Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 96 Entries. Saturday, March 17 View Page These are the seeds I plan to grow this year. Should make a nice cross. If nothing else at least it looks good on paper.   Saturday, April 14 View Page The PH is 6.5 . 1300 sq ft. Magnesium is 267 ppm. Calcium is 1925 ppm. OM is 4% Adding 80 lbs. Pelletized limestone(contains 20% magnesium) And 50 lbs calcium carbonate Adding 1 ton of compost I will be addressing other nutrient issues in 2 weeks. Instructions said not to mix lime with fertilizers at the same time.   Friday, April 20 View Page Potassium was 94 ppm, added 25 lbs. Potassium sulfate. Manganese was 8 ppm, added 25 lbs. Manganese sulfate. Boron was .5 ppm. added 13 tablespoons Borax. Added 50 lbs alfalfa pellets for nitrogen. Looks like a rainy week ahead.   Wednesday, May 2 View Page A shot of the patch yesterday. Starting these seeds today. 1566 Rodonis 07, 853 Rahe 09, 322 Rahe 10, 175 Rahe 11 and a triamble squash x jumbo pink bananna cross. The 853 and 322 will likely be used as pollinators only.   Monday, May 7 View Page Seeds have germinated and are looking good.   Tuesday, May 8 View Page Planted out seedlings today. I'm using Companion bio-fungicide this year.   Sunday, May 20 View Page 1566 Rodonis, 12 days in the dirt.   Sunday, May 20 View Page Tomatoes and peppers.   Saturday, June 23 View Page 1566 Rodonis, 4 weeks and 3 days later. 13' vine lenght. Pollinated the 1st female on 6/21 at 8'. The second one is at 10' 6" and will pollinate tommorow. The 3rd is at 13' and is about 6 days out.   Saturday, June 23 View Page General vine condition on 1566. I have been getting some UV burn though.   Saturday, June 23 View Page Vine split on 1566 about 6' out. Discovered it when I unburied it watering.   Saturday, June 23 View Page 6/21 pollinated 1st female on 1566 with 853 Rahe. had a few seeds in blossom, 5 lobes. 6/22 pollinated 1st female on 853 Rahe with 1566, 4 lobes. 6/23 pollinated 1st female on 175 Rahe with 322 Rahe, 4 lobes.   Friday, June 29 View Page New UV damage.   Friday, June 29 View Page Old UV damage   Friday, June 29 View Page Shading some new sets.   Sunday, July 1 View Page This bloom needs 1 more day   Sunday, July 1 View Page This one will be ready in the morning   Monday, July 2 View Page Vine ends with no leaves   Wednesday, July 4 View Page Day 10 1566 Rodonis x 853 Rahe 09. 4 lobes, 11' out. This is the 2nd female on the main vine.   Wednesday, July 4 View Page Day 12 853 Rahe 09 x 1566 Rodonis. Genetics plant. This cross has 1450 Wallace on both sides of the family tree.   Wednesday, July 4 View Page 175 Rahe 11 x 322 Rahe 10. Day 8. This is my orange cross. Also my backup plant. I like the long stem.   Wednesday, July 4 View Page Triamble squash x Bananna squash cross I got from Joannis Hollien. My off the project this year. I have no idea how big it will get or the color. Looks like it will be a wheel though.   Sunday, July 8 View Page Day 15 853 Rahe 37 lbs. est. Genetics plant.   Monday, July 9 View Page 1566 Rodonis. Day 15. est. 88lbs. wow   Wednesday, July 11 View Page 175 Rahe. Backup plant. Day 15. 60 lbs.est. Judging by the early color I think this baby will go dark orange.   Friday, July 13 View Page 1566 Rodonis day 20. est. 171 lbs.   Sunday, July 15 View Page 322 Rahe, day 15, 48lbs. est. 50" cc Genetics plant.   Monday, July 16 View Page 175 Rahe day 20. 156 lbs. est.   Tuesday, July 17 View Page 852 Rahe 171 lbs. est. day 25. Genetics plant   Wednesday, July 18 View Page 1556 Rodonis, day 25, 286 est. Putting on 23 lbs. per day right now.   Friday, July 20 View Page 322 Rahe genetics plant. day 20. 88 lbs.est.   Saturday, July 21 View Page 175 Rahe, backup plant. Day 25, est. 243 lbs. Has a long stem, nice shape and already showing color.   Sunday, July 22 View Page 853 Rahe day 30, 236 lbs. est. Genetics plant   Monday, July 23 View Page 1566 Rodonis. day 30. 407 lbs. est. 1000 lbs is possible with a 400 lb day 30 weight. Assuming nothing bad happens.   Wednesday, July 25 View Page 322 Rahe, day 25, 119 lbs. est. genetics plant.   Thursday, July 26 View Page 175 Rahe, day 30, 294 lbs. est.   Friday, July 27 View Page 853 Rahe, day 35, 294 lbs. est. Genetics plant   Saturday, July 28 View Page 1566 Rodonis , day 35, 519 lbs. est.   Saturday, July 28 View Page This is what I found this morning when I uncovered the pumpkin on the 175 Rahe. The white lesions mean this one is a goner. No growth since the day 30 measurement. Probably wont even get seeds, only day 32. This plant probably has fusarium. I will post a pic of the new growth. I should send in for a tissue test.   Saturday, July 28 View Page A closer look   Monday, July 30 View Page 322 Rahe, day 30, 144 lbs. est. Seeds were underdeveloped from pumpkin I lost on the 175 Rahe plant. Hoping I get seeds from this one, it's a reverse cross.   Wednesday, August 1 View Page 175 Rahe pumpkin. Stick a fork in it, It's done. I did save a few seeds from it but they probably will dry up and blow away. The new growth on the plant is looking normal.   Wednesday, August 1 View Page 853 Rahe day 40, 347 lbs. Genetics plant.   Thursday, August 2 View Page 1566 Rodonis, day 40, 614 est. "Wide Load". Hoping to make 1000. I let about 10 secondaries grow out and didn't terminate them until day 30. I am hoping this strategy will give me better numbers in August & September.   Saturday, August 4 View Page 322 Rahe, day 35, 163 est. Genetics plant grown on 100 sq. ft. Crossed with 175 Rahe.   Monday, August 6 View Page 853 Rahe, day 45, 381 lbs. est. Genetics plant   Tuesday, August 7 View Page 1566 Rodonis day 45, est 694 lbs. Right on schedule for 1000lbs. Maybe more If I can keep the plant healthy.   Tuesday, August 7 View Page I found this leaf stalk rotting on the bottom about 2 feet away from the pumpkin on the main vine. I found it in time and rot didn't get into the main vine. A situation just like this ruined a good shot for 1000lbs for me in 2009.   Tuesday, August 7 View Page 33 Rahe 2012 (Triandves F2 2008 x 175 Rahe 2011) I harvested this one because the skin was going soft. The Triandves cross was (Triamble squash x jumbo pink banana) I think the growth curve for this one ends at about 30 or so days. This one is 37 days old and the seeds look good. I have a larger selfed one still on the vine.   Thursday, August 9 View Page 322 Rahe, day 40, 179 lbs. est.   Saturday, August 11 View Page 853 Rahe, day 50, 403 lbs. est. Genetics plant.   Sunday, August 12 View Page 1566 Rodonis, day 50, 760 est. It's starting to show cantalouping on the sides.   Monday, August 13 View Page 175 Rahe plant with 1/2 of the canopy removed. The following pictures were taken August 9nth. The 1st visible sign of a problem with this plant was on July 28th when white lesions appeared on the fruit. (See picure on that date)   Monday, August 13 View Page Mature leaves beyond the fruit.   Monday, August 13 View Page Closer picture of some leaves.   Monday, August 13 View Page The new growth appeared normal on July 28. Now they appear stunted and discolored (August 9nth)   Monday, August 13 View Page Another stunted new growth vine.   Monday, August 13 View Page Shriveled fruit set. It looked normal on August 1st.   Monday, August 13 View Page Another fruit set. The other 3 plants in this patch have not developed these symptoms. This plant as well as the other 3 have had regular treatments of the following Triazicide contact insecticide (gamma-cyhalothrin .08%) Bonide systemic insecticide (acephate 9.4%) Applied the leaves once when they were new growth. Ortho Garden Disease Control contact fungicide (chlorothalonil 29.6%)   Monday, August 13 View Page I will be having a test done on the 175 Rahe plant. Growth curve was like this. day 15 after pollination 60 lbs. estimated. Day 20 156 lbs. Day 25 243 lbs. Day 30 294 lbs. Day 32 abort. I wasn't taking daily measurements but it looks like the trouble started after day 25.   Thursday, August 16 View Page 57 Rahe 2012 (Triandves F2 x Self)   Friday, August 17 View Page 1566 Rodonis day 55. est. 814 lbs.   Friday, August 17 View Page Another angle.   Saturday, August 18 View Page Serranos   Saturday, August 18 View Page Habaneros, "Condor's Beak"   Saturday, August 18 View Page Tomatoes and peppers   Saturday, August 18 View Page Salsa !!!   Sunday, August 19 View Page 322 Rahe day 50. 184 lbs. est. + 5 lbs. in 10 days. Hanging in there for the seeds. Genetics plant.   Wednesday, August 22 View Page A day late with posting. 853 Rahe, day 60, 425 lbs. est. Small genetics plant that looks like crap. No foliar fertz and minimal watering only because its been so dry. Wide, long and low.   Wednesday, August 22 View Page 1566 Rodonis, day 60, taping 843 lbs. It will probably finish taping 930 to 960 if past experience holds true.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Hinkle Hatz peppers. A Dutch heirloom from Pennsylvania. Very Hot.   Monday, August 27 View Page A final note on the symptoms of the 175 Rahe plant. New growth looked normal for about 5 days after fruit abort then the leaves began to show symptoms. I just received the results for the sample of the 175 Rahe plant. "The giant pumpkin sample was exhibiting symptoms typical of and has tested positive for cucurbit yellow vine using PCR. This disease is transmitted by the squash bug and the good news, if any, is that this pathogen does not survive in the soil, it overwinters in the bugs. The University of Kentucky has information on this disease at: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-VG-12.pdf and the University of Connecticut gave some information on trap cropping that might be helpful: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/veg/htms/cucrbinct.htm Note: I did cultures for Fusarium and Verticillium, results were negative" I sent the sample here. C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic Ohio State University 8995 E. Main Street, Bldg. 23 Reynoldsburg OH 43068-3399 Telephone : 614-292-5006 Fax : 614-466-9754 Overnight shipping was $25. The test was $20   Monday, September 3 View Page I'm a couple days late posting this. 1566 Rodonis day 70. Est. 894 lbs.   Saturday, September 8 View Page 1566 Rodonis somewhere north of 900. If you look closely you can see I lost the stump. Don't think it was doing much anyway, the first 3 secondaries on both sides didnt have any leaves left. The 853 Rahe in the background. Not an original leaf left. I neglected this small plant, dont know how the pumpkin got over 400 lbs.   Saturday, September 8 View Page What could this be???   Saturday, September 8 View Page I hope one doesnt fall and crush a car.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page Tic Tok Tic Tok the weigh-off looms.   Friday, September 28 View Page 1566 Rodonis, Loaded and ready to go. Is 4 digits in the cards?????   Monday, October 1 View Page 1072 Rahe 12 (1566 Rodonis 07 x 853 Rahe 09) + 13% A new personal best.   Tuesday, October 2 View Page 1072 Rahe, another pic   Tuesday, October 2 View Page And another   Tuesday, October 2 View Page And another   Tuesday, October 2 View Page What's a weigh-off without crazy orange hair.   Saturday, October 6 View Page The following pictures are from the first Operation Pumpkin Event. Hamilton Ohio. Decorated pumpkins   Saturday, October 6 View Page The crane.   Saturday, October 6 View Page Line-up. Hmmm, these look kinda big.   Saturday, October 6 View Page My entry on the way to the scale.   Saturday, October 6 View Page 1st place. 1587 Werner. I believe this one was previously weighed at 1598.   Saturday, October 6 View Page The fun doesn't stop after the weigh-off. A secret look inside the 1336 Werner. I don't know if this one was previously weighed.   Saturday, October 6 View Page Seed collecting at night in the rain.   Saturday, October 6 View Page A not so unknown grower getting ready to go seed diving. You know it's big when you need a spotter when you go to retrieve the seeds. I also learned seed diving can cause bodily injury.   Saturday, October 6 View Page Leaderboard at Operation Pumpkin. I had a fun time. Special thanks to Jason Snyder who put forth alot of effort organizing this event. I hope to see this event return next year.   Friday, November 2 View Page These are the seeds from the 1072 Rahe. The rest of them were completly hollow.   Friday, November 2 View Page 242 Rahe 2012 (322 Rahe 10 x 175 Rahe 11) This is my continuing work on big and orange. If you have a 175 Rahe, give it a shot. I had a real nice round one with a long stem going on it but lost the plant and fruit on day 30 to yellow vine disease. If you want more genetic info just type any of my crosses into the site search and you will find it in my diaries.   Saturday, November 3 View Page genetics on the 242 Rahe   Sunday, November 11 View Page Made in China. The cast aluminum housing broke in half. Cast aluminum wasn't a good choice for this part but I'm sure it was a cheap one. I hope I can find the parts.