Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 28 Entries. Saturday, January 1 View Page Happy Year to all growers from Estonia. I guess this is the first entry overall to 2011 DP diaries. The picture describes the it all, 2+ feet on the ground and snowing.... Cleaning places from snow keeps one fit for the summer. Waiting for the main road to be ploughed by a tractor. Meanwhile the snow shoes hanging on the wall of the main house on the left are handy to move around. Has been a pretty exceptional start of the winter here in Finland/Estonia, now 6 weeks continously below the freezing point and LOTS of snow. Saturday, January 1 View Page Meant Happy New Year naturally. I missed the first entry by a few seconds obviously. Just digging around today and under the snow the soil in not frozen att all. And the weather prophets are promising a warm spring. We remain waiting this prophecy to come true and meanwhile add some wood to the fireplace. Sunday, January 30 View Page First weak signs of spring. Our houses at the sunset. It has been above zero for several days, snow is collapsing, and small creeks and ditches are open and filling with water. The thing on the right is our new summer kitchen, still missing wood fire stove/oven to be masoned. My wife is really waiting this one to be ready for the first harvest from the garden. Estonian crafting heritage includes the thached water reed roofs. No plastic etc used under, these roofs are made to hold at least 70 years. I just wonder which modern material can take same beating and hold together for such a long time. I also probed the patch a bit and the soil was totally unfrozen, and even found worms a few inches below the surface doing their work and processing the compost mulch to natural fertilizer. It is going to be no dig policy here and we are growing everything in a totally organic way. At least this is the plan. Tuesday, April 12 View Page Back in business finally. My line up 2011 filed and soaked today and germinating hopefully with the paper towel/ plastic bag method in a few days. Thanks for everyone helping me out with the seeds. Monday, April 18 View Page All germinated in 36 hours, now under a fluoroscent light for 14 hours a day, potted on 13/14th April. Prepared the patches, looks wild but have decided to go with no till. Soil looks nice , pretty dry already and lots of worms below the mulch. Added some seaweed, horse manure/turf mix and covered with plastic for heating. Transplanting most likely to happen on the 29/30th, depending on the night temperatures still below the freezing point. Friday, April 22 View Page There are some now with curly cots. After studying a bit, nothing is lost if the first true leave is ok. Otherwise the plants are really fine looking, low and sturdy. If anyone has a definitive answer why curly cots occur, I would like to hear about that toavoid in the future. Wednesday, April 27 View Page The seedlings are getting a bit too big (14 days now), and they have to wait 3-4 days to get transplanted, now in a garden house. However all these look better than the best of my last year seedlings. The curly cots have straigtened out. I gave at around 8 days age some organic Biobizz Grow (chili)fertilizer, with which it is practically impossible to give an overdose. Seems to work. I have also myco mixed with the potting soil. All these will be transplanted with good dose of myco.However before that I must get them to the summer house in one piece, 180 miles trip + 2.5 hours on a boat, before they see their patches. I have all the hoop houses on place since the 24th to warm up the soil further. Nice near 40 degree (C) temperatures in the sunshine inside the totally plastic covered hoops should raise the soil temperature. Monday, May 2 View Page I had seedlings transplanted yesterday in hoophouses after 4 days and nighst out in the pots in a hoophouse, as I had to leave for work for the week. We had a cold front coming through after summerly temperatures last week. The forecast did not tell that almost the whole night temperatures would several degrees centigrade (3-4) below the freezing point, however this happened. My wife called in the morning and told that my whole lineup is frostbitten and gone.... 2 x 1240 Bogie, 2x 993 Vincent-McGill, 1229 Sundin, 1276 Marsh, 1448 Barlow, 661* Rivington, 689* Mäntyniemi. I was too eager obviously to get an early start. I'm sorry to mess up the support from you guys, who helped me with the seeds. What can you do. The only thing is to germinate a new set of seed and start again a couple of weeks later. Saturday, May 7 View Page After the shock on Monday morning the new set was filed soaked and all germinated 36 hours. The lineup is: 1622 Young, 1343.5 Lyons, 1062.5 Stelts, 1229 Sundin, 1493 Shenoha, and for orange 988 Janowiak and 929 Krueger. I have a cople of Barlow 1448s as backup. All have now cots and I'm planning to transplant them on the 15th. If nothing else germinating seeds is in the grip now. Monday, June 6 View Page I'm down to 1622 Young, 1343.5 Lyons, 1062.5 Stelts and 988 Janowiak plus I transpanted Krueger once again to a different place just to produce some orange halloween pumpkins. For the second round no casualties yet. The weather is pretty hot at the moment, so they should be about the same speed as last year. All except Lyons were transplanted on the 14th of May with Symbivit Myco. I sprayed them around the 30th May with Lithovit. Some say too early, but how could it harm pumpkins (pretty aggressive plant) as it does good for other plants first sprayed from the first true leaves? Everything happens for a cause, but where would I be now with the original set? Plants are in the hoop houses, and not easy to get proper photos, so I skip that on this stage. They look to me ok, the only thing I can say 1622 Young is really bulky and mean looking. Saturday, June 11 View Page Absolutely great weather for the last week. Here is a picture of my 1622 Young, which is looking great with thick bulky main vine and beautiful leaves. Not so long yet because of the late start but this one could produce something really big. Had some difficulties when holding the hoop up with one hand and taking a picture with the other. Tuesday, July 12 View Page All are now pollinated at least 2 times at the main vines, first ones maybe too close to the stump between 8-11 feet. 1622 Young pollinated with 1062.5 Stelts and vice versa. 988 Janowiak with 929 Kruger ( which I kept for pollinating purposes in a separate small patch). Lyons has first one with Janowiak (cross "decided" by my wife while I was away) and second one with 1062.5. All seem to have taken, 1622 fruit is a very slow starter, but it has the strongest plant behind.Deadheaded some sides as they were pretty long already. Maybe it is still focusing on vegetative growth. Janowiak has be biggest one at the moment, with the weakest plant and only at 8' so maybe I go for the next one at 11'. Pictures will follow later, as I start measuring only at 15 days, which will during the weekend. Applied Lithovit now twice since transplantation, nettle "brew" (very stinky) while watering two times and my own formula aerated kelp tea from dried kelp as foliar application yesterday. 1622 and 1062.5 deep dark green, so mostly I'm applying now only water. So I have kept my all organic promise. Saturday, July 23 View Page 1622 Young D20. OTT 160", now gaining about 18 lbs a day. After slow start now pretty much in good speed. Saturday, July 30 View Page 1622 Young the fastest growing compared to the others. Second 28 lbs day in a row, and it was pretty cloudy and rainy. 23,5 lbs daily average for the last week, I can live with that. 1062.5 Stelts now picking up speed (15 a day) and so is Janowiak. However 1343.5 Lyons should finally start get going as it had a great start but now is stalled to a ridiculous 10 lbs a day speed. Looks to be totally ok, but does not grow for a reason I have no clue of. Monday, August 1 View Page Rain or shine 1622 Young keeps on delivering the regular daily 28 lbs, amazingly even growth. Tomorrow will be 30D and continuing this speed will get me easy over my personal best from the last year, assuming it holds together as it is (OTT) over 300 lbs already. Stelts and Janowiak also getting better growth speed, no change for the Lyons plant. I gave them yesterday Lithovit foliar spray and some potassium sulphate as well (accepted for all organic growing as well). Also providing the nettle "brew" once a week. Very stinky but so much nutrients and trace elements. I'm burying the vines with manure-compost-peat mixture, but this is all the fertilizers they get. Tuesday, August 2 View Page 1622 Young 30d today with circ 105" and OTT 250",around 335 lbs. The blossom end is a bit worrying with a deep rib (?), but nevertheless, this could be a big one. The night was cold and just when I said it keeps a steady pace, the growth came down to 21 lbs. But suits me if it keeps that for the next 40 days. Friday, August 5 View Page Again cold night 10 C, but amazing growth from Young pushing another 26 lbs. Now last 10 days 24.5 lbs average. This is a great plant. 1062.5 Stelts also around 16 lbs speed can develop to a reasonably size (at least with the Nordic climate standard) fruit. Janowiak also showing signs of accelerating growth. Good development but too late. The lesson learned: a fruit at 8 feet on the main vine next year will be a keeper. Missing some 7 days of waiting something to get pollinated 3-5 feet later will not be compensated during our short potential period of warm weeks. Pollinate early and then build a "Joze type" system/pattern http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=387240 to support the fruit in the middle. That is my plan. Sunday, August 14 View Page 1622 Young BES on Day 41, unfortunately again the best fruit is gone. Sunday, August 14 View Page It became 577 EST DMG Ollila 2011. This could have been my 1000 pounder.... Stong plant, now is pulled out from the patch. Quite thin blossom end and could not take the 3 inches of rain last week. Saturday, August 27 View Page 1062.5 Stelts now 50d OTT 283 around 480 lbs. Blossom end quite a bird bath, and sitting on her stem, but can get over 300. Saturday, August 27 View Page Got Orange. 988 Janowiak aka "Plan B" has gained around 17 lbs a day during the last 10, now at 51 days OTT 291 and estimated at 523 lbs. Nice colour and soft skin, so it should keep on growing. Let's hope for a warm September. Personal record still within reach. Sunday, September 11 View Page Janowiak d65 and OTT around 680. The only one can find from this seed is Janowiak 1133 and it ended up 10% light. The problem also is that I have to harvest is next weekend, a bit too early but want to get this to the official GPC weigh off. Even if light it should be my personal best. This is from my weakest patch (tilled first time this spring) and still a great looking steady growing pumpkin. Shazzy had these seeds in their sale last year. Get and grow this seed, folks! There must be some around somewhere. I for sure have still one. Sunday, September 11 View Page 988 is seed, forgot the number in front of Janowiak. This one is Stelts 1062.5. "Snowy White" is not white anymore, has blushing tones in her colour. D64 around 550 lbs, growing slowly. Monday, September 12 View Page Just when everything looks promising you get another confirmation that this is a character building sport. My 988 got a rib split just 5 days before harvesting. This is a real pity as if has a wonderful colour and for sure would have been a candidate for The Howard Dill Award. Thursday, September 29 View Page After all I managed to get something to the Finnish weigh-off and with the 1062.5 Stelts fruit managed to hit a huge 0.2 lbs over my PB, now 606 lbs. However we got a new Finnish record with 925.5 with a new grower from 1725 Sweet seed. So the 1000 barrier can be broken. I will have photos later. Just to summarize the season, 8 seedlings frozen on the first night out. Then 1622 Young at 42 days old 577 lbs (OTT) and got a Blossom end split. 988 Janowiak created a rib split just 5 days before harvesting and ended up a bit below 691 (OTT) 71 days old. I must check by soil values, as both of these had 2 or more internal cracks. Can also be because of very heavy rains. 1622 Young was well over 1000 lbs speed with consistent growth of two weeks at 25lbs/day and I know now that it is possible to grow here a 1000 pounder even without a green house. Just have to work on that a bit. This sport builds character, for sure. Have said that earlier and can confirm it again. Thursday, October 13 View Page So what I managed to grow this year was 577 (42 days old) EST DMG from 1622 Young, 691 EST DMG (71 days) and finally 606 Ollila 2011, the only one to the scale. These laughing seed are from the 606. Why do they split, anyone? Thursday, October 13 View Page And here is the new Finnish record pumpkin by Jari Hämäläinen out of 1725 Sweet. 925.5 Hämäläinen. The pumpkin lost its stem already something like 10 days before the weight-off, but these folks managed get it to dry really well. Looks a bit wild but was within the rules and totally dry and hard. Photo by Aami. Saturday, October 22 View Page Is this kelp meal or what? There is plenty more where this came from. Starting to prepare patches...