Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 69 Entries. Sunday, April 3 View Page Going to actually grow an Atlantic giant this year. The Big Max I grew last year ended at 140.5, not bad for a Wal-Mart seed, no ground prep work, and no idea what I was doing! Growing a 1236 Stowers and a 480.5 Frost this year. Prepping the patch now soil samples are back and I'm fired up! Canfield here we come!   Monday, April 4 View Page When is everyone starting their giants for this year? I'm getting the itch real bad. Germ testing two of my different seeds today, spread 600 pounds of gypsum and 150 pounds of High Cal lime on the patch today. Just want to get started for the year!   Tuesday, April 5 View Page Here's a picture of the gang headed to Canfield last year with the 480.5 frost. I think with the planning Frosty and I are doing this year these genetics will go high. The seeds are being germ tested now!   Tuesday, April 5 View Page Here's the photo   Thursday, April 7 View Page Who thinks I used too much tractor when subsoiling and preparing my pumpkin patch for this year? I think it was just the right amount ??   Friday, April 8 View Page Shenandoah Jr. (Big Max x 480.5 Frost) is out of the ground and the cotyledons look much bigger than they did last year. I'm going to try to create my own genetic line of a massive orange pumpkin with this gal.   Friday, April 8 View Page 1236 Stowers came today. Big seeds.   Sunday, April 10 View Page 2 of the 3 crosses are planted this year! Starting them in gallon jugs will move them out to 3 gallon planters after they visibly form roots through the medium. Inoculated with a granular bacillus/trichoderma and will add liquid mycorrhizae once roots establish. Patch is covered with black plastic to help warm the soil and the grow huts are ready, weather looks to be turning for the better this week! 2016 growing season here we come!   Monday, April 11 View Page Thanks for the gift seed Frosty! 1033 caspers... Lots of Bubba Genetics in there!   Monday, April 11 View Page Lucy understands my excitement for the growing season   Thursday, April 14 View Page Things are taking shape   Monday, April 18 View Page The 480.5 Frost is up and out of the ground. Soil temp is creeping up, probe read 62 degrees this evening! Hoop houses go out tomorrow   Tuesday, April 19 View Page Look at all that organic matter!   Wednesday, April 20 View Page The 480.5 Frost is looking good starting off. Will be moving to a 2 gallon pot this weekend   Wednesday, April 20 View Page Shenandoah Jr. is looking mighty fine. I'm hoping 600-800 pounds out of her this year   Wednesday, April 20 View Page 1033 Caspers is poking her head out of the ground! This will be my premier pumpkin this year, expecting big things!   Saturday, April 23 View Page Well the pumpkins sat outside last night in the 45 degree temps... Shouldn't have fell asleep on the couch.. I'm sure they'll pull through though   Saturday, April 23 View Page Looks like the weather is stabilizing. Grow huts are ready and after tonight the lows will be creeping up. I estimate I will be putting the vines in the ground the first week of May   Saturday, April 23 View Page The kins spent the night outside last night and it was in the mid 40's... Shouldn't have fell asleep on the couch..   Monday, April 25 View Page The team is looking good.   Wednesday, April 27 View Page Gonna use some advanced nutrients for this season in my foliar mixes. Soil temperature was around 63 today. Almost time to put them in the ground   Saturday, April 30 View Page The grow huts are just waiting for pumpkins   Sunday, May 1 View Page The pumpkins are in the huts and the heat is on! 2016 growing season is a go!   Sunday, May 1 View Page 1033 caspers getting settled into her deluxe pumpkin hut   Monday, May 2 View Page The 1033 Caspers with her heater. Keeping it 70-75   Thursday, May 5 View Page Not even gonna open up the huts today and the heaters will stay on all day. Cold rain and 59 today..   Wednesday, May 11 View Page The 480.5 frost is doing well despite these chilly nights   Monday, May 16 View Page The candles are lit in the huts. Should give us an extra 7-10 degrees worth of protection and the low tonight is 31   Monday, May 30 View Page 1033 Caspers vining out and taking off   Thursday, June 2 View Page 1033 Caspers is strong. Growing 6-8 inches a day   Thursday, June 2 View Page Drip tape is working hard in this hot dry weather. The pumpkins are happy though   Sunday, June 5 View Page Big Caspers doing really well. Trying to up the N for the next week to 10 days. Need plenty of vine and root for the pollination at the end of the month   Sunday, June 5 View Page Shenandoah Jr. Starting her Vining off   Tuesday, June 7 View Page The patch is doing well. Just need the temperatures to pop back up.   Wednesday, June 8 View Page It feels like we should be picking pumpkins this evening, not getting ready to pollinate them!   Thursday, June 9 View Page The patch with its wind barrier up. Had to turn the drip tape on today the ground dried out fast for getting 6/10 of an inch 2 days a go   Thursday, June 9 View Page 1033 is about 8.5 feet today. Keep trimming the males off of the plant so it keeps its energy focused on growing. Added some more N today and foliar sprayed it last night with Adv Nutrients. Have quite the "orgthetic" fertilizer regimen this year   Saturday, June 11 View Page The 480 frost is down and running! Finally out of her funk   Monday, June 13 View Page Caspers over 10 feet today. She's scootin now. She got foliar and compost tea root drench tonight. Time to bury more vines tomorrow..   Monday, June 13 View Page Caspers with her tail runner. I decided to keep it.   Monday, June 13 View Page 480 frost is putting on some inches. She got a heavy compost tea root drench tonight and some foliar   Monday, June 13 View Page Here's the Shenandoah plant. Still don't know what's wrong with her.   Monday, June 13 View Page Here's the pic   Tuesday, June 14 View Page A big 5 lobed flower opened up today on Caspers. Too bad I had to cull her because the plant isn't big enough to support a pumpkin yet.   Wednesday, June 15 View Page Caspers is getting wide. Hope to pollinate in 10-12 days   Thursday, June 16 View Page Caspers is getting wide. A little over 12.5 feet long and 10.5 feet wide today. Looking like it'll be ready for pollination between June 25-28   Thursday, June 16 View Page Caspers had a huge day of growth. Should definitely be ready for pollination by June 23-26   Friday, June 17 View Page 480 frost is finally taking off after the slow start   Sunday, June 19 View Page Caspers is a pig. Pushing the phosphorus and bloom foliar hard right now trying to get a female flower to develop on the main vine!   Monday, June 20 View Page 1033 is getting big. 16 feet long 20 feet wide   Monday, June 20 View Page 1033   Monday, June 20 View Page There it is! What will become the baby on the 1033   Thursday, June 23 View Page The Casper plant is looking great and a female should open soon. Unfortunately I found what looks to be bacterial leaf spot on a few of the leaves. I removed the infected leaves and treated the plant with a max rate of copper as Michigan State has some literature stating that copper will stop the bacteria from spreading, but not cure it.   Friday, June 24 View Page Frost plant is catching on. Main is 9.5 feet long and secondaries are 3-4 feet. Might just grow this pumpkin out to try to win the small local fair and get a ribbon to my name.   Saturday, June 25 View Page Frost is doing well. Will pollinate the flower in 3-5 days   Saturday, June 25 View Page Thank goodness for carbaryl. These striped cucumber beetles are terrible this year and I can't use imidicloprid as I have bees close by.   Sunday, June 26 View Page Frost was pollinated today! Hopefully the hot weather doesn't make the plant abort.   Sunday, June 26 View Page Good looking pumpkin. Plant is a bit on the small side but I can't wait forever   Thursday, June 30 View Page Plants are doing okay. The cooler nights aren't doing them any favors though..   Saturday, July 2 View Page Spread some granular potash tonight to help the pumpkins beef up their fruit. Hope it works   Sunday, July 3 View Page My personal hybrid from my pumpkin last year has finally sprouted a pumpkin. Crossed it with the 1033.   Tuesday, July 5 View Page Frost plant DAP 9. Size of a cantaloupe   Wednesday, July 6 View Page That's a heck of a nice blossom for a backup   Friday, July 8 View Page Had a little snake garding my pumpkin from mice. Thanks buddy   Wednesday, July 13 View Page 1033 plant is a monster. This was a few days ago.   Sunday, July 17 View Page Can't wait to see what everyone bring to Canfield this year! Both my Frost and Caspers are impressing me this year but the Caspers is on pace to be a real giant! I sure hope she keeps on keeping on!   Tuesday, July 19 View Page Dunno how this slipped by but I let one of the first secondaries grow out of the fence into the cow pasture and to add some more sq ft I let tertiaries come off about 4 ft before terminating in what I like to call a "foxtail" formation. Well this guy grew in amongst the leaves and was stealing energy from my big porky! No wonder he was only putting on 13-15 lbs a day the last couple days!!   Tuesday, July 19 View Page This was the final fate of the parasite pumpkin. May he be digested by cows tonight   Thursday, July 28 View Page Well my pumpkin on the 1033 aborted at day 20 and around 200 ott. Hasn't gained a millimeter in 4 days. Not sure why could have been the heat could have been something else. Pretty disappointing as it was pacing awesome and the plant is still in great shape. I have 1 pumpkin remaining but it won't ever be a 1000+ pounder so I'm not going to get my hopes up. Goodbye Canfield.