Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 19 Entries. Tuesday, May 21 View Page started late but plants hit the dirt and are now up and running Tuesday, May 21 View Page this year there is 4 good plants in the ground. i will post pics and let everyone know the line up.they should have been in the ground 2 weeks ago, but my season has officially started Monday, June 10 View Page AFTER SOME COMPUTER ISSUES I'M ABLE TO ADD TO MY DIARY. THIS YEARS LINE UP IS AS FOLLOWS: 444 SANDERCOCK; 1067.5 BOX; 1250 ELLSWORTH; AND THE 646 FAULKNER Monday, June 10 View Page THIS YEAR I'VE INCORPORATED 6" OFF MIXED COW,HORSE,CHICKEN MANURE. IT IS BROKEN DOWN AND HAS KEPT THE SOIL QUITE AIR RATED WITH SOME OF THE STRAW WAS MIXED IN WITH IT. IT WAS ADDED AT LEAST 3 WEEKS BEFORE I PLANTED AND WAS DISCED UNDER IMMEDIATELY.THE PATCH WAS DISCED 3 TIMES BEFORE THE PLANTS WENT IN AND THE SOIL IS STAYING QUITE LOOSE THIS YEAR. Monday, June 10 View Page I HAVE KEPT TO A REGIMENTED PROGRAM THIS YEAR SO FAR, AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL PRODUCE A DECENT PUMPKIN. I'M FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM AS TO WHAT IT CALLS FOR AND ADD IT ON EVERY TUESDAY, THIS WAY I CAN'T FORGET AND IT IS MARKED IN A NOTEBOOK AS TO WHAT I ADDED. THIS WAY NEXT YEAR I CAN ADD OR SUBTRACT AS TO WHAT THE PLANTS ARE CALLING FOR Monday, June 10 View Page I'VE GONE BACK AND READ ALOT OF GROWERS DIARYS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND I THINK I HAVE FIGURED OUT A FEW THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING WRONG, AND HOPEFULLY CORRECT THEM. Monday, June 10 View Page ALOT OF GROWERS SHARE GOOD KNOWLEDGE IN THEIR POSTINGS. IF YOU LIVE IN THEIR REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY, YOU CAN TRY THINGS THAT WORK FOR THEM, AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL WORK FOR YOU, IT DOESN'T HURT TO ASK OR TRY. EVERYONE IS QUITE FRIENDLY IN THE CHAT ROOMS AND ARE WILLING TO HELP OR IF THEY LIVE CLOSE BY, ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT YOUR PATCH AND OFFER ADVICE. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU VETERAN GROWERS WHO HAVE GIVEN ME ADVICE OR ANSWERED ANY QUESTIONS I MAY HAVE HAD.EVEN NOW STARTING MY THIRD SEASON, I STILL DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING AND STILL ASK QUESTIONS. I HAVE LEARNED MORE AFTER 2 SEASONS, BUT STILL HAVE ALOT MORE TO LEARN, AND ALL YOU VETERAN GROWERS WHO HAVE DONE THIS ALONG TIME, ARE GREAT PEOPLE TO ASK AND ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO OFFER YOUR KNOWLEDGE- THANK-YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR US NEWBIES. Monday, June 10 View Page I HAVE SPOKEN MUCH TO NED OR ANDY(DYBERRY PATCH GUY)THIS SEASON, BUT I'M SURE THEIR PATCHES ARE DOING WELL. WE HAVE NOT HAD THE BEST OF WEATHER HERE IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA THIS YEAR, AND THIS IS WHY I DID NOT GET MY PLANTS OUT UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF MAY. WE HAD ALOT OF COLD NIGHTS AND WET WEATHER THE FIRST PART OF MAY,I HAD TO BURN THE WOOD STOVE ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND- I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS OR DONE THIS AND I'M IN MY VERY EARLY FORTIES. I DID PLANT NED AND ANDY'S SEEDS THIS YEAR AND THEY ARE PROVING TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE PANTS, AND I HAVE NOT HAD THEM IN THE GROUND VERY LONG. I AM A LITTLE BEHIND EVERYONE ELSE BY AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BUT I'M STILL PUSHING HARD FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY FOR POLLINATION. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY SIGNS OF CUCUMBER BEETLES OR SVB'S IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS YET, BUT IT'S EARLY IN THE SEASON. THE PLANTS HAVE BEEN PUT IN MY MAIN GARDEN THIS YEAR AND I KNOW THAT IF THEY DON'T GROW THIS YEAR THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO GROW. THIS PART OF THE GARDEN HAS GIVEN ME 75-80lb FIELD PUMPKINS, SO IT SHOULD PRODUCE A DECENT SIZED AG. IT HAS HAD PLENTY OF COMPOSTED MATERIAL ADDED OVER THE YEARS AND IT IS MAINLY TOP SOIL AND VERY LITTLE ROCK. THE SOIL HAS A NICE DARK BROWN COLOR TO IT AT ALL TIMES, AND GROWS EVERYTHING WELL. I GOT THE GARDEN IN ON THE 2nd THIS YEAR AND THE PLANTS HAVE TAKEN WELL AND HAVE ALMOST DOUBLED IN SIZE. THIS IS A GOOD SIGN THAT THE PUMPKINS SHOULD DO WELL HERE. I WILL POST PICS TOMORROW AS THE BATTERY IN THE CAMERA DIED AND NEEDS CHARGING. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE THIS YEAR AND BEAT YOUR PB's. Tuesday, June 11 View Page THIS IS A PHOTO OF THE PLANTS. THE 1067.5 BOX IS CLOSEST AND THE 444 SANDERCOCK IS THE FARTHEST Tuesday, June 11 View Page VIEW OF THE PATCH Tuesday, June 11 View Page THIS YEARS GARDEN.MADE A RAISED BED FOR CARROTS, AND A TALL CYLINDAR TO PLANT POTATOES IN.CORN IS A SEPERATE PATCH THIS YEAR ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF HOUSE Tuesday, July 23 View Page BEEN WAY BEHIND ON THE DIARY THIS YEAR, BUT HERE IS A PHOTO OF THE 1067.5 BOX Tuesday, July 23 View Page THIS IS "BELLE" AS MY DAUGHTER WOULD CALL IT. BELLE IS ON THE 1067.5 AND IS POLLINATED BY SELF, BELLE'S 8 DAYS OLD AND TURNING INTO A NICE PUMPKIN.I HAVE ABOUT 4 GOING ON THIS PLANT AND 2 ARE THE SIZE OF BELLE. I WILL LEAVE THEM ALL ON FOR MY 5yr OLD DAUGHTER THIS YEAR. Tuesday, July 23 View Page THIS IS THE 444 SANDERCOCK(1634 WERNER x 218 SANDERCOCK). THIS IS A NICE GROWING PLANT WITH LITTLE MAINTENCE. IT'S LOADED WITH MALE FLOWERS AND ONLY HAS HAD 3 FEMALES SHOW UP. I HAVE POLLINATED THEM BUT IT ONLY LOOKS AS IF 01 HAS TAKEN. Tuesday, July 23 View Page THIS IS "RAPUNZEL" AS SHANNON WOULD CALL IT. RAPUNZEL IS ON THE 444 SANDERCOCK ( 1634 WERNER x 218 SANDERCOCK). IT WAS POLLINATED BY SELF AND IS 14 DAYS TODAY. SHE IS TAPING SS-36, EE-37, AND CC-51 FOR AN OTT OF 124. THIS IS A NICE LOOKING PUMPKIN AND IS THE ONLY ONE THAT TOOK ON THE PLANT OF THE 03 POLLINATED. Tuesday, July 23 View Page I HAVEN'T HAD ANY REAL PROBLEMS THIS YEAR EXCEPT FOR A FEW BUGS IN THE BEGINNING, BUT I NIPPLED THAT PROBLEM QUICK. I HAVEN'T KEPT UP WITH THE DIARY LIKE I HAVE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT I AM GOING TO POST AGAIN ON THE 30 DAY MARKER WITH PHOTOS. SO FOR ALL YOU GROWERS OUT THERE GOOD LUCK AND GROW 'EM BIG AND I WILL SHOW MYSELF AGAIN ON THE DIARY IN APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS. Thursday, August 8 View Page HERE'S THE 444 SANDERCOCK ON DAY 30. WE'VE HAD COOL NIGHTS HERE IN NORTHEAST PA. WHICH HAS SLOWED THE GROWTH DOWN TREMENDOUSLY. THE PUMPKIN HAS TAPED AN OTT OF 222 or 249lbs. NOT REAL IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS BUT WITH THE TEMPATURE AT 49-50 DEGREES AT NIGHT, NOT ALOT OF WEIGHT GOING ON.I'M AVERAGING 17 lbs. A NIGHT, BUT I'LL TAKE IT. Thursday, August 8 View Page THIS IS THE 1067.5 BOX AT DAY 21. THIS PUMPKIN IS GROWING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE 444. IT'S TAPING AN OTT OF 212 ON DAY 21. THIS PUMPKIN CAME FROM A HOWARD DILL AWARD WINNER AND WENT 10% HEAVY. BY THE NUMBERS THIS ONE IS PUTTING ON, IT WILL PASS THE 444 IN NO TIME. THIS PLANT HAS AT LEAST 3 GOING ON IT AND THE SECOND ONE ON THIS PLANT IS CLOSE TO AN OTT OF 172 AT 2 WEEKS. THE THIRD PUMPKIN IS A LITTLE BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL SIZE AND GROWING QUICK. WHERE WOULD I BE ON WEIGHT IF I ONLY HAD ONE GROWING ON THIS PLANT, BUT I'M PUSHING FOR 500 lbs.ON THIS ONE SO I CAN CARVE IT AND PLACE MY DAUGHTER INSIDE IT AND GET HER PHOTO. Monday, August 12 View Page I THINK THE GLOOM IN THE PATCH HAS BROKE. I PUT SOME IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS ON THE PUMPKINS LAST NIGHT, SO I'M HOPING THE GROWTH SPURT HAS PICKED BACK UP. I HAVE NOT CHANGED A THING WITH MY ROUTINE AND I TAPED THIS EVENING AND PUT AN IMPRESSIVE cc OF 6" OVER NIGHT NOT TO MENTION THE ss AND ee NUMBERS NOT FAR FROM THAT. I HOPE THESE IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS KEEP GOING.