Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 90 Entries. Sunday, March 18 View Page Happy Spring 2012 to all growers of things out there! It was a mild winter here and spring has started off extremely warm. 15 to 25 degrees above normal for the last 10 days and it will continue for 5 more. It is dry enough to till on March 18th, enough said. Sunday, March 18 View Page In this dome will hopefully be two of the most promising plants I have ever grown. 1,650 square feet for two plants that I will cross both ways. They will be revealed later, but they are both 2010 seeds grown by a couple of the sport's best in 2011. Sunday, March 18 View Page The size of the rye says it's March, but the soil looks like May. Sunday, March 18 View Page Horse poop standing ready for an earlier start than ever in this year of the solar flare cycle's peak. Sunday, March 18 View Page I have been using this particular horse farm's doody for 10 years now. Often it is fairly fresh when I pick it up and I have never had a problem using it right away. I have a secret plan to get at least one or two plants in the patch unbelievably early to see just how early I can start pollinating this year. Time to go all out and take a real shot at some big-time numbers.......1400......1500.......?????????? Sunday, April 15 View Page It is time for pumpkinJesus to awaken from the slumber and start posting more regularly! I have started seeds two weeks earlier than I ever have before just because I like to gamble, yo. Actually, my A line-up will be started next weekend while my back-ups are getting planted in the patch. Most of my back-ups will then be ripped out later.......but...........should any of my A-List not germinate, the back-ups will have a nice head start. If I can keep them alive through any frosts that is. This is back-up #1, a 275 Van Hook. Sunday, April 15 View Page A couple more back-ups from my estimated 813 last year (810 Kuhn x 1142 Van Kooten). Sunday, April 15 View Page Just starting to germinate, a 1093 Hunt. Sunday, April 15 View Page And I am very psyched that an 8 year-old 1142 Van Kooten seed is starting to germinate as well. All without any soaking or filing, just planted in Pro-Mix, watered and put on a heat mat. Sometimes I think we try to unnecessarily make rocket science out of "stupid Eco-Mother Nature". Sunday, April 15 View Page A new addition to the low-cost repertoire this year is some reused black plactic at each planting spot to warm the soil up prior to planting. Considering how it will be 88 tomorrow, I think the soil should be in summer-mode by next weekend. Sunday, April 15 View Page I reused plastic that had sweet potatoes grown on it last year. The holes will allow rain water through if it ever rains again. We have had under an inch in the last 30 days, which is insane for springtime. There have even been some small wildfires around here lately. Sunday, April 15 View Page Two plants are going in Dome #1, with areas of 825 square feet for each. Sunday, April 15 View Page 3 plants will fight it out in Dome #2, with areas of 633 square feet for each plant. Give or take an inch. Sunday, April 22 View Page Miserable day today for planting, plus it will be very cool this week so patch planting has been delayed until next weekend. Getting some very much needed rain though so I am happy about that. Transplanted the following plants into gallon pots today - 1142 Van Kooten, 1093 Hunt, 930 Jutras (which germinated slower than the others), 275 Van Hook and 2 813 McCrackens. Just for the record, 4 for 4 on germinating 6-year and older seeds with no filing or soaking. All look great but the only one of these guaranteed a spot in the patch is the 1142 Van Kooten. Also started today the A Line-Up: 1080 Hunt, 1210 Van Hook, 1418 Snyder and a 923 Gerhardt. All these go in the patch if they germinate. I suppose I might as well state my two goals for this season right now as well. 1. At least one 1,400 pound pumpkin. 2. This will be tough, but I want 4 pumpkins totalling 5,000 pounds. Shoot for the stars, you might hit one someday. Tuesday, May 1 View Page Yesterday evening the first two plants got put in the patch, 8 days earlier than ever before. This one is a 930 Jutras '06 (1068 Wallace x 845 Bobier), a backup that I am planting because my 923 Gerhardt didn't germinate. Bummer, but at least the rest of my top seeds all came up. Tuesday, May 1 View Page The 1142 Van Kooten, the biggest of my plants at the start. Tuesday, May 1 View Page The rest of my plants went in this evening, May 1st after being started on April 22nd. The 1418 Snyder is pictured here. Tuesday, May 1 View Page The 1210 Van Hook. Tuesday, May 1 View Page And the 1080 Hunt. Tuesday, May 1 View Page A patch overview, from left to right: 1080 Hunt, 1210 Van Hook, 1142 Van Kooten (top), 1418 Snyder (bottom) and the 930 Jutras on the far right. Most of the tilling is done and I've already started bringing in piles of compost for node-burying. My main vines this year will run from side to side in the domes instead of end to end as I've always done before. I wanted to put the stumps in different spots, plus it will allow me to grow longer side vines in the dome on the left, giving me a larger plant before the pumpkin. Friday, May 4 View Page Removed the black plastic from all of the plants this morning and killed a few slugs while I was in the enclosures. With the temp shooting up into the 80s today I didn't want to fry anybody. Looking good thus far.... Thursday, May 10 View Page Crap. I checked on the plants this morning and for some reason the 1210 Van Hook croaked on me. All others look good, although they aren't doing much since the sun has barely been out for the last 9 or 10 days. After we dip down to 40 degrees tonight, the forecast is looking up though. Looks like I'll be putting the 275 Van Hook in this weekend after all. That's why we have back-ups. Monday, May 28 View Page I covered up one of the domes today with a 50 by 100 piece of rowcover all by myself, always a challenging chore. There was no wind at dawn this morning so it went without a hitch, and it was neat to hear several 21 gun salutes go off in the distance. This here is the 1142 Vankooten. Monday, May 28 View Page The 1418 Snyder, my smallest plant right now. Monday, May 28 View Page The 930 Jutras, in the wettest part of the patch. We got dumped on from Saturday evening until Sunday afternoon to the tune of 2 and a third inches, including three-quarters of an inch in 10 minutes at one point. Next weekend I'll have more pictures of more plants as I cover the other dome... Thursday, June 7 View Page I'm again behind on updating my diary - all these pictures will be from Sunday, 4 days ago. This is the 1142 Vankooten, it had some aphids on it which I wiped out with Pyola. Thursday, June 7 View Page The 1418 Snyder, my shortest plant but man you should see the stump on this thing already. It is twice the size of most of the other plants' stumps. Thursday, June 7 View Page The 930 Jutras. Thursday, June 7 View Page The 275 Vanhook has jumped right into the 1210's spot and hasn't missed a beat. I wasn't able to get a picture of the 1080 Hunt, my camera mysteriously starting acting weird as I was approaching it. I think it has some kind of magical vortex surrounding it, it will be interesting to see what will grow in such a powerful force field..... Sunday, June 17 View Page 275 Van Hook as of today at 14 feet long. Sunday, June 17 View Page The 1080 Hunt at 13.5 feet, allowing a rare picture of herself to be taken. Sunday, June 17 View Page The 1080 will be my first pollination of the year, probably Tuesday or Wednesday at around ten and a half feet. Sunday, June 17 View Page 1142 Van Kooten, a little over 14 feet long with a female coming around 11. Probably ready near the end of the week. Sunday, June 17 View Page 1418 Snyder, the runt of the litter at ten feet long. Big leaves and big stump though. Sunday, June 17 View Page 930 Jutras, 13 feet long. Great start for all thus far, and I feel like I am ready for anything that comes down the pike. Let's do this....... Wednesday, June 20 View Page This morning pollinated the first female of the season, earliest ever for me, on the 1080 Hunt at 10.5 feet. I want to cross that plant with the 1418 Snyder but there were no males ready yet on it, so I used the 275 Van Hook instead. It will be a back-up fruit for now. Thursday, June 21 View Page This morning pollinated the first female on the 1142 Van Kooten at 11 feet out with the 275 Van Hook. A perfect 5 lober, if all goes according to plan I will keep this pumpkin and win an early weigh-off with it, hee hee. Sunday, June 24 View Page This morning I did two pollinations, 930 Jutras x 1142 Van Kooten at 13 feet and 275 Van Hook x 930 Jutras at 15 feet. Both nice 4 lobers but I like the position of the one on the 275 a lot better so I'm sure I'll keep that one if it takes. Pictures coming soon.......... Sunday, July 1 View Page The 1142 Vankooten this morning. Typical smaller leaves and lighter green color that all the 1142s I've grown have had. Small stump too, but don't be fooled, this seed packs a lot of punch. Sunday, July 1 View Page 1142 x 275 Van Hook, day 6, 15 feet out. The shape is a little less elongated than the 1142s I've previously grown. The first fruit on this plant at 11 feet hasn't grown in 5 days so it is surely aborting. Sunday, July 1 View Page 1418 Snyder in the foreground. Still growing slower than the others while looking incredibly healthy with huge vines. Sunday, July 1 View Page 1418 x 1080 Hunt, day 3, at 12.5 feet. Sunday, July 1 View Page 930 Jutras. Sunday, July 1 View Page 930 x 1142 Van Kooten, day 7, at 13 feet. Sunday, July 1 View Page 930 x 1142 Van Kooten, day 4, at 16 feet. Sunday, July 1 View Page 275 Van Hook, this plant has really kicked it in gear and looks like it means business. Sunday, July 1 View Page 275 x 930 Jutras, day 7, at 15 feet. My best grower so far. Sunday, July 1 View Page Now for the bad news. I did thorough stump and vine inspections today and found this trouble spot on the 275 Van Hook only 12 to 18 inches from the stump. This is the time of year to start to be on the lookout for vine rot if you live somewhere hot and humid. It got into this crack that looked healed over. I got out my surgical gear and hydogen peroxide and went to work cleaning it out, trying to cut parallel to the vine as much as possible while still cleaning out all the rot. Rinsed it with peroxide, ran the 350 feet of extension cord up to the patch and set a fan on it. I'll be keeping a close eye on it, in my experience you rarely get it all the first time. Sunday, July 1 View Page The 1080 Hunt. It is hypnotic. Sunday, July 1 View Page 1080 x 275 Van Hook, day 6, at 15.5 feet. Wednesday, July 4 View Page This morning I finally made one of the crosses I really wanted to make. Pollinated the 1080 Hunt with the 1418 Snyder at 22 feet. I've already terminated several side vines on the 1080 at 16 feet, and on the other side of the plant where there is more room they are going to be 20 to 22 feet when they get chopped. The 1080 is fixin' to be over 850 sq. feet and it will almost all be behind the pumpkin, if it takes. Wednesday, July 11 View Page Just wanted to give a quick update since it's been a while once again. All plants have one set pumpkin on them - the heat really messed with pollinations this year and I wasn't able to get any more than that to set on any of my plants. Most of those pumpkins are at day 16 and 17 except for the 1418 Snyder, that's at day 12. All are looking good with pretty nice stem angles and such. The 275 Van Hook is the best grower so far, it was at 60.25 inches circumference on day 15. The 275's main vine rot has healed nicely too, it took me three tries to get it all out but the dry weather has helped clear it up. Aphids continue to pester me on all plants but I am on them every chance I get, and all systems are go. Saturday, July 14 View Page While inspecting the plants last night, I saw several leaves on the 1418 Snyder that had the telltale signs of being affected by vine rot. This is what I found below those leaves. The rot had travelled quickly up through the hollow center of the main vine all the way up to the pumpkin. Bye bye 1418 Snyder, it was nice while it lasted. I seem to lose a plant every year to this problem, so now I'm down to 4 plants. No more margin for error to achieve goal #2 for this year. Saturday, July 14 View Page The outside of the main vine still looked mostly healthy and solid despite looking like this inside. Saturday, July 14 View Page The 930 Jutras fruit on day 20 today. Has a weird rash on the right side almost like it got a bit of sunburn except it was underneath a leaf. I took the leaf off last night thinking it could use some air circulation around there. OTT of 183 inches for an est. weight of 144 lbs. Saturday, July 14 View Page The 930 Jutras fruit is now named Prymaat, after Jane Curtain's Conehead character. Consume mass quantities! Saturday, July 14 View Page Day 20 today also for the 275 Van Hook fruit. The oozing in the main vine is back today and it is quite dry in the patch despite watering as much as I can. We need a good rain which we might get in the next 24 hours. I'll have to clean out the oozing spot again tomorrow - right now we are on our way to see Roger Waters perform The Wall. I am psyched but unfortunately for the Phillies, it is the most exciting thing happening in that stadium this summer. This pumpkin is measuring an OTT of 192.5 inches for an estimated weight of 167 lbs. It's name is Roseanne Roseannadanna. Wednesday, July 18 View Page This is what I awoke to Monday morning after severe storms came through Sunday night. Dome #1, which houses the 275 Van Hook and 1080 Hunt has been torn open. Some cucumber beetles are already moving in, so it will be a battle the rest of the way for these plants. Wednesday, July 18 View Page When you can't find a can for size reference, use your disgusting hat! 275 Van Hook day 24 today. 101.25" circ., OTT 227.25". Estimated weight 270, averaging 26 lbs. a day over the last 4. This plant is probably going to lose the stump in a few days. The rot neat the stump refuses to go away for good, and with all the rain we are starting to get the writing is on the wall. Wednesday, July 18 View Page 930 Jutras day 24. The weird rash-like area has spread and is getting some shallow surface cracking now. It most certainly looks like the skin has been burned but it first started under a leaf and then spread both up and down from there. Whatever the hell is going on, it is strange. OTT of 206.5 inches, only gaining around 15 pounds a day. The whole thing just has the look of a 60 day old pumpkin, not 24. Wednesday, July 18 View Page A close-up of the 930's skin. Discolored, a little blistered, tiny cracks. The potential for this one to be anything special is going flussssssshhhhhhhhhhhh. Thursday, July 19 View Page 1142 Van Kooten, Day 24 today. Named Enid after the Church Lady since it started off looking very square. 227.5" OTT, estimated weight of 271. 28 lbs. per day average over the last 4. Thursday, July 19 View Page Mary Catherine Gallagher on the 1080 Hunt. Day 24, OTT AOK. This plant, now uncovered, got tossed around a bit in more storms that came through yesterday. I had to stand up about 50 leaves and then discovered that the stump is leaking in 3 different spots. Just looks like water for now, but you can never rest easy with these things. Fan is on it full blast. Friday, July 27 View Page Enid, on the 1142 Van Kooten, at day 32 today. Plant is looking excellent, stump is very small but trouble-free. 119 inch circ., OTT of 271.25. Estimated weight 450 lbs., doing 23 a day. Friday, July 27 View Page Roseanne Roseannadanna, on the 275 Van Hook. This plant has still not lost its stump but it will soon. On day 33, 125 inch circ. and an OTT of 278.5. The dip in the blossom end has me looking for a split every time I go to the patch. Estimated weight of 486 pounds, only doing 22 a day with the stump issues. Friday, July 27 View Page The other good one I still have going is Mary Catherine Gallagher on the 1080 Hunt. This plant lost its stump, 6 feet of main vine and 9 secondaries on Monday. Impressively, the pumpkin barely skipped a beat. Still my biggest one and best grower. You go girl! Sunday, August 5 View Page OK people, you want some pictures, here are some pictures. Enid had a day 40 birthday celebration yesterday complete with the Church Lady dance while making sure all of her naughty regions remained completely covered. Well isn't that special? Day 40 OTT is 304 inches, estimated weight of 626 lbs. Continues to be slow and steady in the low 20s per day. Sunday, August 5 View Page Enid has become a bit of a leaker just like Sandy was last year. Sandy was a decendant of an 1142 Van Kooten so this isn't too much of a surprise. I wiped all of that off and then wiped some peroxide on those areas, should be no problem. Sunday, August 5 View Page Enid's stem has wanted to stay right on the ground all season. Makes stem stress almost a non-issue but it's tough checking that area for problems, and air circulation around there is poor as well. Sunday, August 5 View Page Roseanne Roseannadanna hit day 40 on Friday, here she is pictured on day 41. She celebrates her birthday in the nude so I didn't want to embarrass her with pictures that day. Stump still hanging on, I am now convined that I get two different types of vine/stump rot in my patch. One moves very quickly and the other very slowly, this plant thankfully has the latter. Day 40 OTT was 308 inches for an estimated weight of 650 lbs. Sunday, August 5 View Page Mary Catherine Gallagher, also on day 40 yesterday. She almost overdosed on sticking her fingers into her armpits and smelling them on her birthday. I gotta get this girl to calm down. People sometimes talk about having a trouble-free plant, well this has been a trouble-filled plant so I guess I named her well. Not her fault, but no stump, still fighting a little rot in a secondary, getting some powdery mildew, has had aphids from the beginning and now a cuke beetle invasion since the cover came off the dome. It has slowed down some but is still keeping pace with the others and is still my biggest. Measurements to be revealed at the MAGPG Patch Tour on August 11th, don't miss it! Sunday, August 12 View Page Yesterday's MAGPG patch tour was a lot of fun and very informative as always, thanks to everyone who came out! If you missed it, you must make it a point to come out next year. It rained at my place right at the beginning of the tour, and then the sun came out so when we entered the dome containing Enid it was like a sauna in there. Here she is on day 48, with an OTT of 326 inches for an estimated weight of 766 lbs. Sunday, August 12 View Page Day 48 for Roseanne was yesterday, I measured her about an hour before the tour arrived. The stump is miraculously still in tact and solid enough to live another day. Cleaned off a few small rotten spots on the main a couple feet up from the stump and they look good today. OTT of 334.75 inches for an estimated weight of 826 lbs. Steady as clockwork and a very resilient plant. Sunday, August 12 View Page Mary Catherine Gallagher, day 48 today. Several members of the tour yesterday were amazed at the size of this pumpkin growing on a plant without a stump. Hopefully I can grow this seed again next year (1080 Hunt) and see what it can do with a stump! It's my new favorite seed. Friday, August 24 View Page These pictures I'm posting tonight are 4 days old, I was too lazy to take new ones today. This is Roseanne on the 275 Van Hook. Day 60 was yesterday with a circ. of 162.75 inches and an OTT of 356.5. The healthiest of my plants, it's pretty and pretty big. But....... Friday, August 24 View Page That deep rib on the right side has a split starting, perpendicular to the rib. I haven't probed it yet, but tonight it's a little bigger and I have a bad feeling about it...... Friday, August 24 View Page Enid on the 1142 Van Kooten, Day 60 today. 157 inch circ., OTT of 343. Estimated weight of 887 lbs., it has really slowed down. This plant is a textbook example of how NOT to control powdery mildew. Friday, August 24 View Page Low and wide. Friday, August 24 View Page The surprise of the day comes from Mary Catherine Gallagher. The beautiful warm weather this week must have boosted her spirits as she is still staying ahead of Roseanne's size. Day 60 was today, 163.5 inch circ., OTT of 358. Estimated weight 1,004 lbs. Friday, August 24 View Page About a week ago, MCG's plant lost everything after the pumpkin except a single side vine to rot in the main. After losing the stump and the first six feet of main a month ago, it's amazing it has gotten this big. Sunday, August 26 View Page It is official as of today, Roseanne's rib split does indeed go all the way through to the cavity. Took a page from Andy Wolf's diary and duct taped over it carefully, but it has probably been all the through for a day or two already. There is certainly mold spores inside so I don't think it will make it 19 more days to the first weigh-off but we'll see. If it does I will at least get a damaged weight. Sunday, September 2 View Page The pinhole split that has turned Roseanne into a damaged pumpkin. Maybe it was the name I gave her that caused her to be doomed. Sunday, September 2 View Page That deep rib was the culprit, along with a minor dill ring intersecting with that rib. A couple of days after I discovered that it went all the way in to the cavity, the main vine exploded with rot so she is now done growing and is off the vine. Final estimated weight is 1,002 lbs. Sunday, September 2 View Page If it somehow stays solid for two more weeks, I might take it to Roba Farms for an official weight, but I won't risk it if I think it might disintegrate on the way there. That would not be fun. Sunday, September 2 View Page Looks like mary Catherine Gallagher will be my biggest this year after all. She still creeps along, day 70 is tomorrow. Sunday, September 16 View Page Here was the lineup yesterday at Roba Family Farms up near Scranton, PA. Got to meet some growers I never met before and had a great time as always. Sunday, September 16 View Page Another shot from the opposite end. Sunday, September 16 View Page From left to right we have Quinn Werner's eventual winner, Jerry Leonard's 1149 (grown off of my 1136 seed), Curt Myers' beauty and my 998.5 which took 7th place. I was very happy to be in the top 10 there this year even though I missed 4 digits by a hair. Glenn Andrews graciously offered to sell me a pound and a half but I didn't take him up on it. I should've whipped out my pruners and asked him where he wanted me to cut it off of! Sunday, September 16 View Page Here is Jerry with the progeny of my 1136. It is exciting that I now have produced two seeds that have grown 1100 pounders. As I go to more weigh-offs, the thing I enjoy the most is talking to all the other growers and seeing the comradery and friendly rivalries they have with one another. Everyone I've met has such a good sense of humor about everything too, which makes for a very fun day! Sunday, December 2 View Page Today began the winter work on the pumpkin patch for 2013. I was going to have a lot of fence repairs to do anyway, but Hurricane Sandy made sure I will be busy this winter. I want to get at least the poles replaced and the chicken wire done around the bottom before we get any snow. The deer fence might wait until spring, there's always the chance of a heavy ice storm here in Feb. or early March so I might as well wait until after that. I'm making several changes to the dome structures too to make the cover last longer. Replacing the bamboo ridge pole with a metal pipe, taking out a bunch of rusty bolts that are doing nothing but rub holes in the row cover as it slides over them and adding a few ropes here and there to stabilize the cover when it is really windy. I am determined to keep the covers in one piece until the end next year. We will see.