Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 45 Entries. Wednesday, June 10 View Page Sorry late on the pics but this "dylan" plant #1 Taken on June 10th. I waas very far behind Wednesday, June 10 View Page forgot the pic Sunday, June 14 View Page This is my patch. Ugly I know and probably not very ready but next year will be different. Thursday, June 25 View Page My first entry ever. This is my first season growing. Got 2 plants with very late starts. Both are generic AG seeds from a Howard Dill AG package. The slugs are trying to get the best of me but I got beer on my side. Plant 1 (Dylan) is doing well 3 real leafs out. Plant 2 (Mady) has 2 real leafs out. Yet to see the vine though. Fed the runts with bone meal and blood meal and some neptunes fish fertilizer. They really liked this. I hope to get 300lbs out of one of them. Monday, July 13 View Page My 2 generic AG plants are finally heading to the ground. "Dylan" my sons plant is ready to run, only one more day and he'll be on the ground, "Mady" my daughters plant will be behind about 3 more days. I gave them a feeding this morning since there has been a few days with no rain. This being my first year I have no clue what I'm doing but it sure is fun. Wednesday, July 15 View Page Plants are in the ground and ready to go. Yet again I am late. I feel like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland Wednesday, July 15 View Page The above post should be dated june 14. I'm still learning this whole diary thing. Wednesday, July 15 View Page Dylan heading for the ground Wednesday, July 15 View Page Mady still a little runt. Saturday, July 18 View Page The runt Mady is almost ready to touch down. Saturday, July 18 View Page Dylan's looking good. Saturday, July 18 View Page Dylan has a perfect round female bud. Only 2 feet from the stump though. It looks so purty and yella. I would love for it to have been further down the vine. Saturday, July 18 View Page Here's the pic of the female. Monday, July 20 View Page First cull of the season. Dylan had a 5 lober only 2 feet out. the vine grew about a foot yesterday. Starting to look like a real pumpkin plant now. Mady is catching up to Dylan too after a real slow start. Also has a female about 2 feet out. Will be culling that today probably aftr work. Thursday, July 23 View Page I finally got my tea brewer back in action a few days ago. During a renovation of my basement I broke my pump about 3 weeks ago. My work had a small diaphram vacuum pump that they were scrapping, it doesn't suck good enough anymore but it pushes alot of air out the exhaust. Hooked up some tubing with a 6 port manifold with hoops jumping accross the ports, drilled in some small holes and tada nice compost tea brewer. Made some nice tea. I love free stuff. Gave the plants a good feeding and threw some on the veggies too. Tuesday, July 28 View Page The wind last week snapped the main near the end where it was coming out from being buried. it was a good snap almost 1/2 way through the vine. The leaves looked healthy and there was a female on there so while I was training the closest secondary I figured this season is a tester season for me so I propped the vine so the snapped area was touching each other and buried the vine. This morning the leaves had grown and the vine is extending and the female is turning bright yellow. Amazing plants these AG's are. I will keep the secondary running parallel with the main just in case it goes down for the count. Saturday, August 1 View Page Pollinated on Mady's vine at 10 feet. Monday, August 3 View Page Pollinated at 10 and 11 feet on Dylan's vine. Tuesday, August 11 View Page have 2 set on dylan's and 1 set on mady's. Found some powdery mildew spots yesterday morning on both plants. cut a couple of leaves off. so gave them a good dose of milk and water. No mildew spots this morning. Also picked up a truck load of horse manure for the fall prep. There will be many more of these trips before I have enough for the patch and garden. Friday, August 14 View Page Measured mady's pumpkin. 15.5" cc, 12" ss, 12.5 fb, 40"OTT, That's on day 7. Don't know how good or bad that is. Gave a good fish feed ing this morning. Will measure dylan's plant tomorrow. Didn't have time today. Saturday, August 15 View Page Found this in the patch this morning trying munch my pumpkins So i served it's head on a platter. Saturday, August 15 View Page Mady's pumpkin Day8 18"cc Saturday, August 15 View Page Dylans 2 pumpkins day 8 and day 7. Haven't measured yet. Will get day 10 measurements soon. Sunday, August 16 View Page I have done a horrible job with my diary. Here's a full update. Dylan had 2 pumpkins, 10 & 11 feet on the main. took them off because of locations. Pollinated at 13 feet main(August 7) and 12 feet secondary 12 feet from stump(August 8). Pollinated at 14 feet secondary (August 13). Today i snapped the stem on the main vine pumpkin trying to position it. Took measurements for his latest 2 (12 feet)=16cc,13ss,13fb--39ott (14 feet)6cc,5ss,5fb--16ott Sunday, August 16 View Page Mady's full up date. Mady's 10 foot pollination was too close for me so I took it off. Pollinated at 13 feet (august 7) and Pollinated at 15 feet (August 12) Measurements today 13 feet = 21cc,15.5ss,15.5fb--52ott Yellow and round 15 feet = 9.5cc,7.5ss,8fb--25ott Sunday, August 16 View Page Gave both plants a milk and water bath this morning. Monday, August 17 View Page Day 10 24.5 cc 60ott Tuesday, August 18 View Page Things are looking good. Mady's pumpkin gained 5 lbs on day 11. Looking promising. 28.5 cc Wednesday, August 19 View Page Mady's pumpkin Day 12 32cc looking good. Wednesday, August 19 View Page Dylan's pumpkin day 12 Wednesday, August 19 View Page eres my sunflowers tallest one is 6'2". No heads showing yet though. Wednesday, August 19 View Page Here's a black from Thula tomato. There are a few on the vine this size. alot of smaller ones too. Thursday, August 20 View Page Mady's pumpkin hit 90 ott today. 5 lbs a day for 3 days. I'm happy. Friday, August 21 View Page Mady's OTT 100 and dylans OTT 78.5 Things are good for me. If I can just get rid of this Powdery mildew I'll be all set. Monday, August 24 View Page Mady's day 17 = 122.5 ott Monday, August 24 View Page Dylan's day 17 - 90 OTT Thursday, August 27 View Page Day 20 = 140 ott , 55.5 cc on mady's pumpkin Dylans didn't grow at all last night. It was the first night the temps dipped into the upper 50's. Monday, August 31 View Page est 82 lbs. just want to hit 100 and i'll be satisfied this season. Wednesday, September 2 View Page Cut off the small pumpkin and pulled the plant. Very little tap rooting went on wih this plant. some nodes didn't even throw roots at all. Weighed pumpkin on my scale unofficially 31 lbs. Other pumpkin still going though est 90# Thursday, September 10 View Page Since this has been the learning season for me I have thrown in the towel. I was gonna wait till this weekend but did the deed today. the plant is out of the pach and the pumpkin on the front step as a display. Weighed in on my bathroom scale at 90 lbs. Very depressing. Oh well it justs fuels me more for next season. triple digits will be present in my patch next year and that is a promise. If by any stroke of luck maybe I'll see a 4 digit pumpkin in my patch. I tha s been a great 1st season, I thank all those who have counciled me, educated me, and cheered me on. With out all your support I may have giving up. Yeah right!!!! I'm hooked and no way will I stop. See you all in the patch next year. I'm bringing my A game, no matter how bad it is. Thursday, September 10 View Page Sure looks nice on the front step. maybe I'll make pie with it.LOL Sunday, November 8 View Page The new expanded patch 50 x 50. ah and my crapsman tiller that keeps breaking Sunday, November 8 View Page The crapsman in all its glory stuck in the patch with no drive pins in the wheels. Note to self: don't shop at Sears Wednesday, November 11 View Page Finally prep is done, added 100# lime and 115 lbs of gypsum. Rye will be down today or tomorrow. Monday, November 23 View Page Rye seeds are starting to germinate, been getting fosty mornings but nice days, I hope I can get some growth before the hard freeze sets in