Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 53 Entries. Wednesday, January 5 View Page Happy New Year all! I am John Vincent. I grow giant pumpkins in beautiful Prince Edward County on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in southern Ontario Canada. Prince Edward is known as "Thee County", hence my handle "CountyKid". I am a certified crops adviser and have worked in the Fertilizer and crop protection industry for about 25 years. Last year I changed careers a bit and currently work for a local John Deere dealer selling agricultural machinery. I started growing pumpkins in 2004. This will be my 9th year growing giant pumpkins. My personal best weight in pumpkin is 1339.5 lbs, grow in 2009 in partnership with my neighbour and good friend Brian McGill. Brian and I also grew a World Record Squash in 2009, the 1236* I am currently a representative on the GPC, on the executive of the GVGO, President of the PECPG and leader of the PEC giant Vegetable 4-H club. I have kept a diary since I started growing in 2004, I will attempt to do a better job keeping my diary up on 2011   Wednesday, January 5 View Page I have always grown at least one seed for colour. This is a picture of our 513.5 from last season. It was grown from the 1059 Vincent/McGill 09 and crossed with the 1161 Rodonis. The 513 was pollinated near the end of July and never really had a chance. I was unsuccessful in pollinating a fruit on the 1161, but it did produce a very nice bright orange open pollinated fruit. I plan to plant the 513.5 in 2011. I expect the seed to produce "Big and Orange" for me this year!   Saturday, February 26 View Page Here is my brand new Reptibator (AKA propagator), complements of my good friend Chris Delaney....thanks Chris   Saturday, February 26 View Page My season finally got going this week as I started some Cabbage and Kohlrabi. Yes, its late, but we will see come fall if i'm too late!   Saturday, February 26 View Page 12 Cornish Giant, 12 Norther Giant, 8 Gigante Giant Kohlrabi. Propagator set for 90F, thermostat showing 84F at the top of the trays. Humidity at about 55%   Saturday, February 26 View Page This is a Giant Kohlrabi I am over wintering to get seeds for next year. This is from the same seed lot as my 43 lb'er from last year. Itself, I suspect was close to 40 lbs. So far it seems to be doing quite well, with some new growth foliage popping out from the nodes. This will be my first attempt at over wintering any biennial.   Thursday, April 28 View Page Started the pumpkin seeds on Monday night. Soaked over night and planted directly into planting medium on Tuesday morning and into the reptibator. The first two are just pushing dirt tonight. 1468 Stevens and 1035* Aten squash are the first two to pop. The weather is extremely wet and backwards here. almost 7" of rain here in the last 10 days. I hope i can get in the patch before these plants get too big!   Saturday, May 14 View Page 4 of 6 plants in the ground: 1468 Stevens, 1185 Kline, 513 Vincent and 935 Vincent*. Started tonight, 3 African Kettle Gourds, 4 Cinderella Pumpkins, 3 Bushel gourds, 1 x 154 Orr Field Pumpkin, 1 x 137 Orr Field Pumpkin, 2 x 142 McInnis Field Pumpkin.   Saturday, May 21 View Page I set out the last two AG's last night as it has been just too wet to prepare the planting sites....In desperation I prepared them Thursday evening and left them 24 hrs to heat up. The ground was squishy under foot! Final line up: 1468 Stevens 1185 Kline 513 Vincent 804 Vincent McGill 1035 Aten* 935 Vincent* The garden is still so wet, I can do any tillage. I'm not to stressed about the AG patch as I can work around the hoop houses for a couple weeks yet. I just cant get any planting sites prepared for the other giant veggies. Lots of transplants ready to set out! They are calling for showers all of next week too. The plants that have been in the ground for a couple weeks are doing very well, with the 513 leading the pack, followed closely by the 1185 Kline and 1468 Stevens all with heating cables. The 1468 got damaged in a wind storm we had a week or so ago. The hoop house plastic was completely destroyed. Heat cables and black plastic working very well at maintaining ground temp at close to 80F. The mini ceramic heaters I bought are working very well at maintaining warm air conditions in the hoops at night.   Monday, May 23 View Page The 1468 Stevens plant. A little tattered from the hoop house blowing apart in the wind storm, but growing very well.   Monday, May 23 View Page 1185 Kline starting to take off.   Monday, May 23 View Page 513 Vincent. Best plant in the patch. really growing well now.   Monday, May 23 View Page 935 Vincent* squash looking good also. The other three plants have heating cables under them. This one does not, but doing quite well regardless. All four plants are ahead of the plants I had in 2009. The other two plants just went in on Friday night and are already growing well with the heat we had this weekend. I treated all plants with Seaweed and Relief tonight. I did a seaweed and fish drench this afternoon.   Saturday, June 4 View Page Finally dry enough to work the patch this week. Was able to get the other vine transplants in, includiing watermelons, field pumpkins, Cinderella pumpkins, African Kettle gourd, and a bushel gourd.   Tuesday, June 7 View Page A shot of the patch taken Sunday night. Most of the stuff is in now!   Wednesday, June 8 View Page 1468 Stevens   Wednesday, June 8 View Page 513 Vincent   Wednesday, June 8 View Page 935 Vincent*   Wednesday, June 8 View Page 1185 Kline   Saturday, June 11 View Page Plants survived the big winds this week. Microburst nearby took out multiple mature trees, so we were very lucky. Last two hoops removed today on the 1035 Aten* and the 804 Vincent-McGill. Mains last Sunday we just laying down, now out about 7 ft...growing fast. Drenched patch today with tow separate sprays. First was Azos + fish and Molasses. The second was Ridomil and Admire (Merit). Nice down pour here tonight to wash into the root zone..:-). Burying to start tomorrow. Female on the 513 looks to open in two or three days. No males yet and too close so will bypass.   Sunday, June 12 View Page I Installed some of my irrigation system tonight. Going back to the drip tape this year in combination with the Wizzers. Got tape laid down on about half the patch. First female open today on the 513 Vincent at about 6'. A nice five lober. I picked it off and will wait for another.   Sunday, June 19 View Page Always more work to do than time! Sue helped me lay some more drip lines today. Applied my first tea application tonight. Added Serenade, Water soluble Root Shield, Actinovate, Y.E.A, and some special strains of bacillus, all applied through the wizzers.   Wednesday, June 22 View Page The 513 Vincent plant developing nicely.   Wednesday, June 22 View Page First pollination of the season this morning. 513 Vincent x 804 Vincent/ McGill @ about 12'. This was the fourth female on this plant   Tuesday, July 5 View Page Day 13 for the first pollination on the 513 Vincent 10. 40" circ. Cross is 513 x 804 Vincent-McGill (804 was 670 Daigle x 1180 Daletas). Likley the next generation big and orange.   Sunday, July 10 View Page A real nice squash going on the 1035 Aten* x 935 Vincent*. 28" on day 10. One of my best numbers ever.   Sunday, July 10 View Page An overview of the patch. Havent been waterning much as I havent got my main source hooked up yet. I hope to have it going by tonight! Fruit set on all AG plants   Sunday, July 17 View Page Extreame heat here today....plants are wilting seaverly. Will be watering again tonight. Relief applications seem to be preventing sunburn....I really like this product! Pumpkins are a little slow due to this extream weather. hopefully no aborts....sets on the field pumpkins are slow also.   Wednesday, July 20 View Page 142 McInnis x 154 Orr field Pumpkin, day 11, cc26"   Wednesday, July 20 View Page 142 McInnis x 154 Orr Field Pumpkin #2, also day 11, 25"cc   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Cinderella x 804 Vincent-McGill AG....Sue's pet project   Wednesday, July 20 View Page 1468 Stevens x 1185 Kline, day 25, growing slowly   Wednesday, July 20 View Page 1185 Kline x 1468 Stevens, also day 25, also growing slowly. Both these pumpkins are behind where I wanted to be. Not sure what happened, but likley heat/ drought   Wednesday, July 20 View Page 935 Vincent* x 1035 Aten*, day 26, growing nicely but will be colour challanged.   Wednesday, July 20 View Page 1035 Aten* x 935 Vincent*, Day 22, was in benchmark at day 20. My best shot at another WR   Wednesday, July 20 View Page 804 Vincent-McGill x 513 Vincent, Day 23, under bench mark at Day 20 but growing steady. Should be big and orange.   Wednesday, July 20 View Page One of my better cabbages, Cornish Giant   Wednesday, July 20 View Page One of my better Kohlrabi's, Gigante   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Long gourds are reaching the top of the trellis. Left to right, 135 Jacobus, 114 McGreggor WR, one of my Vincent gourds from last year (Have to look up which one all were 134 J/B x 99 Urena and reverse). The Long Gourd disease, which has now been diagnosed as anthracnose, has infected the jacobus vine pretty sevearly. Not sure if it will survive.   Friday, July 22 View Page Here is Sue's 513. Day 30 today. 113+71+75= 259" = 373 est. she dosnt seem to be minding the heat....doing a steady 30 lbs a day.....keep growin baby!   Tuesday, August 2 View Page The 513 Vincent 10 fruit taken yesterday posing with Sue (Mrs V, aka Pumpkinwidow), this has been her baby all season , 40 DAP, 311", 635 lbs est., dropping back a bit but still gaining about 27 lbs/day last 5 days! I believe this pumpkin could get to 1400. There is some orange showing up now in the base of the ribs. I would like her to be orange but not sure yet how the colour is going to be. Staying youthful for so long is definatly incouraging. We have had excellent weather here the last couple weeks since the hot spell. About 6.5" of rain in the last 3 weeeks has greatly reduced the need to water. I am staying on my spray schedual. Last night everything for a good application of seaweed, C02, & fulvic acid in pH corrected water. I have basically given up on my 1468 Stevens and 1185 Kline plants. Both pumpkins are crap for numbers and I'm focusing my efforts on the other four including a really nice squash.   Tuesday, August 2 View Page One of Sue's Cinderella pumpkins cross pollinated with the 804 Vincent Mcgill AG. Sue is looking to grow a big Cinderella next year   Monday, August 8 View Page The GVGO patch tour was excellent on Saturday. A great time had by all. Phil and Jane Hunt have a monster going on there 1080. This sucker was well over 800 and still gaining 30+ per day. New WR?....hmmm personal best at least. This thing is built!....I smell another 15-20% heavy fruit out of the Hunt Patch! The 1080 will be the new must have seed to have for 2012....its already on my short list!   Monday, August 8 View Page Phil Joynson poses with his monster, on the 1229 Sundin plant. Going hard and still very youthful....of and the pumpkin was doing well also....the 1229 is a very under rated and over looked seed.   Monday, August 8 View Page The cabbage house at Joynsons. This thing is a thing of beauty. The cabbages are completly screened in so no insect presure. The cabbages were doing awsome. I have to get me one of these!   Monday, August 8 View Page Joynson tomatoes.....look out Phil and Jane!   Tuesday, August 9 View Page Chris Delaney was the first stop on the tour. Pictured here is his lovely wife Jen, with their masive 1421 Stelts fruit, taping 800 lbs the morning of the tour and still packing on 25+ lbs per day. This one will give Phil and Jane a run for their money......keep'r goin Chris!   Thursday, August 11 View Page The 513 Vincent 10 fruit, Day 50 today. Measures 154+92.5+96 = 342.5" = 843 lbs est. weight!. The pumpkin is gaining about 21.5 lbs per day, last five days. Picked up a little in the last 24 hrs. Looking for a PB here if we can keep'r going.   Thursday, August 11 View Page The 1035 Aten 10* Squash. This one's got me a little excited. Day 44 for her today. Measuring: 155+98+89 =342 =840 lbs est weight! Thats day 44 folks! Now the issue here is the shape. A big bean bag chair type wheel. The proper method of measureing circumferance is the largest measurement parelel to the ground. This means I am measuring the large bulb well below the blossom end. This method has proven to be accurate in the past especially with this shape of fruit so I am confident in the numbers. The fruit gained 31 lbs per day, last 4 days and is sapping like crazy. I have always been a believer in the median weight day, between day 41-45......hmmmm....current WR 1236....hmmm. I am pusing her hard to maintain the gains. All vines terminated now. Lets hope she keeps going and holds together.   Thursday, August 11 View Page Here is my other `squash`, the 935 Vincent 10*, Nothing to wright home about. Est 507 lbs, day 45 on the 8th. Obviously going to be colour challanged like the moma. This line always goes heavy so looking for 15-20%. Doing about 13 lbs per day. This fruit should finish over 1K. lets hope she Greens up some more.   Tuesday, September 6 View Page We lost the 513 fruit on the weekend. I went to tape it and got that sinking feeling when I leaned on it. I will try to get it weighed on Thursday this week, if it holds together. Taping just over 1000 lbs.   Tuesday, September 6 View Page The squash continues to grow at a stagering pace. I have never had a fruit grow like this one. Now well into new world record territory, despite the terrible shape. Be afraid AC-Prodagee....be very afraid!   Monday, November 7 View Page My 1st place, 64.8 lb cabbage at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto