Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 26 Entries. Monday, April 23 View Page This is my first year growing so mistakes will be made. Pumpkins went into the ground today. Little nervous, only two came up out of 6. I planted 3 more seeds but if they come up it will not be for a few more days. Also I didn't heat the ground, I know I should have waited until I got a heating coil but I needed to get the plants in the ground, they were overgrowing the 6" pots I put them in. I did cover the plants with plastic and put black plastic on the ground to help with the insulation. Hopefully I will not have done much damage to them as it was warm today and the ground was likewise. Since this is my first year I am really aiming to have fun and learn. I am aiming for at least a 200 lb pumpkin and hopefully more, only because I was told I couldn't grow a 200 lb pumpkin. Tuesday, May 8 View Page So two out of three of my plants are growing. One is all droopy, with yellowing leaves. I'm coving them in plastic at night and uncover them during the days. "Droppy" seams to do better under the plastic and then fades during the day. Have not treated them to anything yet. Still doing research. Wednesday, May 16 View Page There were, Peter, Paul and Mary. Paul didn't make it~ not sure why but Peter and Mary are thriving, so far. I think they are on the small side but the northwest has had really nice weather the last couple of days so they've been growing nicely. I still cover them at night because the temp.drop. ~I also won a moisture meter at the chamber luncheon today and was very excited about that because I didn't have one. Now that they seem to be on their way I am getting nervous about keeping up. I do need to put some sort of fertilizer on them (pardon my spelling it is late). I will put up pics in the next few days. Saturday, May 19 View Page both plants looking better then I expected. must be the warmer weather we are having here. cut off some of the real icky looking leaves from both plants and watered them with some generic miracle grow. This afternoon they were looking very perky. Tuesday, May 29 View Page So my Peter and Mary are still thriving. I finally found the tags that went along with my pumpkins so I know what kind they are. Peter is a 1119.8 Mailey 2010 from Team Lunatic. Mary is a Bailey's 2010 from the PNWGPG. I believe "Paul", the third and weakest, is the same as Mary. I was going to yank it out but it was almost dead and came back from the brink, I feel bad if I yanked it out now. I put dry fertilizer (4-12-7 )0n all yesterday. They are all still pretty small compared to the hothouse ones but seem to be coming around nicely. I planted the pumpkins in my backyard which is really large but right smack dab in the middle of town. I planted them in an area that had been the yard waste dumping ground for years. When we moved in I got someone to clean it out. They found all sorts of bricks, metal rebar and pipe. Including the pump they used before this area was put on septic. We also had two huge cedars that were had taken down this year. We rototilled a 20' x 30' space for the three plants and we are continually pulling out sod to accomadate the pumpkins. But I keep hitting bricks, both red and white, some with scallop edges and some just flat square concrete. Today I found garbage bags that had been buried there with more concrete on top. Whatever was in the bags are gone now. I am waiting to find money or a body. I really hope it's the former and not the later. I am wondering if the bags were put there for weed control for a garden that may have been there. I always find the bricks first then the black plastic garbage bags underneath. They are about 6-8 inches down. I just find it funny and frustrating, I thought after all the yard waste was removed and the trees we'd have some nice wonderful dirt to play with. Now I don't know what I have. I included a 'before' of the area I am working on. Wednesday, June 13 View Page "Peter" is the biggest plant (1118 Mailey)at around 53" long.Despite the chilly weather we are having. Still covering them at night and if the day temp doesn't get above 55. It's laying flat so I don't have to worry about pinning it down. Once a week I am putting 4-12-7 on both of my plants, and it doesn't seem to be doing any damage. I was hoping one of my plants would make it to 10' before the end of June, and before the flowers come out. So far I haven't had any problems with slugs, pest or animals. That might not last long. Trying to figure out a way to keep racoons, squirrels and other rodents away from my plants. Might bring home some scrap expanded metal that we have a work and place them around the plants. Also trying to figure out if I am going to use just one plant or continue to grow two. Since I have limited space this year. pic to come later. Monday, June 25 View Page In addition to my giant pumpkins, I have 11 rose bushes~all varieties, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes and corn. And the watermelon that I've been told does not grow in the great NW. But it is in the garage and seems to like it. I will take it out when, and if, the weather improves. And try to trellis the vines so I can hang the watermelon in a hammock. Both pumpkins are doing well, over 10' vines and the 1119 finally has a little female. Had a male bloom and fade over the weekend but both bushes have a ton of males. I am monitoring the female and figuring out my next step. Appled more fertilizer last night and just waiting for the weather to change. I don't think it's gotten over 70 this year. And everytime I get ready to get rid of the plastic it downpours. Hoop houses definately next year. Saturday, June 30 View Page Been trying to post this for days. First Female ( I should call her Michelle) to come up. As you can see I buried the vine but that is going to be removed thanks to viewing The Cooks videos. It's about 11' down and I am going to get it ready for pollination. I have only one male going at a time because it's been so cold(I am guessing). I snipped off the last blossoming male and put it in a container to use if I don't have some ready when the female is. I only have the two plants so I don't know if this will actually work. It looks like I have two females on my Bailey's plant so I do have a few back up choices. Saturday, June 30 View Page picture of my two plants. yes, I know they are probably too close and the fence is concerning me..although I may just trellis(sp?) the vines up the side of the fence. As soon as the rain lets up here (sometime in August I imagine) I will be out to do some hoeing, clipping and repositioning. Also going to find more fertilizer, compost and dirt. Afraid my females will rot before they bloom with the amount of rain. At least the slugs haven't found the patch..yet. Thursday, July 5 View Page Very excited. Actually got warm enough that I got one female and two males..well one male was open, the second male was partially opened but didn't look like the first one..a bit deformed. I pollinated her and then closed her for the evening. I was hoping one more male would bloom before I took off the female started to wilt but so far that hasn't happend. The female is on the 1119 lbs. Wednesday, July 11 View Page This is my third female to come up. It is on the 1029 Hester 2010 Pacific Giant Vegtable Growers (Mary). I labelled it wrong on a previous post. I found it strange, either over developed or underdeveloped. I went ahead and pollinated it. Another weird thing happening is all the males on the 1119 are not developing at all. But I have an over abundance female flowers on that one. Almost every vine. Found a slug this morning so I will have to do something about that but it looks like my first pollination is going to take. Yeah! Monday, July 16 View Page Here is the ole' 1st pollinated pumpkin by the golf ball picture. It took and is on it's way. I have been on Vancouver Is since Thurs.and it was hot and sunny while I was gone. With the occasional thunder storm. Came back yesterday, spent about an hour watering it with a sprinkler hose and then it started to rain. Also put on about a cup of some new fertilizer I bought on both plants. It's 7-14-12 called Coastal blend (West coastal, not east coastal). Trying to pair(prune?) down the plant where it's a bit more manageable. Having a fun time watching the females grow. Cheers! Monday, July 16 View Page Here is the ole' 1st pollinated pumpkin by the golf ball picture. It took and is on it's way. I have been on Vancouver Is since Thurs.and it was hot and sunny while I was gone. With the occasional thunder storm. Came back yesterday, spent about an hour watering it with a sprinkler hose and then it started to rain. Also put on about a cup of some new fertilizer I bought on both plants. It's 7-14-12 called Coastal blend (West coastal, not east coastal). Trying to pair(prune?) down the plant where it's a bit more manageable. Having a fun time watching the females grow. Cheers! Tuesday, July 17 View Page Here is the main on the 1800 pumpkin,I put powder on it but the cracks seems to be getting worse. Any cause? Any cure? I have posted on the New Growers site also. Picture of the main stem about 6 inches up will be posted in a new entry. Tuesday, July 17 View Page This is the stripping of the main. Worried but have no idea how to solve these problems. Thank you in advance for your help and expertise. Tuesday, July 24 View Page The temp. dipped the last few days (60's and raining, at the end of July..icky. I went and culled most of the females and cut back enough vines that I can work around my plant.As I just started my compost pile this year I was lucky enough to find a nursery that makes up compost tea. So I went and bought 2 gallons. Have no idea what is in it. The guy at the nursery said it was a 10:1 and I pretended to know what that ment then ran home and did research. I'm beginning to think I am working on all this backwards. But lets just say it really good research for next year. I sprayed down the leaves with the tea and then diluted one gallon about half water and half tea and poured it on both plants. Hoping it will help as the one main fruit that was coming along nicely seemed to slow down it's growth-it has been at 18.5" for a few days. I may fertilize again tomorrow night. Thursday, July 26 View Page Worried that my fruit wasn't progressing. The main one is still only 18" diameter, after about 5 days. And After a week of compost and Fertilizer. I think I hv a vine borer. Stripped vines, brown goo coming out of some of the ends. Put sulfer powder on everything that was opened,or cracked. Went and bought Sevin but didn't have time to put it on tonight. Really worried, those were turning out to be pretty nice pumpkins. I'll try to take pic in the a.m and post them. Thursday, July 26 View Page sprayed Sevin all over and crossed my fingers. The plants still look great, green and lively, the fruit is just not growing. I am going to add some store bought compost tomorrow after the Sevin dries. Then hope for the best. I have one more small pumpkin plant that doesn't look infected and I will try to pollinate it. Won't be ready for a pumpkin weigh off but maybe I wil eventually reach my goal. Just not the way I expected. Friday, July 27 View Page This vine is very soggy and part of the main. One can see the stripping in the upper right hand corner. Weird thing is, the plants still looks great. Leaves look green and there is still shoots coming up. I even have some flowers coming out. Soooo...I guess it's just a wait and see. Wednesday, August 1 View Page All is not lost. I didn't think this one was still growing and almost culled it.I think it's because the weather here in the pac nw has been so cold it is growing very slowly but growing is growing. It is the only survivor. So today I fertilized, composted and put slug bait around it. Also watered it. I am going on vacation for a few days and no one will be around to baby it. I did arrainge for someone to come water it every other day, But since I haven't babied it so far maybe that is the way to go. Hope it is still chuging along when I get back on Sunday. Wednesday, August 8 View Page Well, I have two pumpkins left. This is the biggest at 38" diameter. The problem is they are very close together but not on the same vine. I pulled out the first plant and I am hoping the extra energy will go towards these two. And then yesterday the temp dipped into the high 60's. I have to get sand before they become too big to lift. Monday, August 20 View Page Here is the last giant pumpkin effort. At 48" diameter. This weekend it got more fertilizer, tea compost and slug bait all around. I also put in a device that is suppose to keep away moles. But over the weekend I don't think it got over 65 deg here and today we just hit 70 deg. I have another plant growing and fruit also but they are the sizes of softballs so even if I grow them out they won't be big in time for any of the weigh-offs. So I am going to grow them out for Halloween. It's a really pretty plant I just don't have the heart to tear it out and school starts in two weeks so I won't have enough time to baby it. Wednesday, September 5 View Page The season is drawing near and I have ended up with one at 56" diameter, and is sputtering along. I have a second pumpkin that I pollinated about two weeks ago that is already at about 35" (pic is up). This is from the plant that I was going to pull out at the beginning of the season. Neither are going to get very big by October but I've learned alot over the course of the summer and it's so much fun watching them grow. Thursday, September 13 View Page Thought I would post an "unofficial" weight on my 56" dia pumpkin. the bottom rotted out, even though I had it on sand and bark. Must've had a weak spot. So that leaves one slow growing pumpkin until Halloween. It's at 41" diamenter and looks really good. Looking forward to visiting the weigh-offs in the area. Central Market in Shoreline and Christenson in LaConner (where I took the class in the first place). Friday, September 28 View Page So here it is! Over 60" diameter- my tape ended there.I am trying to decide whether or not to take it to Christensen Nursery, out of LaConner, tomorrow, or wait for the Shorline Central market. I almost don't want it to stop growing but I am not fully prepared for Shoreline. My next problem is how to move it. I will have to rally some friends and family to hoist the thing to get it in the back of a pick up. Looking forward to the weigh off anyway. It will be nice to meet other pumpkin growers. Thursday, October 4 View Page Here is the official weigh in from Christensen Nursery. I believe I had the smallest giant pumpkin there. It weighed in at 156.5. I have no idea who that little boy is in the back ground. This was the one I pollinated in August so I am real pleased with the progress. Met some of the other growers and hope to see them at Shoreline. The winner was a man named Holland who had a 1260 from Puyallup. My first year is over and I learned alot. Compared to other growers I did very little for my pumpkin(s). No hoop house, no heating coils, sprayed once for bugs sometime in July. Basic fertilizer, compost and tea compost once or twice a week. Excited for next year, already planning. Going to start enlarging my space this weekend and figuring out how to get the soil tested. Cheers!