Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 44 Entries. Tuesday, May 4 View Page Greenhouse at Grandpas(14'x14'). Its currently battling 40 mph winds and gusts upto 60 mph. So far it is winning! Inside is the 893 Privitera and the 1462 Gibson(back-up plant). Its has heating cables in the ground and two heaters helping things along. Tuesday, May 4 View Page Here's the 893 Privitera in the Greehouse. 1236 Vincent-McGill* is up and ready to go into a similar greenhouse(weather pending) at the feedlot. 993 Vincent-McGill is just popping up along with the 1101 Northrup. Wednesday, May 5 View Page Got cotyledons? This is the 1236 Vincent-McGill* waiting to be transplanted. The 2 inches of snow this morning and forcasted lows of 23 degree for the next two nights have put all gardening on hold. Thursday, May 13 View Page Tragedy...the 1236 Vincent-McGill planted last friday froze because I forgot to turn the heater back on, it hit 23 degrees that night. Pictured is the 993 Vincent-Mcgill after I managed to forget it on the porch last night the weather man was wrong about the forcasted! Thursday, May 13 View Page 1101 Northrup will be replacing the 993 and I have my back-up 1236* up and ready to go in the ground this weekend. pictured is the germination box I've gotten 100% success with. It was designed as a sound-proof container for a old printer. It's well insulated and even has a fan in it! Inside are 30 5" peat pots with misc garden squash and field pumpkins. Tuesday, May 18 View Page Here's the 893 Privetera today. Replacement 1236 Vincent-Mcgill* went into the ground Sunday. 1101 Northrup is ready to spread its roots, but forcast is for possible freezing on Thurday and its hoop house has no heater... Back-up plants are looking good and were repotted into 5 gal buckets tonite. Thursday, June 3 View Page 893 Privitera has really taken off. Secondaries haven't widened this plant out yet but there grow'n. It's about 3 weeks ahead of any plant I had last year! Thursday, June 3 View Page 1101 Northrup is looking good after a slow start. Thursday, June 3 View Page 1236 Vincent-McGill* is moving slow...I planted a 1392 Breznick two feet ahead of it incase it doesn't take off. It showed signs of improvent today though. Thursday, June 3 View Page Here's the 1236's "bull pen" I figure if the stockyard fattens these bulls up then it ought to fatten this squash up too. The composted manure is endless! Saturday, June 12 View Page This picture of my windsheild this morning says it all! Not sure of the damage to t garden yet...all pumkins should be fine though(still running heaters all night long) Saturday, June 12 View Page A second piture showing the frost on clover this morning Monday, June 14 View Page Resulting frost damage to uncovered field pumpkins. Had about 30% loss, so I replanted some and replaced a few with some Jaradahls that I still had in peat pots. Monday, June 14 View Page 1236* still slow going and has a goofy flat vine that turned 90 degrees! It will culled at the end of the week if it doesn't show signs of improvement. Monday, June 14 View Page 1392 Breznick going good and ready to replace the 1236*. Yellow around the leaves from overwatering. Tuesday, June 15 View Page 893 Privitera about 10 feet. Wednesday, June 16 View Page First female on 893. Too early/not enough plant...removed it today along with the second female Sunday, July 18 View Page here's the 1392, which replaced the 1236* V/M. the 1236 was culled after it decided to grow straight up at 5 feet long(ribbon vine). it fell over like a tree in the woods and broke the main! Sunday, July 18 View Page 1392 breznick x 893 privitera. 10 days, but plant is still growing. Sunday, July 18 View Page 1101 northrup Sunday, July 18 View Page 1101x 893 4 days Sunday, July 18 View Page 893 privitera. Frame is for agribon 40x45 row cover that I intended to use to hold heat in at night(been averaging 49 degree lows), but it alsodoubled for protecting plant fron wind and hail. It got the plant through 2 storms and then ripped beyond repair in the wind. today the plant recived minor hail damage, 3-4 holes per leaf. Sunday, July 18 View Page 893 x self. 23 days, 55.5 inch circumference, 60 lbs. gaining only 7lbs/day...hoping to get to 700 with this one. Tuesday, July 27 View Page Day 13 for the 1101 Northrup x 893 Privitera...30 inch circumference. Averaging 4 inches per day. Tuesday, July 27 View Page 1392 Breznick x 1101 Northrup day 9. First two females on this plant aborted..oh well, this one is looking good and positioned well. Tuesday, July 27 View Page Day 32 on the 893 Privitera x self, 83.5 inch circumference, 180 lbs. It's showing nice shape and color. Put on 20lbs today for the first time. The weather is finally acting like summer with highs in the 80's and lows above 50 degrees. Sunday, August 1 View Page 1392 Breznick x 1101 Northrup day 14 33.5" circumference. Sunday, August 1 View Page 1101 Northrup x 893 Privitera day 18 48" circumference. Nice shape and color on this one...culling all other pumpkins off the plant tommorrow. Monday, August 2 View Page 893 Privitera x Self day 37. 320 lbs est today and a daily gain of 27 lbs today. It's a wagon wheel! Very tall, wide shape, and short. Thursday, August 12 View Page 1392 Breznick day 25 @ 105lbs. Putting on 12 lbs/day now. Going to be a nice shade of creamy & ugly! ha,ha! Thursday, August 12 View Page 1101 Northrup day 29 @ 160 lbs est. Gaining about 16 lbs/day for last few days. It will be a beauty...nice shape and color. Hope it increases to 20+ lbs/day soon. Thursday, August 12 View Page Here is the 893 Privitera on day 48. It is @555 lbs est. and averaging 22lbs/day over the last 10 days. It is a steady grower. Six more days of 20 lbs/day and it will be estimated larger than the state record! Thursday, August 12 View Page 893 side shot shows it's wagon wheel shape. Thursday, August 12 View Page Did I mention the 893 is darn good look'n? Here's the stem side. Wednesday, August 25 View Page Here is the 1101 Nortrup today. 312 lbs estimate and gaining only 10 lbs/ day. I hope to get this one to 500lbs or better. Cold weather is in the forcast for the weekend(lows in the 30's and highs in the 50's) Wednesday, August 25 View Page This is the 1392 Breznick @ 287 estimate today and it's continuing with its odd shape and color. It's growing faster than the 1101 @ 12#'s/ days. Wednesday, August 25 View Page The 893 is now estimated @ 740#'s and is 11 feet in circumference! it should be over the pumpkin pacer estimates it will be 824 pounds by the time of the weigh off. I am putting up a new sheet of Agribon row cover(like a tent, only 600 sq ft) to keep it warm for the next 20 days. Wednesday, August 25 View Page The 893 is now estimated @ 740#'s and is 11 feet in circumference! The pumpkin pacer estimates it will be 824 pounds by the time of the weigh off. I am putting up a new sheet of Agribon row cover(like a tent, only 600 sq ft) to keep it warm for the next 20 days. Wednesday, August 25 View Page Made the front page of the paper today! Here's the link: http://cutbankpioneerpress.com/shelby_promoter/?cal=shelbypromoter Saturday, September 4 View Page first day of frost..Sept 3rd. It was a very light frost, but it was enough to kill these few leaves. Saturday, September 4 View Page This has been a week of extreme weather: hail( see leaves in photo), temperature swing of 63 degree(95 high, 32 low), and now tommorow a high of 55! pictured is the 1392 @ 420 est and putting on 17lbs / day for the last two days! Saturday, September 4 View Page This is the home for the 893 for the remainder of it's life. It's Agribon floating row cover and has 85% light transparency, and should protect is down to 27 degrees. But it's fragile and tears easily in the wind. There is a series of strings holding it down to prevent damage. Saturday, September 4 View Page Inside the tent, the 893 is now estimated @ 827lbs and is still packing on 8-10 lbs/day for the last week! If it does't grow another pound I'll be happy as heck...as long as it makes it the next two week for the weigh-off. However 8 lbs/day for 12 more days would put it over 920 lbs estimate.... Saturday, September 4 View Page Almost forgot an update on the 1101 Northrup. Estimated @ 400 lbs and putting on about 9 lbs/ day. I think it will reach my goal of 500 and beautiful.