Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 64 Entries. Thursday, April 10 View Page We are starting the year with 6 teams and 6 plots. Each plot is 40x30 (1,200 sq ft). All plots are evenly amended with approximately 2 yards of fresh horse manure. Thursday, April 10 View Page The manure is spread out then rototilled and mixed to a depth of 6". Once the fence around the area and water lines are put in then the teams are free to add all the secret stuff to their plot they like. Sunday, April 20 View Page April 20 and time to start the seeds. Sunday, April 20 View Page Here are the seeds in my daughters hands. Today is her fourth birthday. The seeds are coated with Rootone then placed in a wet paper towel then into the chicken incubator set at 80 F. Sunday, April 20 View Page Thanks to JES Engineering the process took one day. 70 cubic yards of soil removed and 130 cubic yards replaced. Approx. 25,000 pounds of soil moved today. We now have 30" of loose processed soil to plant in. Monday, April 21 View Page OOPS... last entry with the sand picture should be last entry on April 22. Tuesday, April 22 View Page On April 22 our team began the secret patch work. At 7:00 am we began by removing the upper 18" of soil. Tuesday, April 22 View Page We added 20 yards of composted horse manure and 40 yards of sand. We then added 500 pounds of gypsum, 10 pounds Ironite, 20 pounds 15-15-15 and 12 pounds of Ammonium Sulphate. Monday, April 28 View Page Here is the 2008 line up. Plant #1 998.6 Pukos. Plant #2 1357 G. Poirier. Plant #3 1362 G. Poirier. Planted today to the surprise of the other 5 teams. We added 15 tbs. 10-52-10, 2.5 tbs. seaweed extract to a 5 gallon bucket then drenched each plant. Monday, April 28 View Page CORRECTION on plant. THis plant is #1 1157 K. Companion (998.6 Pukos '05 x 1446 Werner '06) Thursday, May 15 View Page We are now a team with a name! Friday, May 16 View Page Problems in the patch. The plants are sick. We burnt the leaves with folar fed seaweed mixed 1 tsp. per gallon but used every day for the last 13 days. Feeding weekly with 15 tbs. 10-52-10 and 2.5 tbs. seaweed mixed in a 5 gallon bucket. 1 bucket per plant. We washed the plants then watered well tonight. Tomorrow is a team work day in the patch. Saturday, May 17 View Page Here is a partial shot of the patch. Plant #1 left rear. Plant #2 right rear. Plant #3 in front. We had black plastic around the plants but removed it thinking it may also be causing the burnt leaf problem. More fine grading of the patch this evening. Stuart Shim a pumpkin guru gave us an education about giant pumpkin growing. he took pictures and put them on his blog pumpkinmania. Thursday, May 22 View Page 32 days old today... Here is plant #3 being trained the opposite direction to lay down. We are now using 8 tbs 10-52-10 and 2.5 tbs seaweed and 2 tsp calcium mixed in a 5 gallon bucket. Each plant gets 2 buckets on Friday each week. Tap water used at least 2 times per week to keep soil moist. As you can see this plant is recovering from the folar burn. Plants #1 and #2 are recovering at a slower rate. Plastic was put up for wind protection. Thursday, May 22 View Page Here is a shot of the fertilizers we are using. Monday, May 26 View Page Plant #1 doing well with the wind break up. Plants continue to improve. Monday, May 26 View Page Day 36. Here is a shot from our patch (#6 )looking across all of the patches to patch #1. We continue to add 8 tbs 10-52-10, 2.5 tbs seaweed, 2 tsp calcium to a 5 gallon bucket. 3 buckets per plant per week. Another plant was planted next to plant #3 for backup this plant will be known as #4. It is from the Stuart Shim workshop a few days ago. Plant#4= 1209.5 Carlson. Tuesday, June 3 View Page Plant #3 is growing like a weed. The plants are 48 days old. Burrying of vines on plant #3 began today. Extra soaker hoses placed for more even watering. Tuesday, June 3 View Page Plant#1 1157 K. Companion front left. Plant#2 1357 G. Poirier left rear. Plant #3 1362 G. Poirier right. The vines on all 3 plants went the opposite way we wanted. Training of vines tward center continues. Tuesday, June 3 View Page Here is plant #2 with backup #4 1209.5 Carlson. Saturday, June 7 View Page What is a pumpkin patch without a shed? We are in need of a place to keep all of the pumpkin supplies we may need. We changed food today with the vines now running. 15.5-0-0 calcium nitrate crystals were hand broadcast at 1/2 pound per 100 square feet for each plant. We began to add fish to the drench which now contains 5 tablespoons fish, 2.5 tablespoons seaweed mixed in a 5 gallon bucket. 3 buckets full per plant. The drench saturates about 3' from plants. Overhead watering to soak down the 100sq ft broadcast area today. Saturday, June 7 View Page Guess who is expecting a female flower!!! This baby should open in about a week. The bud is located 8' out on the main of plant #3. We have no male flowers yet. Today is our first attack of the cucumber beetle. We were ready with the SEVIN on hand and mixed per directions of 3 oz per gallon(3 tablespoons per gallon). We tried to coat the top and bottom of the leaves. There must have been 200 of those little pests. It is a great feeling to see 200 dead cucumber beetles. We applied folar seaweed at 1 teaspoon per gallon. Monday, June 9 View Page Soon all you will see is pumpkins and plants. This picture is from patch 1 looking tward our patch 6. Construction of the shed continues with more ideas than time. Now that we have changed feeding I thought it is a good time to add what we wish we had done to this point. (1) GET SOIL TEST. (2) ADD MANURE TO SOIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. (3) ADD MORE SAND. (4) NO FOLAR FEEDING UNTIL WEEK FIVE! (5) FEED STARTING WEEK 2 WITH 10-52-10 5 TBS PER 5 GALLON BUCKET. WEEK 3 AND 4, 8 TBS MON OR TUES. (6) FEED STARTING WEEK 2 SEAWEED 1.5 TBS PER 5 GALLON BUCKET. WEEK 3 AND 4, 2 TBS FRI OR SAT. (7) WELL CONSTRUCTED GREENHOUSE AND BLACK PLASTIC ON GROUND. Saturday, June 14 View Page Patch 5 in foreground. The plants are small because they planted about May 20. We planted April 20 and are 55 days old today. Plant #1 front R. #2 front L. Plant #3 rear. We are setting up a misting system in the patch. We had a minor case of Cucumber Beetles yesterday and sprayed SEVIN at 3 TBS. per gallon and they are all dead. We finally started to burry the vines on plants #1 and #2 today. Adding 5 TBS fish and 2.5 TBS seaweed to 5 gallon bucket 20 gallons per plant. Folar fed seaweed on the 12th. Monday, June 16 View Page Here she is!!Plant #3 1372 G Poirier, 4 lobe at 9' on the main. First male flower on plant #1 1157 K Companion today and that flower used to cross pollinate. We changed food again today we are in week 8 at 57 days old. Using an injector we mixed 20-20-20 and fish and seaweed. We watered the patch heavily with this today. Saturday, June 21 View Page Wow these plants took off the last few days. Used the injector again today with 20-20-20 and seaweed (ran out of fish). Watering heavily again today. In the last 5 days the plants are growing from everywhere with lime green tips and leaves. I think the broadcast Calcium Nitrate was not the way to go. Next time we will use nitrogen fertilizers that are water soluble through the injector so we can apply them where we want each watering. Friday, June 27 View Page This is getting fun now!! Day 68 and another nice flower. Here is plant #1 1157 K Companion with a 5 lobe at 8' on the main. We crossed this with plant #3 1362 G Poirier male. Plant #3 female at 10.5' 5 lobe open pollinated. All of the plants continue to grow lime green and lush foliage. We must have lost 7 to 14 days of growth due to the broadcast fertilizer. Burrying of vines is now a daily task. We started running the soaker hoses with just water every other day for 10 min starting 3 days ago. Friday, June 27 View Page Here she is. So far so good. Plant #3, 11 days old 9' out. Sunday, June 29 View Page Here are the products that we are using. filled the 3/4 gallon injector with 1/3 20-20-20 then to the 1/2 full line with seaweed then to 3/4 full with fish then 5 TBS calcium. Watered heavily. The misting system is now operational and goes on 6 times between 10:45 to 3:45 for 5 min each time. Plant #2 1357 G. Poirier female today at 9' first on main 4 lobe crossed with plant #1. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Plant #3 day 15 all looks well. Fertilized again today. WE are washing the leaves after feeding due to some of the leaves burning bad. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Check out this gate that Sam made!!!! Tuesday, July 1 View Page Looking from plot 5 tward plot 1. Tuesday, July 1 View Page Looking from patch 6 at the future family patch. All teams will contribute time and plants for end of season party and pumpkin picking. Tuesday, July 1 View Page This is the gate Sam made. Saturday, July 5 View Page Looks like we may be stuck with this pumpkin on plant #3. The second and third pumpkins out on the main both died. We need to get a tape measurer soon! The plants are 75 days old today. this pumpkin is 19 days old today. We added 20-20-20 to fill the 3/4 gallon injector 1/2 full. 1/2 full and watered heavily. Friday, July 11 View Page Finally made a tape with my daughter out of ribbon 14' long. Today plant #3 76c + 54 + 53 = OTT=180" 135 LB. This was at 7:00 am At 2:00 pm today c= 79". It put on 3" or 13 LB in 7 hours! We are using the chart from G.G.P. 3 this year. Saturday, July 12 View Page Team Calabaza Vaquero patch in foreground. Less dirt more green. Saturday, July 12 View Page Team 6 "Calabaza Vaqueros" headquarters. Just sit, relax and watch the pumpkins grow. Sunday, July 13 View Page Plant #3. C= 84" 171 LB. Today is put up shade day to protect the pumpkin from the heat and sun. We fed yesterday with 20-20-20. We filled the injector 1/2 full. Sand and fabric placed under pumpkins plants #1 and #2. Tuesday, July 15 View Page When you show up at the patch this is not what you want to see. Plant #3 stem split! Gary and I worked like skilled brain surgens to move pumpkin and vines to close the wound without snapping the pumpkin off. No wonder the pumpkin did not grow today. Yesterday injector filled with 1/3 fish then to 1/2 full with seaweed and water heavily all three plants. Tuesday, July 15 View Page After 45 minutes or so the wound looks like new. Prior to leaving this afternoon we folar feed 20-20-20. While folar feeding lots of Cucumber Beetles were flying around so we sprayed SEVIN Mixed at 1.5 TBS per gallon. Half the dose to try to burn the leaves less or not at all but still kill the bugs. Friday, July 18 View Page Plant #1 first out 8' on main 21 days old C=56", 61 LB Friday, July 18 View Page Plant #2 1357 G. Poirier, First out on main C=57" 64 LB 19 days old. Friday, July 18 View Page Plant #3 first on main at 9' out. C=94" 227 LB 32 days old. Plants are 88 days old. Friday, July 18 View Page Lauren showing off a new sport Pumpkin Surfing. Sunday, July 27 View Page Amazing the products that build up in the shed. All those hopes in a bottle for a world record. Today It has arrived, Powdery Mildew. Trying a new product GreenCure applied at 1 tbs per gallon to all plant surfaces. 45 minutes later and 3 gallons later we have coverage. Seaweed and fish in injector today then water heavily. Thursday, July 31 View Page Time for some July Numbers. Plant #1 1157 K. Companion pollinated 6-27, c= 73" 120 lb ( July gain 120 lb). Plant #2 1357 G. Poirier Pollinated 6-29, c=84" 171 lb (July gain 171 lb). Plant #2 secondary c= 78" 142 lb (July gain 142 lb). Plant #3 1362 G. Poirier Pollinated 6-16 c= 110" 337 lb (July gain 296 lb). Plant #4 1209.5 Carlson c=72" 116 lb (July gain 116 lb). Thursday, July 31 View Page Feeding day today with 20-20-20 and calcium in the injector then heavily water. Feeding continues 2 times per week alternating seaweed, fish with 20-20-20, calcium. Folar feed seaweed 2 times per week. Powdery Mildew may be spreading we are keeping a close eye on it. Cucumber Beetles are back, we will spray next week. Misters continue at 5 minutes 6 times per day between 10:30 and 3:30. Saturday, August 2 View Page Plots 1 through 6 on left with family patch on right. We all hope to see great gains this month. Monday, August 4 View Page The other teams will be surprised when they see our new water tower. Team 2 has a 106 lb pumpkin. Team 4 has a 50 lb pumpkin. All 6 teams now have pumpkins. Tuesday, August 5 View Page I cant believe it today is day 106. We filled the injector with 1/4 fish (need to buy more fish) and 1/4 seaweed then used the garden hose until it was all gone this morning. Returned in the afternoon to add systemic Merit at 4.5 lb per 1200 sq ft. Watering enough to wash the Merit off the leaves. I hope this stuff starts to work soon we have quite a few Cucumber Beetles. Applied Bayer Advanced All in One Rose and Flower at 2 tbs per 2 gallons and applied to plant #1 for PM control. We will see if this stuff works or kills the plant. Plant #3, 1362 G. Poirier pollinated 6-16 (51 days old)c=114, 368 lb. Our team name is Calabaza Vaqueros "Pumpkin Cowboys" so it is fitting to name our pumpkins after different breeds of cattle. Pumpkin on plant #3 name is Black Angus. Plant #1 main is 78" 142 lb "Jersey". Lateral plant #1= 63" 82 lb "Holstein". More names to follow. Thursday, August 7 View Page I hope you can see the names and weights in the picture. weights are based on todays measurments. The combined weight on August 1st for the 6 pumpkins was 1,079 pounds. Today the combined weight is 1,211 pounds. We have now put up tarps over all pumpkins. Team 2 pumpkin 129 pounds. Team 4 pumpkin 85 pounds. We may have some competition after all! Monday, August 11 View Page NOT AGAIN!!! Plant #4 "Brahman" c= 90" 204lb. the only pumpkin on this plant. We need to have a couple team members meet at the patch soon to reposition the pumpkin. After planting Sunflowers with my daughter Lauren on Saturday all over the family patch and our patch we noticed the soil is extremely dry on the south side of plant #3. We began to water/ flood the area Sat and Sun. Today we filled the injector 1/2 full with 20-20-20 and about 1/4 cup calcium Then flooded the patch. Pumpkin on plant #3 Angus broke 400 pounds today after not growing the last 4 days. c= 118" 402lb a gain of 17 pounds in 24hr. Monday, August 11 View Page Lauren won big at the Orange County Fair. Farm and Garden division for fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. Entries were Pumpkins, Pomegranate, Tangerines, Grapefruit, Sunflower,Cosmos, Buddleia, Milkweed, Hydrangea. Next year might be a large pumpkin if we plant early enough. Wednesday, August 13 View Page I cant believe it actually worked this time! Put the hose in the gopher hole and 5 minutes later out popped the gopher. He was in the family patch and ate only 1 tomato plant. Monday, August 18 View Page Update on the diseases. Cucumber Beetles continue to attack so we continue to spray every 7 to 10 days with 1 tbs. SEVIN per 2 gallons water. Spraying Ortho Garden and Disease weekly for the PM at 1 tbs per 2 gallons of water. The leaves continue to burn cause:( age of plants, strength of Sevin, strength of Ortho Garden and Disease, fertilizer, sun, misters?) wish I knew. I will try to research this problem in the winter. Tuesday, August 19 View Page Change in fertilizer started today. 1/4 injector 20-20-20, 1/4 injector 15-10-30. Soaked area well today. Friday, August 22 View Page Added 1/4 injector seaweed and 1/4 injector 15-10-30 and heavily watered patch. Monday, August 25 View Page Pumpkins look nice but the plants continue to fry.....Day 126 in the rapidly ending life of a pumpkin plant. We must find a better way to control PM and Cucumber beetles. I think next year will be the year of the Systemic fungicide and insecticide. The leaves are frying away fast and I think it is due to folar spraying Sevin and Ortho Garden and Disease. Plant #3 1362 decided to switch back to growing vines and flowering. I figure the new leaves cant hurt. Tuesday, August 26 View Page filled the injector 1/8 20-20-20, 1/4 15-10-30 and 4 tbs calcium. watered heavily. Spraying for PM today with 1 tbs per 2 gallons water Ortho Garden and Disease. Saturday, August 30 View Page Real humid today! 1/2 injector with seaweed plus 6 tbs calcium then flooded in. Late in the day added 1 tbs OG&D to 2 gallons water and sprayed. leaves continue to die. Sunday, August 31 View Page Looks like we will break a personal record this year not the world record. Plant #1 1157 polinated 6-27 ott= 226" 224 lb (120 lb gain July,104 lb gain Aug) Plant #2 1357 polinated 6-29 ott= 238" 283 lb (July gain 171 lb, Aug gain 112 lb) Plant #2 secondary ott=238" 244 lb (July gain 142 lb, Aug gain 120 lb) Plant #3 1362 ott=281" 458 lb (June gain 41 lb, July gain 296 lb, Aug gain 121 lb) Plant #4 1209.5 0tt= 238" 283 lb (July gain 116, Aug gain 167 lb) Monday, September 1 View Page Christy and Lauren adding finishing touches to the water tower today. Monday, September 1 View Page Is it a Jack-O-lantern or Spongebob?