Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 53 Entries. Tuesday, May 4 View Page Starting of my 2010 diary with a picture of my new pumpkin hauler I picked up yesterday. 2011 F350 6.7L DIESEL SCORPION. For all you Ford lovers out there this truck has unbelievable power and words cannot describe what this truck can do. Good Luck to everyone growing this year and may you get a new personal best! Tuesday, May 4 View Page Starting lineup: 1288 Wallace Thank You Ron and Pap! 1596 Wallace 1119 McMullen Thank You Gene! Tuesday, May 4 View Page Backups: 1147 Shenoha Thank You Shazzy! (2) 873 Naylors Tuesday, May 4 View Page Started seeds on 4-24 at 86 degrees soil probe setting. First one up before 48 hours was the 1596. 5 of 6 germed before 72 hours. The only one not to germ of course was my number one pick the 1288. Good thing I had two 1288 seeds. Second 1288 started on 4-28 at 88 degrees and popped through on 4-30. Tuesday, May 4 View Page 1596 Wallace today. Going into the patch this afternoon. Tuesday, May 4 View Page 1119 McMullen today. Curled Cots first true leaf looks good. This one is going to battle it out for third spot with 1147 Shenoha. Your pony is still in the race Shazzy! Tuesday, May 4 View Page 1147 Shenoha. Looks the exact same as my 1147 looked last year. Tuesday, May 4 View Page 1288 Wallace today. One cot is 1/2 developed and the other is almost all developed. First true leaf appears to be developing normal. This one will go into the patch this weekend. Thank you again Ron and Pap for the seed and advice. Tuesday, May 4 View Page Picture for last entry. Wednesday, June 2 View Page Patch Overview fully protected from critters and hopefully wind. I am glad to get back to my diary as we are 90 plus percent done spraying corn in my Ag retail business. The corn and bean crop here in central IL is the best I have seen in the 11 years I have been in this business. Wednesday, June 2 View Page Twin rowed corn to help add additional wind protection later in the season. Wind is one of my biggest problems since the patch is in wide open country. Wednesday, June 2 View Page 1596 Wallace a very aggressive plant. Plants are about the same stage as last year at this time. Wednesday, June 2 View Page 1119 McMullen a very healthy plant. Wednesday, June 2 View Page 1288 Wallace germinated 4 days later than the other two because first seed failed to germ. This plant is really starting to kick it in gear and it would not surprise me if it catches the other two. I am very happy to have this seed in my patch this year - thank you again Ron and Pap! Friday, June 18 View Page 1596 Wallace. Should be pollinating first part of next week on all three plants. Friday, June 18 View Page 1288 Wallace Friday, June 18 View Page 1119 McMullen Tuesday, June 22 View Page 1596 Wallace X 1288 Wallace perfect 5 lobe Monday, June 28 View Page 1119 McMullen X 1288 Wallace 5 lobes, Feet way out there, first 3 females aborted before opening in the heat and heavy rains. I have not been able to bury secondaries leaf nodes in over a week and a half with all the rain. 1288 Wallace should have female open for first pollination in a couple of days. Tuesday, June 29 View Page #2 1596 Wallace X 1288 Wallace, 4 lobe Wednesday, June 30 View Page #2 1119 McMullen X 1596 Wallace 4 lobe Thursday, July 1 View Page #1 1288 WALLACE X 1596 WALLACE, 4 LOBE Thursday, July 1 View Page #3 1596 WALLACE X 1288 WALLACE, 4 LOBE. Patch view from the north a sea of green. Saturday, July 3 View Page #2 1288 WALLACE X 1596 WALLACE, 4 LOBE Monday, July 12 View Page 1596 Wallace #2 pollination 25 inches at 10 days old on Friday 7-9. I am happy with this as I have 3 spots on the main where I had to cut out svb damage applied quilt direct and have had fans on since the discovery back on 7-7. This is a first for me as weekly applications of Warrior T have kept me from even seeing an svb female. The only way I have a shot with this pumpkin is if the main heals as there are too few of secondaries to support growth and the main is terminated at the pumpkin. I did measure on Sunday 7-11 34 inches so 4.5 per day since Friday. Need some luck to go my way on this one. Monday, July 12 View Page "Sammy" on the 1119 McMullen #2 pollination 37 inches at 10 days old on Sat. 7-10. Cut the blossum off on Sunday applied quilt and put fan on to dry. It wasn't soft but you can see by the picture it wasn't looking right. Monday, July 12 View Page "Money" on the 1288 Wallace #1 pollination 37 inches at 10 days old on Sun. 7-11. I really like the long shape on this one and the plant has been very easy to work with. Thursday, July 15 View Page "Fat Tire" on the 1596 Wallace 51 inches on day 15, 7-14 ave 5 inches per day since day 10. Main appears to be healing still running two fans and hoping for luck with this one. Cut a secondary off on the 1288 plant svb damage. These svbs are really starting to get on my nerves - on my hands and knees every evening checking vines total found 4 total dead 4. I have put enough Warrior T in my patch weekly to equal the amount of an 80 acre corn field - unbelievable. Doing something different next year. Joking about the applied amount of course but I haven't even seen a svb female. Friday, July 16 View Page Sammy on the 1119 McMullen 64 inches at day 15 yesterday 7-15 ave 5.4 inches last 5 days. Will update bottle next round to HEAVY per mentor Gene's request. Don't want anything light around his 1119. Friday, July 16 View Page Money on the 1288 Wallace 66 inches today 7-16 at 8:15 am on day 15 ave of 5.8 inches last 5 days. Friday, July 16 View Page Money back view on day 15. This plant is incredible! Tuesday, July 20 View Page Bad thunderstorms rolled through yesterday and last night dumping 3 to 5 inches of rain in my area with winds recorded at Taylorville of 80 mph. Town is pretty tore up with trees down and Walmart lost half its roof. Needless to say plants are pretty tore up and lost the main on my 1596. Calling for around 2 more inches today. I will be suprised if the pumpkins will be able to handle all this water without blowing. I was off to a great start but mother nature will always have the upper hand "it is what it is" Thursday, July 29 View Page And then there was one. Lost Sammy on the 1119 McMullen to blossom end split after 8 inches of rain over the last week and a half. Thursday, July 29 View Page Sammy day 27 final measurements 108-72-72 (252 OTT) or 345 lbs. To bad she was hitting 1500 lb. benchmarks. Sorry Gene this was Stephs favorite and a real heartbreak for me as I love 1119 seed and will be in my patch again next year. Monday, August 2 View Page Money on the 1288 Wallace 129-80-72 (281 OTT) 472 lbs. on yesterday day 31. I am all in on Money as she is my last hope for a weighoff pumpkin. Wednesday, August 11 View Page Money on 1288 Wallace yesterday day 40 145-90-80 (315 OTT) or 659 lbs. Steady gains over last 10 days as I believe this one is putting on a lot of pounds inside. Think Heavy Money think HEAVY! Monday, August 16 View Page Money on 1288 Wallace day 45, 152-93-82 (327 OTT) 736 lbs. Lost some leaves and one vine rollover with the storms we had Friday night. Monday, August 16 View Page Money low and long gaining over 1.5 inches cc a day last 15 days. Tuesday, August 24 View Page Money on 1288 Wallace yesterday day 53: 158-96-85 (339 OTT) 819 lbs. Plant health is good and looking for a new personal best with this one. 41 days to weigh off. Tuesday, August 24 View Page Side view of Money. Think Heavy Money think HEAVY! Tuesday, August 31 View Page Money on the 1288 Wallace yesterday day 60: 161-99-87 (347 OTT) 877 lbs. Note for next year: Keep spraying Warrior T because I have never seen so many aphids on the leaves. Tuesday, August 31 View Page Money looks like a concrete block and I hope she weighs HEAVY like one too. Steady gains all season has me to believe this one is putting meat on inside. Stump and main are healthy but leaves look worse by the day. Hope to get at least another 150 lbs. in next 33 days till weigh off and then go heavy will be new pb and icing on the cake. Tuesday, August 31 View Page Fat Tire on the 1596 Wallace growing on a third of a plant since I lost the main at day 20. Yesterday day 63: 121-78-79 (278 OTT) 458 lbs. Tuesday, August 31 View Page I plan on taking Fat Tire to our local weigh off on Oct. 16. Wednesday, September 8 View Page Money on 1288 Wallace yesterday day 68: 164-100-87 (351 OTT) or 907 lbs. Wednesday, September 8 View Page Fat Tire on 1596 Wallace yesterday day 71: 123-80-81 (284 OTT) 487 lbs. Not bad for growing on a third of a plant and nice color too. Monday, September 20 View Page Well it was picking day for Money on the 1288 Wallace unfortunately 15 days early due to main vine rot at secondary junction two before the pumpkin. I did not catch it because it was on the bottom part of the vine. Top part was as healthy as the stump. Rot did not get to the pumpkin so she goes into storage with nutrient baggie until weigh off on Oct. 3. Monday, September 20 View Page Money's bottom was perfect. My operator friend said 3 light bars lit up on the loader for weight which is good and she sunk the front tires down a few inches. Steph says this is my biggest yet but until she gets on the scale and hopefully goes HEAVY we will not know. Monday, September 20 View Page Money and me. I have loved growing this pumpkin all season. Thanks again for this seed Ron and Pap! Tuesday, October 26 View Page Changing things up a little this fall. Patch expanded 800 more square feet to a total now of 2400 square feet. Tiller compaction layer is now gone thanks to "Steve the Ripper" Tuesday, October 26 View Page Drainage shouldn't be a problem next year. This one shank ripper went down 24 inches. Patch was ripped 4 different ways. Tuesday, October 26 View Page Now the fun part had to take down the pasture fence to get the semi and trailer in but well worth it. Soil test on expanded patch showed pH a little low, so calcitic lime was added. P and K levels were very good. Gypsum will be added this spring to bring up calcium. Coffee grounds will be added all winter to bring up OM. Tuesday, October 26 View Page This hurt the check book a little bit but 39 yards of 8 year old compost is what it takes to get this soil to the next level.