Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 44 Entries. Saturday, May 15 View Page This is my second year growing giant pumpkins, a year full of expectations. It has begun on the third of April when the first seed hit the dirt and was carefully deposited on the windowsill of our bedroom. My housband keept complaining because I have turned off the heathing :) and usually I am the one to be cold and freezing. Here I should also write that he is already telling our friends that we are going to harvest a great pumpkin, and me explaining again and again that it is not time jet to celebrate. Saturday, May 15 View Page I have four plant in two separate locations all with great genetics. Thank you Christy for the seed that I have received from you and thanks to the EGVGA for the great seed packet that I received. It was very hard to decide which ones to choose. I did decide to try the 710 Baumert, 925 Lyons and 1219 Paton. My genetics: 998 Pukos x 1385 Jutras 985 Werner x 1385 Jutras 1689 Jutras x 985 Werner 1385 Jutras x 1566 Rodonis Saturday, May 15 View Page It is so cold outside and rainning all the time. The soil was so saturated with water that I decided to dig a hole in the ground and fill it with dry soil that I had by chance deposited for another purpose. Otherwise the planting day would have to wait for so much more. Now I am very sad, the new grown leaves in one plot are yellow. This is the worse plant. Readding the Message board I suppose it could be because of the weather. Could it be because I have overfertilised? I keep my fingers crossed that the plants will grow better in warmer conditions, but the rain keeps falling ... Saturday, May 15 View Page Here I become wiser. I have covered the plant in the second plot. Saturday, May 15 View Page Rain and cold temperatures can be the cause of this yellow leaves acording to the Message Board. Could it be that I have overfertilised? I am so sad ): Will the warm sunny days that I wish for help the plant grow strong and healthy? Monday, May 31 View Page My nicest plant 1236 Harp before todays havy rain. Monday, May 31 View Page Lyons 925 looking good. Monday, May 31 View Page The one that I am the most worried about, Baumert 710. It is raining again and it sits in the spot where the soil retains most moisture. Monday, May 31 View Page My big marrow. Monday, May 31 View Page A beautiful giant head sunflower. Monday, May 31 View Page Another sunflower. Wednesday, June 16 View Page Yesterday the first female flower opened on my Lyons pumpkin. I beleive it is too close to the stump, but still I couldn't resist to polinate it. We'll see. Wednesday, June 16 View Page The close photo of the flower. My patch may seem all drowning in weeds, but I have left the trifolium and some other plants growing. The soil is very havy and some more organic will not harm. Planning to till it in as the plants grow. Wednesday, June 16 View Page My giant marrow plant that showed me its first female flower too. I did polinate it and wait for it to show how fast it grows. Wednesday, June 16 View Page Marrow fllower Wednesday, June 16 View Page Thoose are my two biggest sunflowers, growing nicelly. Wednesday, June 16 View Page Here is another little beauty that will hopefully grow a nice big head. I have more of them. Thank you Bourney. Wednesday, June 16 View Page My Harp plant is doing very good with its first little female flower waitting to open. Wednesday, June 16 View Page My Baumert has incredibly recovered. It was the most unhappy in all the past rain and cold temperatures. Thoose pumpkins really has a lot of strenght :) Wednesday, June 16 View Page In case someone wonders, I have covered my plants against hail. There was a really bad forecast for last weekend, but luckily it passed us. Tuesday, June 22 View Page I have managed (found time to) to cover my Paton plant. It would be a pitty to loose such a beauty because of hail. Tuesday, June 22 View Page We were surprised to see how this plant has attached to a watering tube. As it wonted to say: it is mine. Wednesday, July 14 View Page My nicest fruit for now - Baumert. Growing fine despite a steam break just in front of it that healed nicelly. Wednesday, July 14 View Page Here is the split. There was a nice secondary vine growing from the leaf axil just at the fruit. I think I will leave it since it grows under a suitable aggle. We'll see. Wednesday, July 14 View Page The Baumert will be a long fruit. Wednesday, July 14 View Page The Harp fruit is small, but the plant is very nice. I had a very special bee pollinating my plants. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was away from home for quite a long time and she took care of everything. I am quite affraid to receive this month's phone bill :) international calls ... Now I have to deal with all the weeds and we'll be all more happy. Thursday, July 29 View Page Starting with this nice looking marrow. In the garden it looks much bigger :) I took this picture in the rain that lowered the temperatures after a hot dry week. Thursday, July 29 View Page My Paton plant looks nice, but it worries me a lot. It has not set a fruit jet. The one I have been hopeing for just split. It is late, hurry up pumpkin. Thursday, July 29 View Page The new growth has yellow leaves. It cannot be because of cold or wet, since the last week was very warm and dry. I turned on the drip irrigation system twice daily for one hour. Could it be lack of calcium (possible cause of the split fruit - I am posting a picture in my diary). I use rain water for irrigating my garden. Thursday, July 29 View Page The new growth of a secondary vine close to the growing tip of the main vine. The yellow leaves seem to be concentrated to this area. Thursday, July 29 View Page Split fruit. What should I do to prevent this? Friday, August 27 View Page Time for an update. Here is the biggest tomato in our garden this year. Big surprise, it grew from a local variety and beared many fruits. If anyone is interested in seed please let me know. Friday, August 27 View Page The Paton plant is doing good. At day 36 it has a circumference of 101,5 inch and estimated 280 lbs. What a pitty it is already the end of August. Friday, August 27 View Page Another look. After the problems with the leaves I think the plant does not look bad. Tuesday, September 21 View Page Time for an update. After all the cold, too wet, too late pollination,... it grew to a nice pumpkin. Smaller than I have hoped for, but still nice. Grow, pumpkin grow. You have some more more days. Sunday, October 10 View Page The growing season is over. Let's make plans for next year :) Monday, December 6 View Page I have managed just now to get my soil test results. The four patches for next year. I would really appreciate any idea how to improve my soil. Monday, December 6 View Page second sample Monday, December 6 View Page third Monday, December 6 View Page and fourth Tuesday, December 7 View Page After some trouble posting the results I hope this time I will be able to do it right. I would appreciate very much any indea of what to do to improve the soil in my four patches for next year. Which one could be the best for giant pumpkins? Here is sample 1: Tuesday, December 7 View Page Sample 2: Tuesday, December 7 View Page Sample 3: Tuesday, December 7 View Page And the last Sample 4: