Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 195 Entries. Sunday, January 3 View Page Happy New Year, and may everyone land a new PB. I sure have plans on breaking the 1k barrier. Heh. Here is a sproutling of 2008 geraniums out of a planter, volunteer of 2009. Black Velvet Appleblossom times something; it is still in full head bloom, this taken Dec 28th. Nothing like blooming flowers in middle of winter! Sunday, January 3 View Page Thank you, Nick. A few 7.18 N. Harp tomato seeds hitting dirt the day they arrived, 29 Dec. They need to get big and healthy in a hurry, I need to sucker propagate them for sharing plants with the P&T Grower Club and members of the Boise City Garden Club, and others wanting to GROW tonnage for the tomato weighoff in Sept. The "T" in P&T stands for TOMATO :) Sunday, January 3 View Page When you thought you seen everything, negligee dressed seeds. All dressed up for sultry nights and days in the patch to come. They're ready for our Auction on Jan 30th! Yes, you can come loiter. Monday, January 4 View Page Today was real bad news. We took dog to vet because Sun night she really wasn't well... she has a huge spleen and odds are terminal. On the small chance it's something else, we begin the antibiotic and steroid treatment, and she's being spoiled well. This is her in her furrier days, she's a bit thin of coat right now. I don't know what's worse, bringing her home for some spoiling or not. Two months short of 10, our raccoon treeing, kittysister, patch guarding keeshond, Kess. Wednesday, January 13 View Page They turned from little wee threads of green into some robust and furry things. They were on their way to all day sun when I took this picture. 7.18 Harps, looks like germ is very good on these and they're going to make nice tomato plants and be good donors for more plants. And thanks for the advice on chat about stuff we can do at the county fair, you know who you are! :) Sunday, January 17 View Page Two 7.18 Harp, need to move to regular growlight fixture Monday, and the 2.4 Timm 06, popped up Sunday, taken Sunday. Also need to rig a bit of fan to ruffle them and make them grow solid. Dreaming of lucious scalebending plate sized tomatoes :) 4 leaves already, contemplating finding the gallon pots. Yes! Wednesday, January 20 View Page Two 7.18 Harp on left, 2.4 Timm 06 lower right, 2.71 Lovelace upper right. 2.71 just spit seed case and is rolling over today. Still waiting on 2.74 and 2.77 Lovelace and 5.32 Timm. Wednesday, January 20 View Page Posterboy for spring, one of the 7.18 Harp. It had been backfilled to bury stem and under the big growlight bank. It will get an uppot this weekend. About to show it and the other 7.18 some Extreme Blend (extremepumpkinstore.com) at half strength... I'm told I should stand back afterwards. This is definitely my way to keep from going crazier before April! As for the orange things? 689.5 Rebel and 1288 Wallace for sure. Heh. Two more to pick..... Wednesday, January 27 View Page 7.18 Harp, planted 29 Dec and photoed Jan 26th. Going to be uppotted Wednesday and fed some Extreme Blend (see extremepumpkinstore.com). Other one looks very similar. Wednesday, January 27 View Page With a traditional measuring device with different perspective. 7.18 Harp. Some from this same lot are in P&T Grower Club Auction Saturday the 30th. Look for lot 30. The others in that lot have also had one seed started; and all came up readily, looking healthy. These plants are going to be vegetatively propagated and shared locally to support our tomato weighoff Sept 17th. They are also GREAT for dealing with winter blagh and 'is it spring yet' Thursday, January 28 View Page Uppotting, thought it due and indeed it was. Again I left space to fill in these pots once or twice. THEN I had problems getting them under the growlights. Exactly 30 days since I *planted* the seed, 7.18 Harp Thursday, January 28 View Page Rootball of #1 was a little more root, this one is just at nicely filling pot. So it was time. Extreme Blend at half strength to help them settle in... should be a great season even if these are mommyplants for propagating. Friday, February 5 View Page Wednesday the 3rd... it doesn't do THIS ... HERE!!!!!!! White Nitrogen Everywhere. Aaaugh! Friday, February 5 View Page Ptui! It is lovely but I could have settled for mid 80's high and some nice RAIN. I had to deliver on my chore of snow shovelling too... at least it melted nice on Thurs... Friday, February 5 View Page I almost felt Criminal doing this set up. Nobody ever uses the tub in this bathroom anyway, and it's well past a makeover, so. I moved the grow lights from the laundry room shelf, added some daylight and grow bulbs, and put them on chains so I can lift them as things grow. Friday, February 5 View Page They look happy, the later starts are doing fine and a touch leggy, that will get fixed in their impending uppotting. The two 7.18 Harp TREES, seeded 29 Dec. Between the white outside and it being a few months to pumpkin season; these keep me sane. (As sane as an AG grower can be) Sunday, February 7 View Page Taken evening of 2/06/10. 7.18 Harp planted 29 Dec. Talk about tree! Friday, February 12 View Page I packaged some soluable Humic and Kelp, and Extreme Blend; for the Garden Club members on Wednesday. Enough for a pint to a quart of solution mixed, ready to use. I packaged myself some gallon to two gallon shots while I had the stuff out; for spring starting needs. This is one of those 2.5 gallon drinking water containers with spigot. I cut the rear top off, then poured measured quarts of water in and marked it. It's easy now to measure smaller quantities as I need until the REAL season gets here. Sunday, February 14 View Page The 2.71, 2.74, and 2.77 Lovelaces, by no means slouching in the shadow of the TREES (Sequoia and Redwood, the two 7.18 Harp) brought to kitchen for an uppotting. Today was tweak all the plants, cut some back and start more cuttings; lay a few more singlepot starts, and next weekend is the flatstarts. 5.32 Timm stalled in seedcase and bought the compost pile; 2.4 Timm 06 came up but isn't really moving on it. Need to rustle more growbulbs and set up more fluorescent fixtures. Sunday, February 14 View Page Don't know if picture attached to last one. This is the Lovelaces, all healthy happy plants, and they got uppotted and buried to cots. Monday, February 15 View Page 7.18 Harp, being fed Extreme Blend from extremepumpkinstore.com and being pampered. Notice the popcan in the pot? I need to uppot again by this weekend. Suckers are showing all over too. Monday, February 15 View Page One of my yardboys, Newton, showing it's been cold and snowy here lately. He keeps the mice from nesting under pumpkins, and is part of the anti-squirrel patrol. His brother can catch them. Monday, March 1 View Page The 2.71, 2.74, 2.77 Lovelaces, the 2.4 Timm on end. They are all the same age. Tomorrow I have to take every support out and hopefully won't have to rearrange the shelf they're sitting on LOWER because below them are the 7.18 Harps. Monday, March 1 View Page This is not a sucker this is a branching. Monday, March 1 View Page This is a sucker. I had to look carefully, I was looking lower in plant. This was almost too big to harvest. Monday, March 1 View Page I grabbed way down and put a thumbnail lightly to the front and snapped backwards... then had to reverse to get it off. It broke fairly readily and cleanly. Monday, March 1 View Page Picked and paused just long enough to take a picture, then open the clonex bottle (100ml)... that is too robust looking to trim, but... Monday, March 1 View Page Dipped. ~Duane~ strongly suggested the gel, it'd stay stuck to the cutting better. It's PURPLE.... Monday, March 1 View Page Just stuck. It has already had some water poured on and some in pan below it. Mix was premoistened to the two drop stage. Monday, March 1 View Page Trimmed, fully buried, and watered. It is in a pan of water as well for it to finish helping self for 20-30 min, the overhead lighting turned off. It was already starting to wilt, after less than five minutes. It was misted when removed from fillpan. Monday, March 1 View Page From about the 9th. I'll take all the RO-mance I can get. There were four mini roses stuck in this pot, probably from twig stage, and the two nearly white ones are really fragrant. Oh, yeah. The other thing. Yes I'm going greenie too. I have two really top rank pumpkins to grow, the 689.5 Rebel and the 1288 Wallace; can't decide on any more; and have a 731* Huff and a 1236* Vincent-McGill on way, so. I should be closing on new patch in next two weeks, then I can get cracking on the amendments and getting stuff subsoiled. Good grief about six weeks to pumpkins! Thursday, March 18 View Page The recently started Finnish tomatoes. Left three front to back, 1.26 Rinne, then two 1.32 Rinne, two 1.48 Rinne, and two 3.67 Mantyniemi. One Mantyniemi didn't sprout. They are in soak tray and legged a little, will be reburied in a week or two when they get uppotted. I still need to start some Parenty and the 1.26 (pineapple) Rinne, and a few more of the others for direct seeding. Thursday, March 18 View Page This is the 2 7.18 Harps and the 2.71, 2.74 and 2.77 Lovelaces. The reused boxes I did blank the markings off; I use them to lift the plants to the spacing below the growlights that I wish them to be. These five are 'next' in the 2-3 times a week 'water the world' schedule. Tuesday, March 23 View Page It's real. It's mine. This is the important part, the debris pile that is the future patch! Going to snow tomorrow so flotsam dragging commences this weekend. The sheddy thing to the left is a leanto that with a few sistered structural lumber pieces and calf fence, is going to be where long gourds go. One month to plantout, my rear's going to be dragging. WOOOOOOOOOOO! Thursday, March 25 View Page View out my kitchen window... Wed about 7 pm. YEUUUK And, Monday was 73f! Friday, they are offering it will be 70 again. This *is* spring in the Panhandle! Thursday, March 25 View Page This is the view out my front door at the Shop, Closet (storage shed with the ratty leanto on back) and patch to be. This is the west end of the world, patch is on east. That pole almost blocks the garage door, yes. That big quonset is across three lots from east end of patch, summer sun will be overhead and no morning shading to speak of. Yes someone shot out two windows before I bought it, and I have ordered glass. Friday, March 26 View Page Bloomer! Found it last night. Plant is being deep soak watered then that comes off. 2.77 Lovelace has 'tude! Friday, March 26 View Page 2.77 Lovelace, should be uppotted, probably next week. Only looks puny next to the 7.18 Harps. Friday, March 26 View Page Sucker that will be plucked and stuck this weekend, close to 3" right now. As long as the propagation factory is going full speed, going to clone this awesome plant too. 2.77 Lovelace. Tuesday, March 30 View Page Two days. Second pileup, they took one already. The lot literally was knee deep in brush. If city wants to charge for this I'm going to tell them to charge the guy that sold me the property. He could have drug the branches all last fall and winter and this spring instead of leaving me an incredimess. Junk elm that's history, and today I cut some 1" plus (3cm) branches and sap ran. Tuesday, March 30 View Page Side view that mess. This is a city owned lot, the fellow does firewood and stacks some of his product on the city lot as well. We are supposed to stack brush by dumpsters and the city hauls the branches away. Tuesday, March 30 View Page West end, the shop, after some cleanup and getting them to move the dumpster OFF my sidewalk. Inside is wiring issues before we can afford the meter put back on. Then having the plumbing dug and a water meter put in. Then the natural gas. (plus running water and electric to patch) Tuesday, March 30 View Page Building #2, my punkincrap storage shed as soon as I demouse it (have dust control and masks and paintsuit to do that) and deal with some issues like the roof is a joke and some of the floor too. Tuesday, March 30 View Page After removing the knee deep layer of brush I find ANOTHER stump dead center, so I guess Mr. Backhoe is going to come do my subsoiling when he comes to dig that stump out (probably $300... sigh). Most of the rest of the stumpage isn't bad but. I now have about 3-4 car trailers of other cra... to scrape out of there. Stuff that was UNDER the brush. Tuesday, March 30 View Page One for Duchess' better half. That is the air compressor housing/shed for the body shop to the north. They are happy to let me have that 10' along north side that's fenced to grow in, as long as they can have free access to this at any time. I will fence accordingly. Tuesday, March 30 View Page NE looking SW. Still pretty daunting. Just got a DR trimmer to whack those grey things (mostly dead tumbleweeds) and begin picking/raking stuff out of there. Did Don Y and Ron W and Christy H get started this way????? (that is not my house, I live across street to the right) All this for pumpkins?!?!?!?!? and the clock is ticking, I have just over 2 weeks to filing seeds! Monday, April 5 View Page I held a pot party Sunday on the back deck. I invited a bunch of tomatoes... rightmost are 3 1.26 Rinne, next over are 2 1.32 Rinne and a 1.48 Rinne, a 1.48 Rinne in the tray by itself, and 2 3.67 Mantyniemi... Monday, April 5 View Page The clones... just stuck 6 7.18 Harp and 1 2.71 Lovelace. Dead center one is the Lovelace, the most lit up one. Ran out of daylight, need to do the 2.74 and 2.77 Monday. The one on the way right was the one I showed earlier dipping and sticking, the 7.18 Harp. It is showing new growth, it took. It lost a few leaves but it came around! Wednesday, April 7 View Page Yesterday and today, working to get utilities hooked up at the shop. NO power or water right now, the only natural gas is because I had beans for lunch... since there's no power on, it took handsaw, chisel driven by grunt and the like to get the 2x4's cut to hold the backer for the 200 amp service panel. It was installed behind me, and has had two coats of paint. Tomorrow is hang the box, hook up the circuit wires and call the electrician to do the pole to mast and mast to meter-can and meter-can to service box work. I get to wire in the greenhouse and patch from the main; into their own sub panel boxes... I think it'll be Friday before the lights come on. Suffering Better Half was photographer. Thursday, April 8 View Page You might be a redneck grower, if you have to take body hammers to your building skin... needed to erase where someone whonked the building panel where the electric meter goes. I want to be ready for electrician by tomorrow afternoon. Sunday, April 11 View Page See I started to rake off patch by hand because bobcat didn't come Friday... and there was this tree that was annoying (see by fourth leaned over post). So I stopped and got the little 'shark tooth' hand saw and whapped it off. I even got some of it FLAT.... Sunday, April 11 View Page Big piece of that tree. Yes I cut that with a hand saw and back cut to give relief and everything. I had two that looked like that, plus... Sunday, April 11 View Page Stumper at NE corner. That square chunk of lumber wears a 5 gallon pail barely. Sunday, April 11 View Page Other big stumper bits donated to woodburning neighbor. Chainsaws are for wusses, I hand ripped this. Sunday, April 11 View Page Robin I found UNDER tumbleweeds UNDER the lower branches of the big mid fence tree. Sunday, April 11 View Page Bigger of the 7.18 Harp plants with a stuffie VeggieBob (tm) est 8# tomato (if it was made of 'mater it tapes that much by the Meisner book chart) Sort of put it in perspective about big plant makes big maters... Sunday, April 11 View Page I know why I hurt... but, needed to be done, for a patch the less treeshade the better. Neighbor's mature beautiful blooming Bradford Pear. Spring is here! Sunday, April 11 View Page Tonight it's just 'maters; patch is windrowed and waiting for bobcat and the hauler truck on Mon. This is the 2.74 Lovelace and some of the 1.26 Rinne enjoying the last evening light. Sunday, April 11 View Page THIS is the 2.74 Lovelace and the 1.26 Rinne. Previous is one of the 7.18 Harp plants! Sunday, April 11 View Page Two back ones are 3.67 Mantyniemi and with those is a 1.48 Rinne. Other tray is 2 1.32 Rinne and another 1.48 Rinne. Sunday, April 11 View Page The 7.18 Harps are FINALLY suckering decently. Planted 12/29/09, they are finally making babies all over. Glad I started that early. And it looks like it takes 2-4 weeks, closer to 4, to get a sturdy clone. Sigh. I will be making a new sucker clone crop Monday. Sunday, April 11 View Page 2.77 Lovelace and a sucker... look at that leaf, too. This plant is probably going to be the one that goes the distance for me, it's been seriously impressive in growth and structure. Monday, April 12 View Page Business first. This cost, three came out and worked for about 5 hours. They had to install a new ground, the mast took awhile, and so did putting the rest. Yes there's an assortment of plugs, for wheeling stuff nearby such as the big air compressor or the welder, to use. Lots more rewiring to do yet. I shudder to see the bill, there's serious copper hooked to this. Been promised Tuesday the power company will bring the meter. Monday, April 12 View Page 7.18 Harp, 2.77 Lovelace, 7.18 Harp and 2.71 Lovelace (L to R) and the 2.74 Lovelace on table with Rinne's and Mantyniemi's Monday, April 12 View Page 2.74 Lovelace, 7.18 Harp clone cut and stuck 1 Mar; 1.26 Rinne's Monday, April 12 View Page 3.67 Mantyniemi with a 1.48 Rinne, upper right tray, 1.48 Rinne with 2 1.32 Rinne. All need to see serious amounts of Extreme Blend again. [Extremepumpkinstore has the best stuff!] Friday, April 16 View Page Camera batteries in charger so all I have is before lunch mayhem of Thurs... this is the third time the electric co guy showed to do the power from pole to meter and put on meter for the building. We got .70 the night before. He had to stop AT the dip in the alley and sunk 20000# of truck, double duallies into it. A vector change to forward and 15-20 feet and he'd had it all done in a snap. Friday, April 16 View Page He hadda call the wrecker, who rent the building next to mine, btw; and said the tow fee was going to be really bad.. being able to tease the electric co guy for two weeks! Friday, April 16 View Page Good to go. Now I had some really nifty pics including second truck that showed up and two guys up in buckets doing the wire-up, and. Company policy does not allow publishing of pictures of their employees at work without written corporate permission. :( TOWING their trucks OUT however, wasn't--working. Friday, April 16 View Page Official. The amount you can read is what plugging in one 4' double bulb fluorescent fixture for a minute to check power was flowing. I spent more time dragging over the growlight setup and moved plants out, got the heater in there and strung the plastic. People were slowing down after dark to rubberneck, first time in YEARS there's been lights on in there. Saturday, April 17 View Page Today's fun project, fix up temp quarters for the plants. Typical insulated steel building, they put a mesh on it, then the insulation, then the steel sheet outer skin. Doing a low tech improvise with what I have around... prepping. Saturday, April 17 View Page Step one, tuck plastic behind the mesh. It gathers a little but, get some around that wire. Sunday, April 18 View Page Step two, take some of that cardboard carefully cut up, and fold and stick over plastic and wire. This is to reinforce so plastic doesn't tear. Sunday, April 18 View Page Step three, staple. Yes that is a regular desk stapler. I had to push HARD with a finger under the strike plate usually... and feel to see that they came through. I made sure I had two that were holding per strip. Space fairly close together and they will distribute the weight of the sheet so it doesn't rip away. 4 mil plastic. At the corners where I turned from across to down, I had some spacing of every wire instead of every 3 or so. Sunday, April 18 View Page About 8 feet wide, 8 feet high, and 20 feet long. Smaller space to heat so can keep it a little warmer at night without going broke. Think of it as an indoor greenhouse, I built it inside a building. The permanent one I want to build will be five feet wider and five feet longer... enough to do LOTS. Pumpkins will go here as soon as they get the cots going. Monday, April 19 View Page Air layering a tomato plant. I chose a sucker that a 7.18 Harp snuck on me and was far too big to snap/clonex/stick, here it is magically vertical instead of 70 degrees over. It is over a foot tall. Monday, April 19 View Page My supplies included, surgical implement, properly moistened potmix, twistie, clonex, a small stick to smear clonex around, and a plastic donor. Monday, April 19 View Page I chose a place and made a cut about 1/3 into the stem, I could have slanted it more but cutting with razorblade in a tough tomato stem can be a problem. I put a little pressure to make sure the cut would stay slightly open. Monday, April 19 View Page Prepping plastic and 'dirt poultice' to put on the stem. I trimmed a little on plastic and removed a little dirt on the 'under', then put this to the cut side and twisted the bottom end on. I could and did add more potmix to encase the stem, as you will see. The bottom fasten is as close to the sucker joint as possible. Monday, April 19 View Page If you look at this as a 'face' with an eye and a 'nose' between the eye and nose you can just barely imagine the purple of the clonex gel. I took a bit of the dowel, dipped it in the gel, and smeared it into and around the cut. I then added more potmix and proceeded to finish the job. Monday, April 19 View Page Wrap finished and fastened at top with twistie. Make sure it is sealed and snug without being too tight. I use clear plastic so I can see roots. I expect in a week to see white roots, then I can sever at the sucker joint, carefully take plastic and twisties off, and pot up the new plant. Monday, April 19 View Page Mantyniemi and Rinne, crop, M's are a little sturdier, R's are a little taller. All are about to meet Mr. Fan again for their daily calistethics and have some more Extreme Blend to Buff Up. These are going to be direct plant plants, no being mama plants in between. Monday, April 19 View Page First blooms I have found on the 7.18 Harp. 16 weeks old. They are some huge plants. When I put pumpkins out I am going to put at least one Harp MamaPlant over and bury a bunch of stem, in a hoop with heat cable and see if I can convince it to go for the guts/glory/greatness/BIGGUN! Monday, April 19 View Page 20 feet from where the camera is to that far wall, and 8 feet wide. I need to get the rest of the lights strung and plants under them as well, 6-7 hrs of daylight helps but won't be enough until I can start relocating things out. Flats that need uppotting are still coming from the house too. The Best Is Yet To Grow! Monday, April 26 View Page My Suffering Better Half asking me if he's doing it right, filing his seed. (catching up my diary here) He is sheperding the 275 Van Hook, under my eagle eye.... Monday, April 26 View Page This thing has taken 11 days to get here, all of them did this. I chose dirt sprout this year... and I had to sneeze a little and didn't know I blurred it until editing. At least hubby will keep his nose out of pot now, it's out of ground and greening. Tuesday, April 27 View Page My own. Hoping it has the long barrely shape of mom and gets the orange of dad. Tuesday, April 27 View Page Greenie, the green anvil Erin grew. Was up same time as mine. Those were the first two to FINALLY stir. Tuesday, April 27 View Page I decided to move 1236* Vincent McGill to back up and go with the 666* Horton... Tuesday, April 27 View Page The 1288 Wallace. I really want to cross this with my 689.5 .. and I have beat the odds, it did roots and the cots are finally greening, a few more days and it should do the job. Backup waiting to be filed is 1059.5 Hooker 08... but. Tuesday, April 27 View Page Work done in the shop, starting to look civil. We dubbed it the Wall-H(a)ll(a) project, it's coming together. Tuesday, April 27 View Page The 25th, lilac full bloom, wish this tree was a lot bigger and a lot more of them. Where I grew up bloom season is a month later... so to me this heralds spring (as tonight and morning, 26th and am 27th has frost warning) Springtime in the Panhandle Tuesday, April 27 View Page mmmm I love lilacs... also taken the 25th Tuesday, April 27 View Page Just what I needed to find AFTER I took the humidity dome off the bouganvilla cutting and watered it, a nearly grown brown widow. I just replaced all my spider traps and yes a few were... occupied. Tuesday, April 27 View Page The 1288 Wallace, and yes, this and the rest were filed on the eve of April 15th... last crop I dirt sprout! It has beaten the odds... Tuesday, April 27 View Page 689.5 Rebel, it was the first one up. Tuesday, April 27 View Page 275 Van Hook, one very watched sproutie. Tuesday, April 27 View Page The Greenie Anvil, 731.5 Huff Tuesday, April 27 View Page 666* Horton, other greenie... Tuesday, April 27 View Page Air Layer of a huge sucker on 7.18 Harp. Look just below and left of center, you can see three rooties. Next shot, the other side.... Tuesday, April 27 View Page At the arrow is where the sucker joins the plant. I carefully surgically cut this with a single edged razor blade about where the sucker would snap off. Tuesday, April 27 View Page Other side not easily visible,wowzie. Tuesday, April 27 View Page Unwrapped, look at those rooties. It's ready to plant! Tuesday, April 27 View Page New tomato plant, air layered 7.18 Harp, about to be potted. Tuesday, April 27 View Page Potted up and a stick added to hold it up. Process a great success. Tuesday, April 27 View Page If you page back you can find where I set up this layering. Meanwhile here is the second clone crop, plucking and sticking, of Harps and Lovelaces, some of them. Crop #3 is still under dome and looks to be 10 Harp and 5-8 Lovelace for this coming weekend's final harvest. Tuesday, April 27 View Page Rinne on left, some of crop #3 clones, more Mantyniemi and Rinne on right. They need uppotting like Wednesday. Tuesday, April 27 View Page 74 Joynson Marrow. Gonna show them what a marrow is around here. Also planted another six watermelons, and cleaned out the sprouter. Will attempt to start the long gourd seeds next week. Wednesday, April 28 View Page What kind of buggie year will it be? Baaaaad! I found this sweetheart in the future greenhouse frame on the shop/patch property. She overwintered. Usually you see them this big in Oct not April. Oh yeah she ate half a can of green raid too right after this. Wednesday, April 28 View Page Rake end for scale. I was pulling the cardboard insulation shreds out of the tin skinned building and found her in the SW corner. This is about as big as a female will get and I bet she was about to lay eggs. Who needs patch security when you have these all over? I am expecting a bumper crop out there this year again... and this is the size one I don't want to get bit by! Wednesday, April 28 View Page 1288 Wallace. If it wasn't a seed with potential (right Don) and so few germed from the reports... I wouldn't be holding my breath. This one might have the 1059.5 Hooker 08 started to replace it yet... Wednesday, April 28 View Page 689.5 Rebel, and yes the entire batch are showing first leaf already. Since patch is switched back to the back yard, it's not ready yet but these are in BIG nursery pots to give me a few days leeway. Wednesday, April 28 View Page 275 Van Hook. This just became somebody's screensaver (not mine) Wednesday, April 28 View Page 731.5* Huff, ain't it cute? Wednesday, April 28 View Page The 666* Horton greenie, definitely showing first leaf! Wednesday, April 28 View Page 141 Moore Watermelon (Go Wayne Go) right after seedcase surgery. Those Moores are rarin' to grow. Saturday, May 1 View Page Row of 7.18 Harp and a few 2.xx Lovelace clones... Sunday, May 2 View Page 275 Van Hook ... what in the (bleep)? Sunday, May 2 View Page Checking deep, not sure if it's a split first, first and second, or doubled first. Another day or two will tell. If it is truely doubling I told my Suffering Better Half we'll grow it for pollen and he can pick another seed from backup to grow. Sunday, May 2 View Page Collected all the seed stuff together, needs a good sort and go back to freezer for some of it. Run to get more Metro Mix 300 Monday so by Tuesday can clean up and get on with life (weed, water, pray) Monday, May 3 View Page Long Gourds! Thanks to everyone that grew, and everyone that supplied me, with 53 seeds!!! Last year I was 0:17 so this year I have a chance. I hope. I asked lots of bodies, took lots of notes... Monday, May 3 View Page Victim, 80.3 K..can't spell it (sorry at this hour) and a dog toenail file. Has coarser and finer and coarser works wonderful for filing seeds! Monday, May 3 View Page Little ears. I was told to clip them off or remove them. So... Monday, May 3 View Page No more ear. Then I took the other one off and filed along one side/edge. Monday, May 3 View Page Even a '129' Vincent "Pear Gourd" it is a kingkong sized looking long gourdish seed. Give it a file.... Monday, May 3 View Page Soup! Soaking and they can all go in together, saves wasting styrofoam cups. I am normally eco-green but these are the best alternative to cheap pots for giveaway plants, that can be easily removed without hurting roots. This cup will get drainage holes and be recycled into a plant pot. Monday, May 3 View Page Sproutenator loaded. Double layer of paper towelling cut to fit, small ID tags laid with the seeds. I then put a double layer of toweling OVER this and add the water by measure, carefully. I have learned exactly how much is not enough or is too much... Monday, May 3 View Page Blotter over and 3 measuring tablespoons plus four drops distributed over everything and a little finger skooshing to make sure it all soaks around even. Monday, May 3 View Page Bought after Christmas with candy in it for a serious discount FOR THE BOX. (My Suffering Better Half loves hazelnut so he helped empty it for me) This works better than baggies, easier access. When opening it, I have to be careful to tap the condensation off and drip it back onto the toweling is all. Monday, May 3 View Page Tucked in in between the DVD player and the VCR, and stuff on both sides (not really visible) to keep it at about 90F. Vents on the equipment are not blocked. My computer now has a flatscreen not a CRT monitor so I can't bake them up there anymore with a used big bubble on top to keep them toasty. Without the side thingys, it stays about 87-88F just fine. Monday, May 3 View Page Taken Sunday 2 May... in all it's green splendor, one fat sassy 1288 Wallace! Go Sproutie Go! Monday, May 3 View Page The 275 Van Hook Monday night. Two firsts and a second down there, another day or two and we'll see if it's twinning. DANG if it is doing this so small! 7 days since it was de-seedcased. Monday, May 3 View Page How big? The 689.5 Rebel 09, growing like a weed. I purposely started in BIG pots to give some leeway on going in ground and I am SO glad I did. Major bouts of illness here, slowing things down... sigh. Gonna earn that 1k this year! Monday, May 3 View Page 1288 Wallace. That puny sickly looking anemic thing that came out of that dubious seedcase... Gonna live up to that Big W name. Tuesday, May 4 View Page This is a Lil'Big Deluxe Pixie Crunch Apple, planted this spring. The first one was broken in transit, this is the replacement, and compared to the first one they sent, this is three times the tree. It is going to bloom! The holder is because the fruit cn weigh so much the tree will break. It is supposed to produce full sized apples on a 6' tall tree and second year after planting. My decorative green fence front yard shade trees also have to give me something in return so I picked certain fruit trees... this is an expensive little darling, looks like it's living up to the hype. Tuesday, May 4 View Page Last year's expensive fancy tree, a Columnar Apple. These get 4-7 feet high and will stay about 2' in diameter. Again producing full sized fruit. It is the 'other variety' needed to help the Pixie Crunch set. One of these varieties is small enough to patio pot, this one is a little bigger (Golden Sentinel) and will give me baking apples, supposedly 30-50 full sized when it matures. The Pixie Crunch, 90-110 full sized, very sweet and crisp eaters. Enough not to be thoroughly SICK of apples when they come in (Aug-Sept) Friday, May 7 View Page >>>>>We Interrupt This Spring To Bring You A *SPECIAL BULLETIN*<<<<< Long Gourd Sprout!!!!!!!!! 126.25 Jutras! My record of NO Long Gourd starts has just fallen with a resounding Crash!There is much rejoicing-it has been lovingly tucked into a gallon pot to finish the job. WEEHOOHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you EVERYONE that put up with me and my inane questions. Others are a local grower's first picks (they filed, I sprouted & potted today, they get them Monday) and a PEAR GOURD that I got in a promo and decided to try. Long Gourds are GO this year..........YEAH! Friday, May 7 View Page 275 Van Hook. It is doing it again for second set of leaves if you look closely. I think it is going to have to go to the compost heap... has anyone else ever had twinning/ribboning vines this early? Friday, May 7 View Page Other cloning/twig work... bouganvilla, almost six weeks to the day, decided to quit the droop and push up and into the 2 liter bottle/dome put over it. So Clonex works for more than tomatoes. This really did pout and look lousy for the entire run... Friday, May 7 View Page Tuesday picture... the Lil'Big Pixie Crunch apple tree that got broken off in shipping. I decided to plant it anyway, and it started and put on a bloom cluster (so did the replacement one they sent). This little thing looked pretty sad for a 'deluxe' tree too; it might make it after all. [and a major thanks to the nursery, they took one look at the broken picture I sent and replaced it] Friday, May 14 View Page This is being the (deleted) bug capitol of the universe! I know this isn't full grown, I found it in some old plastic sheeting I cleaned up, and that is true to color. Yes I found it in the OK panhandle. What the bleep is it? From the side when it crouches, it has same profile as a black widow, but I know it's NOT. Friday, May 14 View Page Brave me, it just sat there. My finger is exactly 1/2" wide at the cuticle line. What kind is it? Monday, May 17 View Page Mater Plant Part/growth ID.. this is a fork, notice no bulbing like a sucker will. Monday, May 17 View Page Leaf, top, cut off branch, bottom. I am going to try clone/stick the branch. Leaves I have tried and they will not propagate. Monday, May 17 View Page Yes this is branching and a leaf. Weird looking, courtesy of a 7.18 Harp. Monday, May 17 View Page Baby suckers at base of plant at base of oldest leaves. Remove any sucker below 18" as you will eventually clean out all the low leaves anyway, on a competition tomato; unless you WANT to propagate suckers. They take energy away from the main plant. Monday, May 17 View Page Bloomlets and a sucker. Remove bloomlets in poor places or too early in season. Yes plant will make more flowers. Monday, May 17 View Page Two suckers at the base of leaf stems. That thing lower left at base of plant is a leaf not a sucker, going away from stem and almost behind it. Monday, May 17 View Page Yes, sucker. It can go. Monday, May 17 View Page One more cute little sucker. Optimal length to break off and propagate is 4 inches. Much smaller than a healthy 3 inches, and they don't make it; much bigger than 5 and you have other issues to deal with. I have had some close to a foot before I realized it, and air layering is a better choice in that case if you want to clone it. Monday, May 17 View Page Ominous. Growers live by takeout, and in this case boiled hotdogs (doggiesoup).... Patch season is here! Monday, May 17 View Page Time: the past week. Place: 2009 Patch (hubby relented about using yard for 2010) The Glow Of Things That Grow... the future of Orange Tonnage to come! Thursday, May 20 View Page Miika, I see your 'mater.... Thursday, May 20 View Page ...and raise you a... mater. Thursday, May 20 View Page That was a 1.32 Rinne, btw, that bloomed in pot and I let it go... Here's where our season is at right now, a Sorbet Peony, one of the first buds open. Thursday, May 20 View Page And somewhere in a hoop, in the OK panhandle... a vine is down... Sunday, June 6 View Page Not my picture, but fits the event. First major storm that is an impending direct hit with serious hail; and hubby's first 'bad weather call'. He had to get up and go to patch and help batten hatches and cover his plant-he got to sit in a chair and hold the folded tarps for me until I put them on each temporary cover rig to keep hail from making shredded salad. Serious lightning storm to west about 10 miles as I type this post and closing. Oh, hope if it does hail it kills the squash bugs. I have killed three in the house today and squirted bugdeath before dark...! Tuesday, June 8 View Page "I'm dreaming of big orange pun-kins, bigger than the ones I grew last year... where the trophys glisten and people listen to hear this ol grower yell (at the number).."* They're heading over to be scrubbrushed and powerwashed into prime bibs to go under this year's tonnage. (*to the tune of White Christmas!) Tuesday, June 8 View Page One of my other loves, semperviviums; this one strung out and BLOOMED all over, the tag is the nursery tag off the mama plant. That is one of several streamers that came off the 4" square potful. Tuesday, June 8 View Page Somewhere in the panhandle this lil'feller is peeking over the windbreak... gotta love telephoto lenses for closeups. Wednesday, June 9 View Page I have a couple of maters, and a few melons, that I can plant back in. I think hubby's plant might come back. I had a neighbor's half grown puppy come visit without permission and he had a blast in my nice soft patch. I think tonight I am going to retire with my favorite tonsil rinse and PRAY it looks better tomorrow. Those weeds are gone too, actually, that was where the tomatoes ended up. I still got Long Gourds, and had some more 141 Moores and a couple of little clones of different competition maters. Miika, Salsaboy, I have more incentive than ever! Friday, June 25 View Page About 12:15 am Fri morning, our beloved dog laid down beside me while I was computing and went to the big green yard upstairs. She wasn't quite 10 1/2. The two hardest things were waking my hubby up to tell him, and carrying her out to the garage for tonight. Wednesday, June 30 View Page Official, scale arrived Tuesday. NTEP standard, trade certifable, 2000# by .5# and we can move it with a forklift if needed. The readout is small, is the only issue, we are looking into if we can put a larger display onto this unit to show up better. Thursday, July 15 View Page Where have I been? Tending watermelons, maters, and weeding, and dealing with 100F plus days and having my water off at the house because of a hydrant repair. Here is the reason why after days of digging we finally gave up and called the plumber. That is a tree root section that was against the water main/hydrant connection. This is before the water gets to the house... and you do not want to know about the mud/rock/waterpressure issues that are slated to be addressed NEXT week... or a month of water saga. Thursday, July 15 View Page After 4 months, at the shop and future (2011) patch; the city has put in the meter, it is attached to the 3" feeder off the 8" city main, and still needs hooking into the 1" shop feed. Plumber had esophageal cancer, finishing up his treatments, and I would rather have him healthy. Another three months to frost, I have time. Thursday, July 15 View Page Sorry Phil, I know you picked me for 2010, but this is my crop for pumpkins. Tomatoes have a few greenlets, need to trim a few; and I had a set on the 80.3 Fiedler watermelon but it came off today. Too hot. Miika, Salsaboy, I'm still gunning for you! 1.32 Rinne is going well and a 2.77 Lovelace. Hope Everyone Else is Growing PB's! Thursday, July 22 View Page 80.3 Fiedler x 141 Moore... It took! I have something attached to a vine to dote on, FINALLY ! ! ! Elsewhere house plumbing is still wonky and the water meter is still waiting to be attached to the shop plumbing. Being quite a year. Miika, Salsaboy, still gunning for you, got some sets started on 1.32 Rinne and 2.77 Lovelace... 7.18 Harp have shown some blooms but won't set. Yet. Saturday, August 14 View Page Miika, Salsaboy! I still have a pony (mater) in the race! Actually several, this is the 1.32 Rinne. The plant has two on it, this is the more civil looker, the fugly has other issues and may get trimmed yet. You better be growing! Saturday, August 14 View Page The 2.77 Lovelace two. They should be done mid to late Sept, in time for our own weighoff. It will probably get one culled, I'll have to see... only one megabloom took, these are singlebloomers. Saturday, August 14 View Page My Microwatermelon on the 80.3 Fiedler. It's still alive. Even if it doesn't get past tennis ball if it hangs in another month I WILL enter it in the fair just because. Daddy is 141 Moore, so if I get a seed it has good parents. Saturday, August 14 View Page End of July, FINALLY the glass guys came and the windows got installed. The two big ones on the left. The two biggest panes on the right, they brought me glass and I reframed and replaced both cracked panels myself. I still have one to go in the garage door on the side. Looks much better! Saturday, August 14 View Page This was Thurs Aug 12th, pretty much steady dump of rain for 4 hours and last hour was Ark level dumping (for here). 1.4" in 4 hours, last inch was in about half an hour. This is about 20 min after the rain edge went over, it was past ankle deep. This is the fourth of four good rains we've had in about two weeks, and this is when we get a lot of our rain for the year.... we won't be declared drought because of it. Now we won't see much except a few snow attempts and until about March... Saturday, August 14 View Page Last of what I'm up to, making an award ribbon. Ruffler didn't want to cooperate so I had to run this one by hand on my ol' faithful Singer. They hit the box and the mail on the 9th, this was the 6th... I miss all that weeding. 2011 is another season! Thursday, August 19 View Page I am in Red Hats and we have a SecretPal present exchange. I have the best one ever this year, tonight I got one of these, and YES I've wanted to get one! I'll wear it at our pumpkin weighoff until I get awarded the skunkhat, which I will also wear with pride. I still have four 'maters and a competition microwatermelon. Friday, August 20 View Page Okay Salsaboy, I'm making it easy for you to start out. Behold the .34 Rebel 10, first one off the 1.32 Rinne 09. Yes I culled this one. The other one is more symmetrical but gods it's gaining tonnage. C'mon Miika, get the grow on! Sunday, August 22 View Page Same watermelon as published 22 July. 35 day old fruit on 80.3 Fiedler (father 141 Moore). It is growing yet, it is the world's smallest competition watermelon, and if it makes it another 22 days, going to go to the county fair! Sunday, August 22 View Page This is representative of my 3rd year quince, biggest and smallest fruit. It has eight and I hope to get enough for a pie or some preserves. Biggest is about store apple size. Sunday, August 22 View Page My peaches. I have about a bushel across the tree, these are about what they look like. A few branches have needed propping and I will need a ladder to get up to some. This is 4th year tree. Our last frost snap was before it bloomed not after so crop came in good. They are still quite green/hard. Sunday, August 22 View Page Fourth year grape vine, showing a fraction of what it's hiding. This year I'm going to vint them, so picking as soon as I have stuff ready. The green grape I let go to red blush, that one will be eaten, and the third green grape put on about 2 grapes. This is the future front yard pergola natural cover.... Thursday, August 26 View Page Reasons to come visit Beautiful Boise City OK, Sat Oct 16th. GPC ribbon is unawarded from 2009 weighoff, used to show scale. Been busy using up my 'leftover' ribbon stash. Yellow thing is a yardstick.... Five State Cimarron is on my mind as is The Tomato Weighoff in 3 weeks... Thurs Sept 16th. Heh. Sunday, August 29 View Page I give you the 43 day old, 0.2 Rebel 10 UOW DMG watermelon. Mother is the 80.3 Fiedler (and I'll put on the skunk hat and brown paper bag with airhole now) Actually the 0.18125# but... closest rounding I think means it can be claimed as 0.2.. if it would be rounded to 0.1 let me know. Vitals: 7.5"CC, 5.5"EE (measured to ground), 5.875" SS. Total 18.875" OTT Next pic is documenting damage... Sunday, August 29 View Page This is the top side that had shown cracking a few days ago. It had been carefully tucked with some shade, but. It cracked to seed cavity today. You can see a seed in the crack. It is in fridge, I will cut it open after it chills to see if there are seeds AND if it's not raunchy, taste if it's ripe. I'm down to three maters. What a year. Sunday, August 29 View Page The 0.2 Rebel 10 UOW DMG, smelled right. Had a nibble, would be really good if a bit riper. Nice N sweet. That is on a saucer plate. Sunday, August 29 View Page Yep, seeds. 18 plus one white, and a half a seed still stuck to rind. Sunday, August 29 View Page And there they are. I swore I'd grow it if I got seeds... well it might be the best cross ever despite the runty packaging. Once I got through rooting through the pulp, all I had was watermelon scented and flavored mushy juice. Sigh. Saturday, September 4 View Page Enough of the sandbag stacking in my honor, please. This is what I have. Thank you for that encouragement though, that I'm still in the game. Between health and other issues after the vines went, I need to get a brush hog and reclaim the yard. There is nothing hiding in those weeds other than ticks. I look forward to 2011; and the impending The Tomato Weighoff Sept 16th; and the Five States Cimarron Weighoff Sat. Oct 16th. I'm hoping we have a pumpkin at the latter. I do know we have some area tomatoes if they make it. Thursday, September 9 View Page The 1.26 J.Smith 10 DMG ... it got fingernailed during picking. Rather pretty in person, lovely translucency to color, and very delicate of hide. She came to brag and I said we need to document it. Yes Bryan, it was measured as well. She's got another in a sling, hope that one makes it, it's bigger than this. Thursday, September 9 View Page The J.Smith was 15.75 CC, this is the B.Smith, a peek at it in sling. It taped about 16.5" before the skeeter chewed me and I dropped the tape. I am babysitting plant this weekend and hope it will make it to the weighoff next week. Thursday, September 9 View Page Bottom of the 1.26 J.Smith 10 DMG. If it hadn't been for a couple of fingernailings, this is still a sweet looking mater. Thursday, September 16 View Page The winner of The Tomato Weighoff held Sept 16th in Boise City. Rev Bill Smith with his 1.81 B.Smith 10, grown off the 1.32 Rinne (x open). That expression says it all! Congratulations to all twenty three entries, the data is in the GPC tomato list. Will post more tomorrow! Friday, September 17 View Page Here is a quick shot of all of The Tomato Weighoff ribbons at the shop before I packed them Wednesday the 15th. There is a little variation between and within the series because of a shortage of ribbon (NEVER trust a factory sealed roll's stated length EVER). Saturday, September 25 View Page Paul, sorry, they turned light colored after they dried. They most definitely are descended of the 80.3 Fiedler. Monday, November 8 View Page Tis the season, falalalala-lalalala....um, I need an adult beverage or six too. Auction in December, the supplies arrived today. Thank You everyone that said I could send you a bubble! Excuse my handwriting. Is it March yet? Wednesday, December 1 View Page Nifty Sparkfun Electronics order, 6" high alpha display units. Got six so I have one 'oops' and going to make an auxillary scale readout you can SEE for the P&T Grower Club Scale. They want way way way too much for the commercial units so doing a little DIY. I did source some 12" for 5x the price each, and that place claimed up to 21" available... um yeah um... so anyway, one thing to keep idle hands and soldering irons busy this winter. Going to mount right into the tally board I think. Friday, December 10 View Page Chaos Central. Hope tonight goes well!