Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 44 Entries. Saturday, April 7 View Page Im trying a new material on my hoops this year. I've covered them with remay or floating row cover. I stole this Idea from the Pumpkin Shepherd. It gives the young seedlings protection and a little extra warmth without me having to be there every morning to vent the hoops. The ends have plastic that I can roll down for access to the plants Friday, April 27 View Page The patch is looking great! Friday, April 27 View Page The patch is looking great! This time with it straight. Friday, April 27 View Page Have done a few patch soaks with these products. Fish (organic Gem) Carbon(humic) Molasses Agri-gro Ignite Agri gro Biostimulant Saturday, April 28 View Page Got my Water lines down. I skipped the third one in to try and avoid having a line right under the stump area. Sunday, April 29 View Page I like these. My only concern is they might not hold enough heat in. Sunday, May 6 View Page With the days nice and the nights cold, I thought some heat was in order. My circuit cant handle 3 ceramic heaters so heat bulbs will have to do. I didn't want the heat/light directed at the plant so I attached this thermodynamic infrared radiant heat shields...nice Sunday, May 6 View Page I went to the patch after dark to see if the timers were working and to see if the lamps were heating the hoops...Check Sunday, May 6 View Page I could see these from over a mile away...lol Monday, May 7 View Page On another note, my growing partner is using doung mounds to plant his seedlings. It actually makes perfect sense. The mound will heat up faster, stay warmer, stay well drained and with the plant down in the counter-sink, the plant is slightly more protected. However, the best advantage of the doung mound is that the seedling virtually has no where to "lay down" as the main vine forms, it is met with the slope from the counter sink. the vine actually has to grow "up hill" and then back down the other side of the slope...Heavy Addicted! Monday, May 7 View Page On another note, my growing partner is using doung mounds to plant his seedlings. It actually makes perfect sense. The mound will heat up faster, stay warmer, stay well drained and with the plant down in the counter-sink, the plant is slightly more protected. However, the best advantage of the doung mound is that the seedling virtually has no where to "lay down" as the main vine forms, it is met with the slope from the counter sink. the vine actually has to grow "up hill" and then back down the other side of the slope...Heavy Addicted! Hopefully with picture right side up this time Sunday, May 13 View Page I hope I get to experience this again this year! Wednesday, June 6 View Page Had a really bad start this season. Especially with such high expectations, any little hiccup in the plan is really dissapointing. The plants just wouldnt get going and I had some really yellow leaves. Saturday, June 30 View Page I had some disease issues this year. We lost half the patch and I started to throw stuff at them to see if I could slavage a season. Saturday, June 30 View Page I was throwing everything I had at them Tuesday, July 24 View Page Here's the melon I have going on the 291 Kent. Its the best one I have going. I have 2 smaller ones on the 239 Leonard beside it. Dont know which one to cut off. Friday, July 27 View Page 1404 Bryson Lost my main vine pollinations and had to go with this one on a secondary. Friday, July 27 View Page 1495 Stelts X 1404 Bryson I cut off an earlier pollination that I thought was just too close and went with this one. Will probably go with the closer one in the future Friday, July 27 View Page 1249.8 Matesa Im trying a new vine pattern on this one. Not sure if I like it or not? Friday, July 27 View Page This is basically the vine pattern I'm trying this year. I'm basing it on the fractal patterns we see in nature,especially the Pumpkin leaf. I ended up with a main vine and one secondary on each side for the first 10 feet that I trained into a christmas tree pattern filled in with tertiaries and hacked off all the other side vines until around the pollination area. I then grew out the secondaries right before and after the pumpkin. This basically gave me 3 Christmas tree vines on one plant. Tuesday, August 28 View Page This is the 1495 stelts under it's orange blanket. Starting to get chili at night. Sunday, September 2 View Page I lost my early pollination on the 1404 Bryson and I snapped the main vine right before my next promising one. I had to go with this one a side vine. I'm quite happy with the color and the shape. Sunday, September 2 View Page Here's the 1249.8 Matesa. Looks a lot like the mamma 1012 Matesa. These have all gone heavy. I like the looks of this one. My friend gave me the shirt. I wore it all the time. When people ask me what's the secret...I unzip my sweater and point to the shirt. Sunday, September 2 View Page Here's the 1495 Stelts. This thing is starting to heat up. The color is surprising me. Disease and hail and swarms of cuc beetles of biblical proportions this year. This one is making me happy. Thursday, September 13 View Page First day of school! Here is Justin with the 1249.8 Matesa. Thursday, September 13 View Page 1249.8 Matesa Blossom end. I started covering the patch with floating row cover last year. It's amazing to me how healthy the leaves remain while being covered for the last part of the season. Thursday, September 13 View Page Here is Justin with the 1495 Stelts Thursday, September 13 View Page Justin with the 1495 Stelts. This pumpkin keeps on getting more orange. Hopefully with the row cover and some good weather, I can keep this thing chugging along right up to the weigh-offs Justin is 20 years old and 6'1 220lbs...first day of college Friday, September 28 View Page We have lift off on the 1249.8 Matesa. Looks pretty solid. I hope it goes heavy. The Momma was heavy. Friday, September 28 View Page Loks good all around. No cracks or soft spots Friday, September 28 View Page I have been using a layer of stray between the pumpkin and the pallet. I will be using a piece of high density foam from now on. Friday, September 28 View Page All loaded up and ready for Port Elgin Pumpkinfest. Always a first class event. Friday, October 5 View Page Getting ready for the Woodbridge Fair. This is the pumpkin on the 1495 Stelts. Really nice color and shape. I hope it goes heavy. A lot of pumpkins at Port Elgin last week were going light. Friday, October 5 View Page This pumpkin is still growing ever so slowly. I'm tempted to leave it hooked up to the vine for another week and take it to wellington. But, I feel I have to take it to Woodbridge to defend my championship from last year...lol Saturday, October 6 View Page What a day at Woodbridge! Unfortunately, My pumpkin went to chart and weighed 1313lbs. Good enough for second place and a Howard Dill Award! I was very happy about recieving the HD award. Great weigh-off and a great comnpetition. I will be back next year to take the crown back! Saturday, October 6 View Page This is a Photo of me and my 1313 on the front page of the paper. The reporters came out to the patch several times. They were shooting video and stills for a story. Here is a link to the article. http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/816875--the-great-pumpkin-grower Saturday, October 6 View Page I was lucky enough to have the same reporters come to the weigh-off in Woodbridge and put together this awesome Video! Check it out. Cut and paste this link: http://www.therecord.com/videozone/816610--the-great-pumpkin Saturday, October 13 View Page Wellington was a great time this year! The whole town comes out for the parade. I love the pancake breakfast at the fire hall! This is the 144 Matesa. it came off the 291 Kent. Saturday, October 13 View Page I also took third place for this 3.72lb mater. Weather was MUCH nicer this year...lol Tuesday, December 18 View Page Here is the entrance to the 2 new patches that have been chillin all summer. New shed and a big ol pile of compost...about 30yards Tuesday, December 18 View Page We plowed these 2 patches this last spring. We took an initial soil sample and soaked the patch with some fish/seaweed/carbon/sugar/ignite. Tuesday, December 18 View Page We spread a nice layer of compost, then plowed it under with the covercrop. Then spread another nice layer and will let it rest now until the spring. Busy trying to figure out what to grow for next year. Friday, December 21 View Page This is 3 weeks after seeds hit dirt for my giant onions. Friday, December 21 View Page Tomorrow these guys will get their first transplants. I hope to grow a nice row of them in a prepared bed and I hope to grow some in large tubs with lights.