Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 25 Entries. Monday, February 2 View Page New Year,new Diary...Start of something big?? I am hoping so after last year... Thanks to Phil Dance for his 579 '08 seeds Thursday, April 23 View Page Well here we go again,good luck to all.... As a member of the EGVGA I have recieved a nice bubble full of seeds... After sifting through them and the addition of the dance 579's this is my line up. Baggs 1342 Young 1041 Dance 579. As I have only enough room to grow one in my garden I have gone with the Baggs 1341 primarily it was the one that has shot up the quickest and the others will be backups. Interestingly all seeds germinated and poked their heads up within 3 days. I put this down to chipping away and exposing the endo sperm and potting them in warm moist growing compost and straight in the airing cupboard. As I am just a newbie 3rd year my target is to get past the 200lb mark as my personel best is 168lb This year I have built a little enclosure around it as the weather was abysmal last year and I really did not get going after a few disasters (see last years diary) until the first wee of June.... So this year I have got a march on and it's in the ground. Thursday, April 23 View Page Looks little doesn't it.....soon fill that up Thursday, April 23 View Page The Baggs 1341...for the first time I have mixed in a lot of manue... Thursday, April 23 View Page As we keep horses we have moved to our own stables... With the freedom of that the girls have decided to have chickens.... To my surprise I came home from work and these appeared.. Very young Aylesbury ducks,they will move to the new yard whe they are a little bigger..... Wednesday, June 3 View Page Time for an update...Thank You Ian for reminding me ! As you can see the plant is doing nicely, except dropped a bit of a clanger I put down manue but not rotten manue hence the manue was absorbing all the nitrogen and the plant was certainly lacking colour and girth. But thanks to Dutch Brad for expaining I am now watering every few days with miricle grow solution which is high nitrogen based, and I think that's done the trick. This year I am going with two plants and a third that I got indoors in big pot just for the male flowers... Alo below is a few pics from our new yard Wednesday, June 3 View Page Another pic Wednesday, June 3 View Page The grounds at the yard Wednesday, June 3 View Page The stables Wednesday, June 3 View Page The Ducks Monday, June 15 View Page Well, woke up to a little surprise this morning, not expecting my first pollination of the season to happen until tomorrow. There sitting wide open and ready a nice 5 lober about 7ft out. A bit to short really but a pollination is a pollination. So I have crossed it with a male flower from a Dance 579. Hopefully I will have a decent start. Young 1041 (female) x Dance 579 (Male) Like a dope forgot to take a picture, it was a real beaut. Monday, July 6 View Page Time for a quick update. Now have two going, the earlier one 6ft out just was not right so culled. So, day 10 12ft out 30". But this one though growing superbly is not at the right angle and left to grow is going to stress the vine. Next one up is at 14ft perfect angle and is 7" in Circ. after 4 days. Time will tell, if this one sets and kicks on I will cull the one at 12ft, shame really it's a lovely shape....Ho,hum.. Saturday, July 18 View Page Day 16 OTT 38" Pollinated another one today @16ft out Monday, July 20 View Page Day 18 Made the mistake on the last measurement using the OTT chart that I did not include the circumfrance. CC+EE+SS = 71" Wednesday, July 22 View Page Day 20 82" Friday, July 24 View Page The plant Friday, July 24 View Page Day 22 97" = 26.5 lb's Friday, July 31 View Page Day 29 131" 57lb's The wet weather we have been having for the last few weeks is really slowing the growth rate... :0( Friday, July 31 View Page I am going away for a week, so I am going to build a mini enclosure around the pumpkin with bubble wrap. Hopefully keep it nice and warm...Let'see what happens eh... Saturday, August 8 View Page Day 37 164" = 104lb's Steady as she goes. Set my goal to break the 200lb limit for PB this year. Fingers cossed we are getting there Tuesday, August 11 View Page Now weighs 120lb's Tuesday, August 11 View Page Another shot Tuesday, August 18 View Page Day 47 194" = 164lb's Monday, September 21 View Page Well the leaves on the plant is just about shot.... Few more weeks before weigh in (Halloween 31st October) estimated at 235lbs.. Wednesday, October 28 View Page As the season is now over....My weigh in was 218lb's which in the end was a new PB and surpassed my target of 200lb. Considering I grew outside on a patch 16ft long x 3ft I thought it was not to bad. Next season I have a patch some 30ft long x 15ft and 3 years experince in growing giant pumpkins. With that in mind I have set an ambitious target of 500lb See you all next year