Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 70 Entries. Wednesday, June 10 View Page I wish I had known about this site weeks ago! Im TOTALLY new to growing pumpkins, actually Im pretty new to growing anything but ya gotta start somewhere so here I go :) Im a back yard grower with 3 hills of Dill's Atlantic Giants, each hill has two vines. Im sure I'll have to eliminate some of them very soon. I found my first female bud today, that was exciting. Wednesday, June 10 View Page just saw the weather and a storm front is on the way :( Im sure I need to make a wind break of some sort but how big, how strong, how tall?? etc being a newbie stinks! I hate not knowing how to protect and take care of my pumpkins! Thursday, June 11 View Page well its not very pretty but hopefully it'll hold up. I had to use whatever I happen to have on hand. At 11:00 pm in a small town the stores are all closed. Anyway, a few wooden stakes and a camo deer stand cover, lets hope its strong enough to protect my vines from the coming storm. ***crossing my fingers*** Friday, June 12 View Page first female bud :) Monday, June 15 View Page survived the storm and growing strong! Im hoping to pollinate some female blooms and then thin out the vines leaving only 2 of the 6 I have now. I hate to but I know I need to. Friday, June 19 View Page a big storm rolled in while hubby and I were in Nashville at the hospital. I had my 12 yr old and my 15 yr old put up the wind break. BAD idea, some vines got crushed, some moved. I had to eliminate 2 vines :( Im down to 4 now. **note to self** better to risk the wind than send two teens to the patch! Sunday, June 21 View Page found these on a leaf today, dunno what it is but it cant be good! Sunday, June 21 View Page also noticed this today, not sure how serious it is. Im hoping to get some info from fellow BP members :) Im pretty sure I'll have to cull out at least 2 more vines this may have to be one of them. Sunday, June 21 View Page this is one of the 3 sunflowers that have survived, its quite a confused lil thing! lol Sunday, June 21 View Page should I try to pollinate both and then decide which to keep? or eliminate both and keep the one a lil further out? These are about 10 feet out. Tuesday, June 23 View Page pollinated my first blossom today :) very exciting. Friday, June 26 View Page my vines are looking poorly, Im not sure what kind of damage this is. I saw a few squash bug eggs this morning so I sprinkled with Sevin again. I laid boards around but so far I havent seen any bugs under them. I already lost a vine to a bore I cant afford to lose another. Friday, June 26 View Page My first attempt at hand pollination. This is the twins who we affectionately call Beavis and Butthead LOL they will have to be eliminated but I wanted to get in some pollination practice before I had to do the 'keeper' which is a lil further out. These guys are at about 8 feet, not as far as I originally thought. **note to self, measure dont guess!** Monday, June 29 View Page they are not growing as fast as I had hoped. I guess I should go ahead and eliminate one of them. Not sure which one it should be though Monday, June 29 View Page Pollinated on June 23.. pic taken June 28..growing a lil faster than the other two Monday, June 29 View Page Final pic of the twins. They were not growing very well so I decided to sacrifice Butthead to give Beavis a chance to grow. Lets hope it works. Monday, June 29 View Page R.I.P Butthead :( Monday, June 29 View Page Dont have a clue what Im looking for here but thought it would be educational to peek inside. It looks more like a squash.. is this normal? Monday, June 29 View Page still looks like a squash to me but then again I know about as much about squash as I do pumpkins.. ZIP, ZERO,ZILCH! lol Monday, June 29 View Page Im sure Im not measuring correctly but its just an estimate for myself. Homer seems to be growing faster than the 'keeper' Monday, June 29 View Page Homer looks like an onion. Whats with my punkins anyway?? One looks like a squash and the other one an onion?!?! hmmm Thursday, July 2 View Page Beavis seems to be growing a lil better since Butthead was eliminated Thursday, July 2 View Page pollen thieves! Thursday, July 2 View Page The Pollinator... "I'll be back" he need sunglasses! lol Thursday, July 2 View Page Cuke beetle. An evil little bugger, hes gone to buggy heaven now Thursday, July 2 View Page Homer is still chugging along Saturday, July 4 View Page Pollinated another bloom this morning... if it sets I'll name her 'Lady Liberty' Sunday, July 5 View Page Beavis is turning into quite an ugly fellow. Ive come to the realization that I wont be growing a giant this yr.... however next year... IT'S ON!! lol Sunday, July 5 View Page Homer was my fastest grower but he's slowing down :( Sunday, July 5 View Page My newest baby, Liberty, so named cause she was hand pollinated on the 4th of July :) Sunday, July 5 View Page Im ashamed to post these next few pics :( Sunday, July 5 View Page is this bug damage? Sunday, July 5 View Page the leaf edges look awful, I dont know what to do Sunday, July 5 View Page Now dont laugh at my portable fence LOL I use it on Halloween for my 'cemetery' I dragged it out of storage to keep my hubby and his lawn mower away from my vines.. what little is left of them :( Thursday, July 9 View Page put on sevin spray after sunset, hopefully that will help hold down the buggers. I pollinated my last bloom on the 6th. If it takes that'll give me 4, I dont plan to pollinate any more but we'll see. The county fair is on the 27th Im anxious to see what pumpkins are entered. Wanna see the competition for next yr! lol Thursday, July 9 View Page Im worried about the stem angle on Liberty. At the moment she's growing really well but Im not sure what to do about the 'up and over' angle of her stem. Being a complete newbie Im almost afraid to do anything. Any suggestions?? (5 days old, 5 lobes, pollinated July 4th) Thursday, July 9 View Page this is what I believe is a more typical stem angle. Someone please correct me if Im wrong. Thursday, July 9 View Page Homer is 16 days old and was 3 lobes. He was pollinated just to see if I could. I planned to eliminate him when another female bloom came along father out but so far I havent had one. Hes chugging along nicely. Thursday, July 9 View Page Beavis is a 16 day old, 4 lobe pumpkin. He's not a handsome fellow but being a twin to Butthead I wouldnt expect him to be! lol Thursday, July 9 View Page Liberty- 5 days old (5 lobe) pollinated on the 4th of July :) shes a beauty but Im worried about her stem angle Thursday, July 9 View Page Lola - 3 days old (5 possibly 6 lobe) Tuesday, July 14 View Page Big Bad Homer... I know, I know hes nothing to brag about BUT concidering hes my very first pumpkin Im proud of him! lol Tuesday, July 14 View Page Beavis 22 days old, same as Homer Tuesday, July 14 View Page Miss Liberty, 10 days old Tuesday, July 14 View Page Miss Lola, 8 days old Tuesday, July 14 View Page leaf damage Tuesday, July 14 View Page more leaf damage Tuesday, July 14 View Page another view Tuesday, July 14 View Page and another Tuesday, July 14 View Page probably posting too many but hopefully someone will see and have a clue whats wrong Tuesday, July 14 View Page last one Sunday, July 26 View Page pic taken July 24th... Beavis has practically stopped growing :( Sunday, July 26 View Page Homer has also stopped growing.. hes turning more orange Sunday, July 26 View Page Liberty is still growing nicely Sunday, July 26 View Page Lola is growing faster than Liberty now Tuesday, July 28 View Page My dearest Homer was picked today for entry into the county fair.. good news is he won a blue ribbon!! Not bad for my very first pumpkin. Even better news is Lola is bigger than Homer and is still growing. Homer had slowed WAY down and was changing color, thats the reason I picked him instead of Lola. Im putting all my 'giant' hopes on Miss Lola :) Tuesday, July 28 View Page Lola has out grown her little house, sadly Liberty who was pollinated 2 days earlier has NOT out grown her house. Tuesday, July 28 View Page Lola's new quarters. Im hoping this will work. Suggestions are welcome :) Tuesday, July 28 View Page Miss Lola at 21 days old. Shes my last growing pumpkin, Beavis and Liberty are stagnant :( the good news is Miss Lola is bigger than Homer and still going :) Tuesday, July 28 View Page Grow Lola Grow! (pretty please with sugar on top) Tuesday, July 28 View Page sunflower stalk. I didnt give my sunflowers any attention this yr.. they were just thrown in the ground at the last minute. I was really impressed with how big this one got I think I'll show them a lil love next yr. Thursday, July 30 View Page Miss Lola measures in at 23" from stem to blossom and 46" around horizontally. She's gotten too big to do a vertical circumference, or maybe Im just too scared to risk moving her. lol Thursday, July 30 View Page I was pretty sure my season was over, then this morning I found this..Im 99% certain its powdery mildew. If I were a more experienced grower I might have a fighting chance but being a newbie and concidering the already poor health of the vine/leaves Im done for. I'll look to the bright side and try not to cry. Im gonna take the info Ive gleened and invest in more, I'll get better products and a bigger patch. I will get a soil test done and prepare the bed for next season. My goal was to beat my sister which I did, next yr I'll set higher goals ;) Thursday, July 30 View Page My season may be over....BUT Thursday, July 30 View Page ...yours is too!!! Friday, July 31 View Page Miss Lola is still trucking along... shes a full 10" bigger than Homer wooohooo GO LOLA!! Friday, July 31 View Page pollinated June 23rd..cut free of the vine today. 38 days old and a pityful 19 lbs :( I think he has nice color and striping tho Friday, July 31 View Page The ugly ducking of the patch, Beavis, 38 days old and only 19 lbs :( Friday, July 31 View Page Sittin' in the patch trying to talk Lola into gaining 100 lbs... thats Miss Liberty to the right, shes 2 days older but not nearly as big. Thursday, August 13 View Page My season is over. Lola weighed in at 40 lbs, definately not a giant but thats ok I'll do better next yr :)