Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 62 Entries. Monday, April 25 View Page Hello everyone, my name is Glen, I am 15 and have been growing giant pumpkins for five years, also, I am a member of the PEC Giant Pumpkin and Vegetable 4-H Club. My personal best was grown in 2009 and weighed 979 pounds. This year I am aiming at 1200 pounds. The picture is of my 979. Monday, April 25 View Page I had a bit of an accident on the 23 of April, I had started some pumpkins, tomatoes, and corn for this year’s season in an incubator, and when I checked the temp in the incubator after it had been on a while, it was 45 degrees C. So I believe I fried my seeds, among which was an 1161 Rodonis and two 904 Stelts. What a downer! So I will be starting some more today. Monday, April 25 View Page The new seeds are now started. I am using a small heated greenhouse instead of the incubator now (can’t fry seeds with this thing!) The pumpkins were filed and put in the starting mix while the other seeds were put straight into the mix. Wednesday, April 27 View Page And with the lid off. Wednesday, April 27 View Page This season I plan to grow pumpkins, tomatoes, corn, sunflowers, carrots, onions, and kettle gourds. In the second batch of pumpkins is a: 1059 Vincent/McGill x2, 1031 Daletas, 474 Huffman.G x2, 979 Huffman.G x2, and a 1015 Kaye (only 3 will be grown out for competition, the others will put in a field for pollination purposes.) Also started are some tomatoes and corn. Wednesday, April 27 View Page Here is a box for the carrots and onions to be grown in. Saturday, May 7 View Page The seeds started on the 25 rotted. Some more were started on the 4. If these don't come up I think my goal of 1200 pounds will be done for the year. Goes to show that it is a game of pure luck and chance, when human error is factored out. Sunday, May 8 View Page Here’s a picture of the main patch. There is enough room in this patch for two kins with 690ft2 each. Will expand it so there is 720ft2 per plant next year Sunday, May 8 View Page Here’s the secondary patch. Only room for one kin here with 665ft2. Tuesday, May 10 View Page Finally! Some pumpkins are starting to come up. Here is a seedling from my 979. Tuesday, May 10 View Page And a seedling from my 474. The third batch consists of; 474 Huffman G. X2, 979 Huffman G. X2, and a 901 Jutras. Third time seems to be the charm this year. Tuesday, May 10 View Page Sorry, 474 and 979 were like this on the 9th not 10th. Tuesday, May 10 View Page Another 979 came up today, except it is white, don't know what this means. Wednesday, May 11 View Page Transplanted the 474 and one of the 979's into larger pots tonight. Both seedlings have first leaves that are about half an inch tall. if I'm lucky I might be able to transplant them on the 17 or 18. This is the 474. Wednesday, May 11 View Page And here is the 979. Wednesday, May 11 View Page Each seedling got 1L of water with 15mL of 15-30-15 water soluble fertilizer after they were transplanted. Wednesday, July 27 View Page Been fairly busy the last little while, but I’ll try to keep the diary up-to-date from now on. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The final line up ended up being; 513 Vincent/10, 979 Huffman G/09, and a 474 Huffman G/08. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The 513 Vincent and 979 Huffman are in the main patch, and the 474 Huffman is in the secondary patch. 979 is on the right and the 513 is on the left. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The 513 has been the strongest plant all along, followed by the 979. The 474 is the worst plant this year. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The first pollination on the 979 (1385 Jutras/F x 847 Vader/M) was on July 6. It was crossed with the 1610 Lieber (1161 Rodonis/F x Self). It was a four lobe flower at 10’ 3’’ out from the stump. Picture is of the flower after pollination. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The first pollination on the 513 (1059 Vincent/F x 1161 Rodonis/M) was on July 7. It was crossed with the 1185 Kline (1385 Jutras/F x 985 Werner/M). It was a five lobe flower at 14’ 2’’ from the stump. Picture is of the flower after pollination. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The 474 still doesn’t have a fruit on it. I am hoping to get one set in the next week, hopefully it will produce a 400 pounder for the local fair. Wednesday, July 27 View Page Giant carrots. Wednesday, July 27 View Page Giant tomatoes. Wednesday, July 27 View Page Cinderella pumpkins. I place them on their blossom ends so they develop a better shape. Wednesday, July 27 View Page And a field pumpkin. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The 513 at day 8. Wednesday, July 27 View Page The 979 at day 9. Wednesday, July 27 View Page I have a shade structure over both kins as well as sand under them. Saturday, July 30 View Page The 979 was 20 days old on the 26. The measurements were: 68" circ, 50" side to side, and 48 1/2" front to back. The total OTT was 166 1/2". Putting it 7 1/2" over the 1,200 pound benchmark. Saturday, July 30 View Page The 513 was 20 days old on the 27. The measurements were: 76" circ, 52" side to side, and 53 3/4" front to back, with the total OTT at 181 3/4", putting it 23 3/4" over the 1,200 pound benchmark. Saturday, July 30 View Page This season I have been applying about 75 gallons a day to the plants. I have also been applying Neem oil for bug control, pHortres for fungus, along with kelp and a 15-15-30 fertilizer once a week (all are applied sepereatly). Also, this year I have been burying my vines with well roated compost mixed with bone meal instead of just soil from the patch. Saturday, August 6 View Page The 979 was at day 30 on the 5th. It measured 102" circ, 72 1/2" side to side, and 72" front to back, with OTT at 246 1/2", putting it at about 325 pounds, 16 pounds under the 1,200 benchmark. I am hoping it will meet the 40 day benchmark, but, it is still likley to be a personal best. Saturday, August 6 View Page The 513 was at day 30 on the 6. It measured 107 1/2" circ, 74" side to side, and 74" front to back, with OTT at 255 1/2", putting it at about 361 pounds, 20 pounds over the 1,200 benchmark. It is looking like the 513 will be my best shot at 1,200. It is also begining to orange up a lot. Saturday, August 6 View Page I finally have a polination on the 474, it was polinated around the 28 of July. No special cross on this one, I just used all the males I could find. I am hoping that it will get to 300 pounds for the local fair. The picture was taken several days ago. Monday, August 8 View Page This morning when I went to the patch I found a blossom end split on the 513. It was only gaining 20 pounds a day at day 32. It measured about 403 pounds. Monday, August 8 View Page At about day 15 my growing partner/Uncle and I decided that the 513 was starting to grow over the blossom, so we ramped the pumpkin up. Unfortunately our efforts didn't prevent the inevitable. Monday, August 8 View Page The walls were fairly thick except for several large internal cracks and a hole in the blossom end. Tuesday, August 9 View Page Just as a refrence, here is a water bottle. Sorry for the smudge on the lense. Tuesday, August 9 View Page Here is a picture of the stump, the roots are about as big a round as a finger. Tuesday, August 9 View Page The 979 is starting to pick up on it's daily gains at day 33 and is curently doing 27.3 pounds a day. It is now the only pumpkin in the patch. Should be interesting to see what she dose. Thursday, August 18 View Page Day 40 for the 979 was on the 15, it measured 128" cir, 85 1/2" side to side, and 84" front to back, with total OTT 298" or 560 pounds. On its median weight day (day 43) the 979 was 309" OTT or 623 pounds. Using day 43 results the 979 should get to 1200 pounds... hopefully. Friday, August 19 View Page Side view of the 979. Friday, August 19 View Page The 474 looks almost exactly like its moma. I would say that it is about 250 pounds. Friday, August 19 View Page Here is the 474 pumpkin Friday, August 26 View Page The 979 was 50 days old yesterday. It measured 143 1/2" cir, 94" side to side, and 90" front to back, with total OTT of 327 1/2". It is estimating about 736 pounds, so it should be a new patch best (979 was about 660 at this time). Wednesday, September 7 View Page The 979 just keeps bulldozing her her way along. It was estimating about 900 on the 5th. She has been gaining a steady 15-16 pounds a day steady, even through some fairly cool nights. So she might just make it to 11 or 12. The mother estimated about 823 pounds the day of the wayoff, so I am expecting this one to go heavy. Thursday, September 15 View Page The 979 was estimating 970 pounds on the 14, only gaining about 8 pounds a day now. If it stays at this rate of decline it will probably get to about 1080, maybe with a little luck it will weigh 1150, should be a personal best either way. It will be going to Wellington Pumpkinfest on October 15. Will try to get some pictures up soon. Monday, September 19 View Page The weather has turned very cold all of a sudden. Been a risk of frost the last couple of nights, so we covered some of the newer leaves with blankets, luckily the frost never came. Monday, September 19 View Page The 979 should be about 1010 pounds now, if it continues to gain 8 a day it may get to 1200, will have to see what we have for seed stock come April, but we will probably grow a seed out of her (she was crossed with the 1610 Lieber). Monday, September 19 View Page I also grew some mini pumpkins this year, this is the one in the previous picture. I've heard that they can be dried, so I will try to use it as a size reference for next year. Monday, September 19 View Page There are a few more mini pumpkins than I had planned on, about 250, just off of three plants. Saturday, October 15 View Page New Personal Best! 1048.5lbs! Grown of the 979 Huffman 09 (1385 Jutras Female x 847 Vader 04 Male). It was crossed with the 1610 Lieber (1161 Rodonis x Self). Also had the chance to help weigh in the new World Record Pumpkin, 1818.5lbs!!!! Pictures to come soon. Saturday, October 15 View Page My new Personal Best! Saturday, October 15 View Page The 1818.5 Bryson and the Wellington Crew! Saturday, October 15 View Page Jim and Kelsy Bryson with their 1818. Saturday, October 15 View Page Everyone looks on at Jim and the 1818. Saturday, October 15 View Page Thee #1! Sunday, October 23 View Page Started fall patch prep this weekend. All remaining vines were taken out. Then about 20 cubic feet of sand was added along with about 1,350 cubic feet of leaves (mostly maple with some birch). All of this was then tilled in. I will be adding another layer of leaves (which isn't as much as it seems) and about 400 cubic feet of well rotted horse manure. We are also expanding the patch by about 240 square feet to allow for 720 square feet per plant once the soybeans are in the patch. Sunday, November 20 View Page Seeds are now out of the 1048, there is about 350 good seeds, there were about 25 white tiped ones along with another 25 hollow. Will be interesting to see what they will produce. Friday, December 23 View Page Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.