Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 60 Entries. Monday, January 21 View Page Good Luck to everyone in 2013! Here's a picture of a package I really look forward to receiving each winters. Thank you to everyone who participated with me and a big thank you to Shannon for making this a reality. Friday, February 22 View Page Wish I was at the GPC Big Show in Vegas. Instead having a fun Friday night potting pepper plants. Giant Red Pepper from Chris Fasciano(via the giant veggie seed exchange), and some "7-Pot Brain Strain" hot peppers from Todd Kramer. Saturday, March 9 View Page TAKE THAT CONGRESS! Saturday, March 9 View Page Sequester this Obama!!! Friday, March 15 View Page Planning on going All In this year, like never before. Nutri Cal and Nutri K were added to my fert rotation last year, and I have no doubt they were what helped me break out of my 400 pound slump. Saturday, March 16 View Page Biggest problem is picking two. Need a bigger patch! Saturday, March 30 View Page I hope spring is here to stay! I'm excited to grow these Holloway lope seeds this year, especially the 44. Man it would be so cool to grow a 5-Gallon pail sized lope. Saturday, March 30 View Page Tall Sunflowers & Tall Corn. Going to rock the Tall Corn contest at the IA State Fair this year (in Pioneer Hall, the day before the fair starts). Its hard to believe Don Radda's world record 31 foot tall world record from 1946 has never been beat. Sunday, April 7 View Page Done last week Sunday, April 7 View Page I'm so glad its that time of year again! Going to start the 606 C/P today for IA State Fair. Thursday, May 2 View Page Its May 2nd and its snowing. Yesterday when it was nice outside I added amendments to my patch and tilled one more time. Leaving Saturday for a week. Hopefully my family will help keep these babies alive till I get back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL6ICT55LAo Wednesday, May 29 View Page Flood>Flood>Drought>Drought>Flood Saturday, June 1 View Page June 1st Garden Update . . . Saturday, June 1 View Page I think we had about 15 inches of rain during the month of May, the wettest May on record in Iowa. 606 C/P is finally starting to run. Saturday, June 1 View Page On June 1st of last year I pollinated the first female flower that opened on my fair plant, so maybe I'm not that far behind after all? Saturday, June 1 View Page Big Zac maters Saturday, June 1 View Page Giant Red Peppers (seeds were from the 2013 Giant Veggie Seed Exchange) Saturday, June 1 View Page Super Hot Peppers: 7-Pot Brain Strain in the back, and Trinidad Scorpion Moruga in front Saturday, June 1 View Page 44 Holloway lopes, probably ready to go outside Saturday, June 1 View Page The first few true leaves of my pumpkin plants come out all crumpled. Pictured is my 1789 Wallace plants. Just like last year . . . http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=178289 http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=178721 Saturday, June 1 View Page Same thing on my 903's. I think I've finally figured out what I'm doing wrong with my seed starting protocol that's been causing this. Friday, June 7 View Page Pollination #2 done, 606 C/P X Self Sunday, June 16 View Page I've had a really really busy spring with work, out of state travel, kid's activities, yadda yadda, so I'm playing a little catch-up with my diary. Here's my spring soil test from early April Sunday, June 16 View Page Recommendations Sunday, June 16 View Page Last page Sunday, June 16 View Page Amendments which were tilled in back in April. With the record breaking amount of rain we had here in May, I hope some of this stuff is still in the soil. Sunday, June 16 View Page That's better Sunday, June 16 View Page I tilled in a couple bags of Chickity Doo Doo (LOL!) last week to replace the nitrogen which undoubtedly leached out with all the rain Sunday, June 16 View Page My 903, delivered to a friend's patch in Des Moines last week. Looking forward to seeing how the 903 performs for her and the other folks who are growing it this year. Sunday, June 16 View Page 1789 Wallace - was one of my H2O2 victims this spring. I pulled it today (actually relocated it as carefully as I could to my neighbor's garden). I replaced it with a 1872 Wallace. Sunday, June 16 View Page 606 C/P Sunday, June 16 View Page 44 Holloway lope. Planted six of these last week. Sunday, June 16 View Page Pumpkins aren't the only things growing big this year - check out the size of these poison ivy leaves! Sunday, June 16 View Page Poison Ivy Identification Week ribbon. You know the feeling . . . help spread awareness so your friends and family can learn to identify and avoid this plant. Wednesday, June 19 View Page Pollination #3 on June 12 (3 lobe), Pollination #4 on June 17 (4 lobe). Both selfed. Saturday, June 29 View Page Saw first SVB's of the season. Gave my pumpkins a reinforcing shot of Merit, along with some PHC Bio Pak Plus Monday, July 1 View Page 606 C/P X Self, Day 12 Friday, July 12 View Page Day 24. Headed to West Virginia next week for work. So glad my son Trevor will be here to keep this baby growing when I'm gone Friday, July 19 View Page Got home today from spending a week working at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. One week of Not spraying Liquid Fence around my plants and the #$!@% Deer attacked my plants. Tall sunflowers were about 5 feet tall when I left - now they're defoliated :-( Friday, July 19 View Page Even worse they ate the leaves and growth tip off the end of the main on my 1872 Wallace plant, and of a couple secondaries on my 606 C/P. Also nibbles off the ends of my Lope vines :-( Bummer, but goes to show that Liquid Fence works - when I spray it regularly this doesn't happen. Wednesday, July 24 View Page My one pumpkin has been chugging along gaining 15 pounds per day this month. Unless something drastically changes, looks like I'm out of the running for the IA State Fair. This will be a fall weigh-off pumpkin. Thursday, August 8 View Page 2lb 3.8oz Saturday, August 10 View Page Got this a couple of years ago from a PHC rep, but wasn't 100% about using it due to mixed reviews. Since my season hasn't been going so great decided to go for it - applied to pumpkins, maters, and lopes. Hopefully will see a positive effect Saturday, August 17 View Page Tall Corn today. Tallest stalks are 11 - 12 feet. Hopefully the shorter ones will keep going. Even the tall corn is behind last year: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=18535 Sunday, August 25 View Page Trinidad Scorpion Moruga peppers Sunday, August 25 View Page 1872 Wallace X Self, Day 10, on the plant that has bounce back from two deer attacks. Only 41 days till Pumpkinfest, grow baby grow!!! Monday, August 26 View Page Another personal best . . . 2 Pounds 4.2 Ounces - Big Zac Tuesday, August 27 View Page Since who knows the next time I'll grow a mater over 2#, thought I'd get a legit weight like I see others doing. Tuesday, August 27 View Page Scale Sticker Tuesday, August 27 View Page Exactly 2 Pounds 4 Ounces of Tomato(AKA deli shaved ham :-)) Wednesday, August 28 View Page DAMN DEER!!!!! My hopes of getting a pumpkin on my 1872 Wallace plant were ended two nights ago. Bummer!!!!! Sunday, September 15 View Page Was gardening today with Elyse. Everything was going fine until . . . Sunday, September 15 View Page this doesn't look right !?! Sunday, September 15 View Page the stem had rotted off a couple of weeks ago, so I thought that area if anything would be the problem. To the contrary that are is intact (behind the hand in the picture). I wonder if a mouse or a mole chew hole caused this? It was 88 DAP, and had quit growing at the end of July. Sunday, September 15 View Page Walls were nice and uniformly thick 8 - 9 inches all the way around. We cut it into pieces and weighed them on our bathroom scale. So this 606 Carlson/Petersen 2011 X Self is now the 430 Boelman DMG, UOW. Sunday, September 22 View Page Came across a copy of the 2013 Old Farmers Almanac and turned to the weather prediction page for the "Heartland" (IA, IL, MO) for this year - showing near normal temperatures and rainfall for July & August. Boy were they wrong! Friday, October 11 View Page I can second this motion: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=210778 Friday, October 11 View Page Open house night at my daughters' school. I notice the adjective "giant" is no where on this list, LOL! Thursday, October 17 View Page I need to get one of these! Tuesday, November 19 View Page Congrats to my friend Michelle (Team Bastian) who's pumpkin is featured in this month's issue of the Zanfel Zone newsletter: http://www.webfulfillment.com/ega/lp.asp?l=319