15 ft out. Sunday, July 20 View Page Pollinated a 4 lobe flower on the 1174 with a male from the 395. This was on a secondary. Sunday, July 27 View Page We have had 3 days of warm sunny weather here in the UK, it is amazing what effect the sun has on the plants, the fruits are actually starting to swell, at last. Monday, August 4 View Page Patch today Monday, August 4 View Page 395 starting to look like it might do something Monday, August 4 View Page 1174 Starting to grow faster now Monday, August 4 View Page 1297, great shape and colour. Sunday, August 10 View Page 395 Sunday, August 10 View Page 1174 Sunday, August 10 View Page 1297 Wednesday, August 13 View Page Fleece providers, oh and other stuff too! Saturday, August 23 View Page First loss of the season for me, the 819 had slowed to a stop and has now aborted. The plant it self is healthy and had vigourous growth, with big thick vines. I am dissapointed because I loved the colour of John Vanhook's pumpkin. Sunday, August 24 View Page 395 Sunday, August 24 View Page 1174 Sunday, August 24 View Page 1297 Saturday, September 6 View Page 395 Tapes 236" today Saturday, September 6 View Page 1174 tapes 225" today Saturday, September 6 View Page 1297 tapes 250" today Sunday, September 21 View Page Update 1174 Sunday, September 21 View Page 395 Sunday, September 21 View Page 1297 Saturday, October 4 View Page No Picture this time, to be honest it dosn't look much different to the last picture in my diary. Today the 1297 is taping 286" 497 lbs. 6 days till harvesting, if it weighs to the chart it should be just over 500lbs and a new PB for me. Fingers crossed. Our weigh off will be on national television ( BBC The One Show )I probably won't get to see it as I am off to Nova Scotia on the tuesday after the weigh off. Tuesday, October 7 View Page No more growth expected now, an unforecast frost on Sunday night wiped out all of my plants. All the leaves are black and dead. 4 days till the weigh off. Friday, October 10 View Page 1297 Cut and ready to go to the weigh-off in Southampton tomorrow. OTT estimate 512 lbs Friday, October 10 View Page Ohh I forgot to say, now my season is over. Saturday, October 11 View Page Weigh Off result I got 4th place with my Pumpkin that taped 512 pounds but weighed 579 pounds 13% heavy. I also got to meet some great growers and see the European record broken.