Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 34 Entries. Friday, January 16 View Page In the winter, when the pumpkin patch is frozen and I can’t drill holes, I save my organic kitchen garbage (also from my parents) in plastic bags. As you can see at the pic are these then stored in a container, and when it gets warmer and I can drill holes again I put the garbage into the soil.   Wednesday, March 17 View Page Spring has arrived in Southern Sweden, and I have started this years growing by drilling holes and filling them with the organic kitchen waste, that I have kept in plastic bags during the winter. I drill a couple of holes every day. Since the plastic bags have been kept well closed, no nutrience has disappeared into the air meanwhile. You can read more about how I “drill down” organic material into the soil, at last years (2003) growing diary. In Sweden we call it “jordisering”, which would be best translated as “soilization” or nutrient pillar. These nutrient pillars are also water-keeping and give away the nutrience during a long time. Soon I will start building a new pumpkin-greenhous, so I can start warming up the soil.   Tuesday, April 6 View Page Today, April 6, my growing season 2004 really take off. At the pic you can see how I filing the seed of the 1134 Holland 2003 (846 Calai x 845 Bobier). After that I soaked the seed between wet paper and cover with plastic bag and then placed in the cabinet above my fridge/freezer. The temperature above the fridge/freezer is always between 80-85 degrees F/ 27-29 degrees C.   Wednesday, April 7 View Page After 24 hour the 1134 Holland seed have germinate. Now the seed will go into a peat pot and placed back above the fridge/freezer.   Saturday, April 10 View Page Here's a pic of the peat pot, with the 1134 Holland seed, in the germinator cabinet above the fridge and freezer.   Thursday, April 15 View Page Now I have built a new greenhouse. The greenhouse is built in modules, so that I can easily continue building it further and longer, as the main vine is growing longer. As you can see, inside the greenhouse there is a smaller greenhouse, in which the plant soon will planted. The point of the smaller greenhouse is to warm up the soil quicker. During the nights (and when the weather is cloudy) I have an electric heating fan inside the smaller greenhouse. In the front left of the pic, you can see my drill which makes it easier to make the holes for the posts of the greenhouse.   Sunday, April 18 View Page Bad and good news. The bad news is that the 1134 Holland plant didn't grow so well, so I stopped growing it. The good news is, April 12, I started a new seed, 955 Holland 03, and this seed are growing much better than the 1134. At the pic you can se the 955 in my new greenhous, 6 days old today.   Tuesday, April 27 View Page Unfortunately the 955 Holland plant didn’t grow well either. Here you can see my third attempt the Dill 2 (723 Bobier x 875 Dill). The seed was started April 21. I hope this tall plant will evolve many new roots along the main stalk when it has been planted deep in the soil.   Monday, May 10 View Page Now I have tried a couple of seedlings, maybe this: 1088 Kennedy 03 (723 Bobier x 712 Kuhn), is the one I will go for. The Kennedy was started April 22. One of the reasons why my seedlings haven't grown so well this year, is that I've had the light too close to the leaves.   Tuesday, May 11 View Page Before planting the 1088 Kennedy I drilled a 1,8 m/ 6 f deep drainage-hole. This is possible because the soildrill can be prolonged. I have also a tube to the bottom of the hole so I can check the water level. Once, I drilled a 7,2 m/ 24 f deep hole with my soildrill, when drilling for water in my garden.   Wednesday, May 12 View Page Every time I mow the lawn, I get one or two wheel-barrows full of grass. I put the grass in the container, as you can see at the pic, and then I fill the container with water. I never remove the old grass from the container, I just fill it up. After a few weeks the result is a very rich manure water, which is very good for my pumpkin plant! You can also see my red plastic can with a yellow funnel, which I pee into every day. I use it together with the grass-manure water. It’s now 20 years ago since I quit using my indoor WC and also quit using any kind of artificial manure in my garden.   Saturday, May 15 View Page I live next door to a bakery. Since they use a lot of eggs, I get the eggshells (in the wheelbarrow) to put in my pumpkin soil.   Monday, May 17 View Page Since my last update a week ago, the vine of the 1088 Kennedy has "landed" on the ground. The length of the vine today (May 17 and 25 days old) is 0,9 m/ 3 f.   Saturday, May 22 View Page Here's the 1088 Kennedy 30 days old. The main vine is now 1,5 m/ 5 f. This week, the weather has been cold and windy in the southern Sweden.   Friday, June 4 View Page I think there's something wrong with the genetics of the 1088 Kennedy since the secondary vines are small and growing very slow. So I will stopp growing that plant. But one thing is sure; I never give up. So now it,s back to the starting point again; "back to square one". May 27, I filed and soaked 9 new seeds, at the pic (8 days old) you can see the winner, 709,9 Frei 03. Last year, it took only 49 days from the starting of the seed (the 1092 Daigle) until I pollinated the second flower (the 1000 Gustavsson uow). So, around July 10 I can pollinate the first flower, and then I'm in the race again.   Sunday, June 6 View Page It took 45 days from the start of the 1088 Kennedy to the first fruit. So, now I can replace the 1088 Kennedy plant with the 709,9 Frei.   Friday, June 11 View Page The 709 Frei 15 days old.   Friday, June 11 View Page The 709 Frei 15 days old.   Wednesday, June 16 View Page The 709 Frei 20 days old.   Monday, June 21 View Page The 709 Frei 25 days old and growing well. In the background you can see the 1088 Kennedy, which I still keep growing, since the plant has become too big to remove. This is the first time I grow two plants at the same time.   Saturday, June 26 View Page The 709 Frei 30 days old.   Monday, July 26 View Page It's been a long time since I updated my grower diary, beacuse I've had problems with my computer. I hope it won't happen agin. Bad news; during this time I've stopped growing the 709 Frei beacuse the stump got a very deep and bad crack and after that the plant didn't grow so well. God news; the 1088 Kennedy is growing well and here's the first pic of the pumpkin. The pumpkin is growing 5 m out on the main vine and has 5 lobes and was self-pollinated on June 24. The circ today (32 days old); 275 cm/ 108,3", estimated weight 147 kg/ 324 lbs.   Monday, July 26 View Page The 1088 Kennedy seen from the roof of my house.   Monday, August 2 View Page Recently I discovered that the steam of the 1088 Kennedy had split. At the pic you can see two of the splits. The third is on the other side of the steam, and is reaching out in the flesh. As you can see, I have covered the splits with some plant-ointment. I have also stopped watering to reduce weight gains. I hope the splits will heal du to the lessened growth, and that the steam splits won't mean that the season is over. The estimated weight of today (day 39) is 201 kg / 443 lbs.   Wednesday, August 25 View Page Here's my next attempt to grow a 1000 lbs pumpkin (probably too late). This pumpkin is growing on a tertiary vine on the 1088 Kennedy and was self-pollinated on July 28. The circ today (day 28) 254 cm/ 100", estimated weight 120 kg/ 264 lbs.   Wednesday, August 25 View Page I forgot to mention that the splits on the old pumpkin (the 1088 Kennedy) were too deep, so after 46-47 days it stopped growing. The estimated weight is 240 kg/ 529 lbs. At the pic you can see me and the old pumpkin. I haven't cut it off yet, so maybe it can still gain a couple of kg/ lbs.   Sunday, September 5 View Page The circ of the second pumpkin growing on the 1088 Kennedy is today (day 39) 299 cm/ 117,7", estimated weight 181 kg/ 399 lbs. The growing speed is slow.   Sunday, November 14 View Page It's been a long time since my last update. Unfortunately, my second attempt to grow a large pumpkin on the 1088 Kennedy also split and stopped growing at 280 kg/ 617 lbs uow. The pumpkin was 16,5 % heavy. At the pic you can see the fan wich I used to dry the split. You can also see one of the four scales. If you want to know more about how I use the scales, pleas look at last year's growing diary; http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=11535   Sunday, November 14 View Page Here's the Swedish national television filming me and my pumpkin. The man to the left is checking the scales.   Sunday, November 21 View Page At the following pics you can see how I move my 280 kg/ 617 lbs pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and up on the trailer. I’m alone and therefore you can’t see me at any of the pics. All I need to do this is: two iron tubes (square 50x50 mm/ 2”x2”) with oil on and an iron-bar lever and of course I must grow the pumpkin on a thick plywood, which I always do. This technique makes it possible to handle really heavy pumpkins without using a truck or a crane.   Sunday, November 21 View Page Now the pumpkin is halfways to the trailer.   Sunday, November 21 View Page And soon on the trailer.   Sunday, November 21 View Page And here’s the pumpkin at an exhibition in Malmo.   Friday, December 24 View Page Today is Christmas Eve, and as you can see Santa Claus is in my pumpkin patch, drilling holes and giving his kitchen waste as a Christmas present to my pumpkin soil. I hope it will give a new pumpkin record next year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Pumpkin Year from me and Santa Claus of Sweden to all of you at BigPumpkins!