Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 52 Entries. Wednesday, May 4 View Page Hello, I decided to start a diary this year. I wont be posting pictures unless they are interesting so it will be more of an information diary. I am outside Buffalo NY in West Seneca. I have a small patch with 1 good section and one thats new from this past fall. The bettwr of teh 2 can accomadate a plant up to maybe 650-750 sq ft and the other is smaller about 350-400 sq ft. Wednesday, May 4 View Page I have 2 homemade green house structures and soil cables that have yet to go in. I am waiting for the ground to dry prior to tilling and adding humic acid and liqued gypsum. I'll be using pumpkinpro, co2, azos, soluable kelp and neptunes fish. Wednesday, May 4 View Page After alot of thought I decided on growing the 1332 wolf and the 870 wolf. Monday, May 9 View Page ammended with humic acid and liqued gypsum as well as dehydrated cow manure in a new section of patch. Installed heat cables and greenhouses. temp via digital kitchen therm was 70-79 depending on where I placed the probe. Started 1332 wolf and 870 wolf with 4 hour soak. Using cut open butter containers taped together instead of peat pots as I seem to have difficulty with the pots. Thursday, May 12 View Page 1332 wolf root is deformed. ipeeled off teh seed coat and found a rot spot. i removed this and put back in soil. Checked it today and is looks like a root buds forming off the "club root". The 870 wolf was transplanted to a larger container good root system but not breaking teh soil yet. I started a 1274 wolf, 550 van hook and 1232 bailey as alternatives to the 1332. my guess is that its gong to be very slow. Saturday, May 21 View Page Best laid plans....... My 2 patch sections are perfect, dry and warm but my seedlings just seem sluggish. I planted yesterday following teh directions on the extrem pumpkin stores fert plan. the better section measures at about 480 sq. feet it now has whats left of the 1332 wolf and the 870 wolf. The 1332 is not growing, its green but no true leaves--may use it as a pollinator as its probbaly 2weeks behind. the 870 looks good except the 1st true leaf curled a bit, maybe not enought venting this am. colled it down with water The 2nd section(260 sq feet) has the 1274 wolf whcih unfortunately got a broken cot from me messing around in teh cold frame. Also teh 1232 bailey(986 pukosx1407 wolf) its sturdy and looks good. so think it may be the 870 and the 1232 crossed with the 1332. Monday, May 23 View Page Renewed hope. I stopped out to andy wolf's patch yesterday( I am only about an hour away) and he was kind enough to give me several of his unused backup plants. All of which are gigantic compared to my pitiful seedlings. This should put me back on track. So I now have a really nice 1332 and 870 wolf growing. They responded well to planting yesterday and i very lightly watered this am after venting teh frames. The 1332 is a bit of an upright grower so I planted it at about 45-50 degree angle and mounded over it. Placed bamboo sticks to help keep the vine tip down as this am it looked like it wanted to go upright again. Tuesday, May 31 View Page 1332 wolf growing strong, the vine reached past the end of the 4.5 foot cold frame with 13 true leaves as of this am. secondaries and tap root forming nicely. the 870 wolf is doing well at 6 true leaves and staring to vine out. Applied neptunes and kelp folier and drench yesterday evening. Wednesday, June 8 View Page Here is a pic of the wolf 1332. About 11 feet long with the 1st 2 secondaries on each side being 3 ft.Pulled 2 females off already. This morning I found cucumber beetles. First time I have seen these in about 4 years. Maybe 8- 10 of them despite spraying triaziacide 2 days ago, but it did rain yesterday morning here. So I sprayed again despite the sun coming up benefits outweighed the risk. I will switch back to orthomax spray for teh next application in a few days, thats what I used the past 4 years. All secondaries are buried as well as the main. I pulled out the soaker hoses and will make 1 more attempt with them to see if feeding from both ends will work to get water throughout. Otherwise its going to be soaker hose dripline with pressure compensating built in emmiters from irrigation direct. Silt fence working well for a wind break. Wednesday, June 8 View Page Here is the 870 wolf. Less agressive than the 1332 but also in a less prepared site. Very thick main. Secondaries about 8 inches long. No cucumber beetles on this plant. Sprayed anyways with triaziacide.Will figure out irrigation for here as well. Wednesday, June 8 View Page Came home this evening to find more cucumber beetles despite spraying triazicide this morning. I sprayed what i had left in teh sprayer and it seemd to not even touch them. I then mixed up orthomax sprayed and they almost immediatly did a little dance and fell of the plant. So maybe my ratio was off with teh triazicide. Took off 2 leaves i have been watching that had some burn spots and cracks form teh wind last week, they were also looking a little yellow. ordered dripline soaker hose from irrigation direct. Monday, June 13 View Page Found this guy on an old eastern soviet block pumpkin growing website. Best pumpkin protection you can have. You wouldnt believe the bribes needed to get him through customs. Tuesday, June 14 View Page Picture of the 870 wolf. Notice the 2 secondaries(yellow) with 2 leaf stalks(green) at 1 node. This is the case at probably half of the nodes so far. Friday, June 17 View Page 1332 wolf with new dripline soaker hose from irrigation direct. Went in easy and works very well. Would have been easier without a plant in the way. New female at about 13 feet, probably ready by the end of june, will try and pollinate it but the ideal spot will be about another 3 feet out around that little rose of sharon tree. Who put that there? Friday, June 17 View Page 870 wolf with irrigation in place. 1st female at end of main, not quite far enough along to pollinate as secondaries are just starting to take off. Applied drench and foliar of fish, kelp and jacks on wed to both plants and that its until after pollination with the exception of orthomax as needed and Co2 probably tomorrow. Thursday, June 23 View Page with the rain we had thsi week it triggered a tremendous am,ount of sec and tert growth. Cut out all the extras in the 1332. the 870 has not gotten the terts yet. will sib pollinate the 1332 at about 16 feet tommorrow, i should have about 3 good males and the females looks like it will open tomm. 870 is about 2 weeks out on pollinating, i pinched off the 1 female as it was only about 8-9 feet with minimal secondary growtrh. Saturday, June 25 View Page sib pollinated my main 1332 wolf 3 males( 4 lobe) and reverse sib on the pollinator(5 lobe-perfectly round) which is growing in a big flower pot. 2nd female on the main 1332 is 2 nodes away on opposite side probably 10 days out. Thursday, June 30 View Page 5 days old, 2 more to pollinate in the main coming up. My secondary pollination was pulled as there seemd to be some sort of rot. I cut 2 secondaries back about 3 feet wiped with alcohol and captan Tuesday, July 5 View Page Pollinated the 870 wolf 5 lobes with 1332 pollen. This will hopefully be the primary fruit on this plant. Females on the main have been very sparse, the next one is not up for at least another 8-10 days. i will start a few on secondaries just in case. Thursday, July 7 View Page This is the 1332 wolf day 12 pollinated on 6/25. Noticed a stem split that I wiped with alcohol and captan. OTT measures= 20# there is however a split at teh main stem junction--next picture Thursday, July 7 View Page this is the main stem junction split. wiped with alcohol and piut captan on. it opened up more from yesterday. I dont have a pic of the larger stem split as its on the underside of the stem. Thursday, July 7 View Page I have one other set about 5 feet away pollinated 7/1/11 6 days old and slightly bigger than the 6/25 fruit for 6 days. also in a better position(maybe)I'll watch and compare the day 12 values unles sit becomes an obvious problem. Friday, July 15 View Page 1332 wolf day 20 today 75"cir--140pounds 3 way ott 180" --134# Sunday, July 17 View Page 1332 wolf at 84" cir for 183# and 201 OTT for 181# this morning. averging 21.5 to 23.5#/day depending on the measure used since 7/15. Culled the final fruit on the main yesterday. The 870fruit is looking good at 11 days only 1 scratch on it. No measures yet. i watered quite a bit yesterday (temps in the 90's yest and today)and the 870 patch held quote a bit whereas the 1332 seemed to drain better. i did install a cutoff so i can water each plant seperatly whcih is what i may need to do. Tuesday, July 19 View Page pic of the 870 fruit 13 days..lopsided Wednesday, July 20 View Page 1332 wolf day 25 100" cir=282 235" OTT= 282 Sunday, July 24 View Page pic of the 870 wolf. Previous posted pic shows it to be lopsided. It seems to be filling out at this point. today is day 19 cir 75" ott 177" for 140/128#. 1332 wolf day 29, cir 117" ott 264" 419/394# Tuesday, July 26 View Page Found PM on the zucchini in a seperate garden. I have been spraying the ag's with garden disease control(chlorothalanil) and 40% milk spray. The 1332 was clear but the 870 had some spotting on low growing tert growth. i cleared this out and sprayed both plants with immunox+ (same ai as eagle)on sat. with the rain we had yesterday and due later this week i will move up the spray schedule and spray again with immunox on fri. Monday, August 1 View Page 1332 wolf day 37 cir-127 ott296 550# Picture of of my australian shepherd with awards from the open sheep and duck divisions from the Tee Creek ASCA Stockdog trial, Wellend Ontario, this past saturday. Tuesday, August 2 View Page 870 wolf day 27 102 cir 296# 236 ott 286# growing slow but steady, avg of about 21#/day. smaller plant than the 1332. Has some leaves with yellow spots. Mostly young growth, probbaly a nutrient issue. These spots dont seem to develop PM but I have been rotating immunox+ and garden disease control on a 7 day rotation. Wednesday, August 3 View Page Found a small stem end split on the 1332 today. More of a superficial crack in the skin near a shallow rib about 3/4 in. long-no depth to it(growth crack?). It was oozed over with clear sap. Applied captan and put the fan on it. Noticed several areas that had droplets that then seem to scab over creating the cantoloping. Friday, August 12 View Page Found quite a bit of PM on the 870 despite rotating garden disease control(GDC) and immunox. The bloom ocurred after spraying the GDC followed by 2 days of rain. The 1332 showed only a few spots. Sprayed heavy immunox tues and wed with spot treatment thurs. will spray again today and then shift to a 5 day application. The GDC seemed to allow the PM in during the heat wave we had as well. 1332 is maintained at 18-23#/day with teh 870 at a consistent 20#/day Sunday, August 14 View Page 870 wolf growing steady at 18-21#/day, 497# today. Lots of PM in this plant. 3 applications of immunox this past week with spot treatment in between. Seems to have gotten it under control. It will be on a 4 day rotation. Sunday, August 14 View Page 1332 sneaking up out of the patch. Difficult to measure as the top of the blossum end is larger than the bottom so circumference is a ?. Very up and down growth, as high as 27# this week to as low at 13. Growth picked up with covering both pumpkins with old heavy bed spreads at night. Wednesday, August 24 View Page 1332 wolf doing ok. Increase to 15#/day sun to monday after the rain this past weekend. Increase in Cir measure puts it at 902#. Removed some tert growth. 870 wolf did not put on any more mass than normal after the rain. Found out why this morning--found a 5# pumpkin hidden under the canopy near the stump. Took that and about 8-10 feet of tert growth out. That may have allowed the stump to dry out as it had been oozing oover the weekend. Found quite a few females on teh 870 teh past 2-3 days. Both due for immunox/kelp and trizicide today. Wednesday, August 24 View Page 1332 developed quite a few growth splits in the shoulders after the rain as well some are almost 1/4in wide. Saturday, September 17 View Page 1332 pic day 83 growing slowly... First year growing atlantic giants. The 1332 wolf sibbed is over 1000# on 410 sq feet of plant. 870 wolf crossed with the 1332 is tapping at 730# on 228 sq feet of plant. Thursday, September 22 View Page Recieved a suggestion to post a pic of actually how small my plants are so here is an overhead roof pic of the 1332 Thursday, September 22 View Page 870 wolf Friday, September 30 View Page 1332 lifted up Friday, September 30 View Page On the trailer Friday, September 30 View Page All sorts of visitors to the patch, A certain someone left this bottle. Yes he is very interesting and despite not drinking beer often when he does he drinks Dos XX Friday, September 30 View Page pic above is the 1332 stump here is the 1332 stump to fruit Saturday, October 1 View Page Ended up just out of the money at the Clarence weighoff in 7th place 1079.6 Podraza 2011(1332 wolf x sib) Breaking 1000 pounds in my first year growing is a good accomplishment Sunday, October 2 View Page Attended the Pumpkinville weighoff today. Took my smaller one grown off the 870 wolf crossed with the 1332 wolf that produced my 1079.6. This one grown off in very small area 236 sq feet went heavy weighing 835.5, good for 12th place. Not sure what it was taped at prior to weighing but I had taped it at 707 to 736# several days ago. Sunday, October 2 View Page Stump of the 870 wolf Sunday, October 2 View Page Stump to fruit 870 wolf Sunday, October 2 View Page The 870 wolf weighed 835.8 with an estimate of 687 for a large 22% heavy over chart value Monday, October 3 View Page Better pic of the clarence weighoff Tuesday, October 11 View Page My 1079.6 was carved at the farm where it was weighed Sunday, October 23 View Page My 835 on display at the Holiday Valley Ski Lodge in Ellicotville NY Sunday, October 23 View Page Finished fall ammendments with eth exception of a cover crop. The earlier pics in teh diary show teh size of the plants. Now the tilled path is that size. I removed sod and tilled in a load of chicken manuer and compost.