Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 33 Entries. Wednesday, June 17 View Page hi 'yall, I'm finally posting my diary here as well, and appreciate all the help I've gotten from the floks in the chat rooms, especially sambo, also in NC. These were my seedlings about a week after germination, about May 7. Wednesday, June 17 View Page then I transplanted them into gallon containers for another week or two...I got this idea from a DVD my husband got me for my birthday last Oct. Wednesday, June 17 View Page meanwhile, he and I got the garden ready...we doubled it in size from last year to fit in "pumpkin land" as well as more tomatoes and beans...70 plants each just wasn't enough it weems... Wednesday, June 17 View Page BTW, I can't type, just warning you now. So, finally got warm enough to transplant into the ground. We had some surprisingly cold night in May this year! Wednesday, June 17 View Page Almost immediately, problems...I know I should have put tons of stuff in the ground last fall and sent soil tests off, but I'm learning....this plant had me running off to the ag extension office downtown (a 4 mile bike ride to get to the bus stop, then two busses...) Wednesday, June 17 View Page seems our NC soil is notoriously clay and not acid enough for these plants, so they can't take up iron. Got some liquid iron suppliment and did foliar and soil feeding. Wednesday, June 17 View Page Almost instant results!!! whew! Wednesday, June 17 View Page Then I had stem split nightmares. Wednesday, June 17 View Page I treated them with Capstan and ultimately burried it, Seems I didn't transplant them deep enough, the guy on the DVD didn't show how deep to do it. One person in the chat room said to put them down all the way to the cotyledon leaves. Well, it's doing fine now! Wednesday, June 17 View Page Three plants are taking off, and my "reserve" plant survived being re-transplanted to a center patch point instead of off to the side, replacing one plant that something ate. :( The 3 big plants are growing their main vines several inches a day on sunny days, and just now starting to put out side vines. I even saw my first itty bitty baby pumking on a bloom this week! Friday, June 19 View Page oh, I had to include this shot, one of the 5 30" deep holes I dug and filled with miracle grow soil, compost, chicken manure, etc., for the tap roots, as per the DVD I have. Friday, June 19 View Page shhhhh.....be vewy vewy qwiet..... wascally wabbits eattin' beans...can't have that! Thursday, June 25 View Page awesome hubby rationalized that we really really needed this cool antique tractor to grow "my" pumpkins. He was right. Of course. Again. As usual. Seriously, it was a blast to drive and made getting the garden ready a whole lot of fun instead of a whole lot of work. Affectionately called "Rusty." Thursday, June 25 View Page And he found these fantastic rain barrels for only $75!!! Thursday, June 25 View Page Quick trip to Lowes on the way home from getting them and viola! Now garden hose compatable! Thursday, June 25 View Page Awesome hubby and daughter #2 putting varmints out of my misery. One way to get the kids involved in the garden! Thursday, June 25 View Page YEAH! Oh baby! 11" out on the main vine! Thursday, June 25 View Page Somebody's gonna get lucky tomorrow morning! 12" out on main vine. Both my 939's have babies, and the 1249's have male flowers for cross polinating. The 9's are from orange plants, the 12's from green ones, so I'm hoping for bigger, orange offspring next year. Thursday, June 25 View Page This itty bitty new one is 15" out at the tip of the main vine, I'll pollinate it as well and see which of the two fruit do better and then decide. YIKES! I'M GOING OUT OF TOWN FOR A WEEK IN ONLY 10 DAYS! It's going to be close, I don't want my pumpkin sitter to stress out anymore than she is already about taking care of the plants. And garden. And 25 chickens. And cats, dog, rabbit. And pool. And, well, you get the idea. Thursday, June 25 View Page I wish these guys were effective enough to make a "no spray" program work in the garden, but there's only 25 of them...they're nice company as I work out there tho', and their poo is apparently especially rich in Nitrogen. Along with all the compost from their house, they also fertilize as they go! Monday, June 29 View Page whew! good thing I woke up in the middle of the night and ran out to bag the two blossoms...what a difference a day makes! Monday, June 29 View Page Isn't she beautiful? My first attempt at pollination...wish me luck all... Thursday, July 2 View Page my first attempt at pollinating. Looks like it took :) She's 6 days old today. Thursday, July 2 View Page 6 inches in 6 days? At this rate, lets see, in 2 months..... Saturday, July 11 View Page OK, now what I do with this vine? I guess cut it off before the pumpkin grows over it? HELP? please email me!!!! Saturday, July 11 View Page two weeks old! almost 20 inches! YES! Now, what do I put under it, quick! Friday, September 18 View Page ok, I know I haven't posted in a while so now I', trying yo catch up...here's a young one... Friday, September 18 View Page And another contender..these were back in July early... Friday, September 18 View Page Here's a pretty shot, back in August.. Friday, September 18 View Page Nw I know why people shade their pumpkins..so they don't cook and EXPLODE. Whata mess...took three wheelbarrows full to clean it up. :( Friday, September 18 View Page Another shot of the exploding pumpkin...it happened after 2 100 degree days here in North Carolina...it was the one that got the most sun, too. Friday, September 18 View Page My favorite...with my daughter for perspective. They've not gotten very big, but they are round and orange and pretty. Hopefully that'll count for something at the state fair. Friday, September 18 View Page My bigest...I did always say this was just going to be my learning curve year. Now I know how important it is to augment the soil the fall before...we'll start working on that SOON.