Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 54 Entries. Thursday, February 23 View Page Started 2 watermelons Sunday, a 285 Edwards and a 239 Leonard for the State fair in August. They are both up looking good. The State Fair Pumpkin spots are ready to go also.Still 2 more pits to get ready for Cantaloupe and field pumpkin.   Sunday, April 8 View Page Well about time to add a few things.I may not have time for much of a diary this year but will try. The year has been very warm so far but now getting very cold at night with lows in the low 30,and upper 20's. The heat lamps work OK for the watermelons and Pumpkins but I have tomatoes and other veggies up,so now through Wednesday we will cover stuff with Re-may and straw and hope they make it. The Iowa State fair Pumpkins are growing fine but did lose a 285 watermelon plant so backups went in today 255 Mitchell.The Pumpkins in are 1295 C+P and 1568 Wallace. I wanted to grow my 1099 but could not get one up till now so will hang onto in case one goes down. The garden looks like early May not April right now. The weather has been very dry also and could use a good rain later this week.Mary and the kids are doing the Farmers Market this year so we are growing many things this year so pumpkins may take a back seat and never had much luck with pumpkins anyway but still my favorite just hard to grow here with the soil disease. Still planning on 4-6 plants for fall and 2-3 watermelons with other melons also.   Sunday, April 15 View Page Iowa State Fair Plants, 1295 C + P to the left and 1568 Wallace to the right. The 1568 stem split and has slowed it down some but still doing OK.   Sunday, April 15 View Page Long Gourd 124.5 Young for the fair.   Sunday, April 15 View Page My Farmers Market tomatoes at 4ft. tall with tomatoes set. The cold weather last week had me worried but made it through.   Monday, April 30 View Page Looks as if I will have to pull the Wallace plant this week when I get back. Just too many issues with the main vine,splits, rot and slow growth.I have other plants that can go in its place, but only one fair plant now.   Monday, May 14 View Page Pollinated 1295 C+P yesterday, selfed, only one male, 5 lobe.   Wednesday, May 23 View Page Well we have a problem, A or several raccoons have dug up my Squash plants twice,long gourds and other stuff. started new squash seeds but will be hard to get anything big now. Long gourds are started again. It has not rained in about 18 days and windy so been watering and the raccoons love the wet areas and dig them up looking for food. I will not plant anything else outside until I get them taken care of.   Wednesday, May 23 View Page Day 10 1295 C+P selfed, day 14 and day 10 on 250 watermelon plant for fair.   Thursday, May 24 View Page 2 raccoons caught and no rain again after 90 percent chance. Pumpkin has had 2 days of 3 inch gains so right on course.   Tuesday, May 29 View Page Another week without rain, 4 tenths for the month of May.   Thursday, June 7 View Page 1295 C + P Iowa State Fair.   Thursday, June 7 View Page Iowa State fair long gourd at 18 inches.   Thursday, June 7 View Page Should be a couple more set up there a few days old.   Thursday, June 7 View Page A Neptune and Dawson watermelon plants back to back.   Thursday, June 7 View Page A Dawson melon set for fair.   Thursday, June 7 View Page Onions for fair   Thursday, June 7 View Page Outside patch   Thursday, June 7 View Page A couple more plants   Thursday, June 7 View Page My lone squash plant started after the first 2 were dug up by raccoons needs to get going.   Saturday, June 30 View Page My best melon plant in 3 years went down,not sure maybe over watered because of heat. It should of been a great melon year for the heat but I have lost all fair plants now and 4 total. Only 2 plants left and one is very small and will be a week before big enough to pollinate.   Saturday, June 30 View Page This is what I lost my best melon chance to get over 200 pounds, gaining 5-7 a day with still had 40 days to go for fair close to 100 pounds but for not now.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Another problem was my fair pumpkin gaining only 5 pounds a day around 400 pounds now.It just never got going but I think this patch needs a good rest and so do I.   Saturday, June 30 View Page This is the other plant inside the high tunnel(1674 Connolly) the pumpkin is 7 days old. The growth on this plant has been very good. This maybe my only chance for a fall pumpkin.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Here's one of my big tomatoes off a Hunt offspring.Looks like it could go over 3 plus. I will pick in a couple days and get it weighed. It could of waited a couple more weeks to turn for fair.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Heres another off of Marv's seeds.   Saturday, June 30 View Page One of the two watermelon plants I have left. This is a 110 Bright with a melon set a week old. I have a 248 Bright plant I think that has super long females showing up but plant still small. I hope they stall long till the plant gets larger.   Saturday, July 7 View Page If I had good news I would say something. The temps. are nuts and no wind. Too many days of this.Pumpkins will not set and are aborting the ones that are on.   Sunday, July 8 View Page My hunt offspring tomato 21 cir. 3.1 pounds.I weighed it on a certified scale but camera did not work weight 3.3 pounds. Then took it to the Farmers market to show it off with all the people that came. Problem was it was 101 degrees outside and by the time I got it home it was leaking badly from everyone touching it. So just weighed it on this scale at 3.1 pounds.Hopefully I will get something bigger later but nothing looks to be at this time.   Sunday, July 8 View Page More bad news the Iowa State fair pumpkin started to rot from the heat the last week. It was 115 inside the hoop with shade cloth.I had another pumpkin on a side vine at 100 pounds went bad also.This pumpkin never got going and was not going to be a contender. Final est.440 pounds.   Sunday, July 8 View Page Hard to believe the onions are hanging in there, still a month to go.   Sunday, July 8 View Page Kohlrabi are the size of basketballs now.   Sunday, July 8 View Page Megaton cabbage heading up nice.   Sunday, July 8 View Page This was a OS cabbage that has never been right. It has produce several heads instead of one head.   Sunday, July 8 View Page My only chance at a fall pumpkin is this 1674.5 Connolly at 14 days old. This plant will be only 400 sq.ft.   Sunday, July 15 View Page Missed most the rain this time but this is my worst year ever. Lost all competitive Pumpkins(8) and watermelons((6), 3 long gourd plants. After 8 years of this the patches need a rest for at least 3 years.I will let the plants grow wild here to see if anything will set later for a couple 100 pounders for the yard. The farmers market has went well so that has helped the pain of this hobby. I do have room for watermelons next year but not pumpkins here, I have to say when.I am not giving up growing pumpkins, just here. I may have a place to grow about 12 miles away for 2-4 plants. I do have a few things to go to the fair if they hold up. A couple watermelons on the dying vines may hold up to take and other veggies.   Friday, August 17 View Page My big onion picked before the fair with Clare.   Friday, August 17 View Page Photo of our 1st and second place onions at a new fair record over 5.1 pounds and over 4 pounds. Not sure on the exact pounds till I go pick them up Monday. Very happy with them making it through the many 100 plus degree days this year.   Friday, August 17 View Page First place Watermelon   Friday, August 17 View Page First place cantaloupe at over 20 pounds.   Friday, August 17 View Page First place field pumpkin   Friday, August 17 View Page We took first and second in red cabbage.   Friday, August 17 View Page We took 1st and 2nd in round green cabbage. This one was perfect and also over 20 pounds, Megaton.   Friday, August 17 View Page First place in watermelon round.   Friday, August 17 View Page First place watermelon long.   Friday, August 17 View Page All places as follows for the Iowa State fair 2012. 9 firsts 4 seconds 5 thirds 2 fourths 1 fifth Every second place was because we took first also.   Friday, August 17 View Page Photo of our second place long gourd we also took first but forgot to take photo.   Friday, August 17 View Page Tomato placed jumbo   Friday, August 17 View Page Another photo of the onion.   Saturday, September 29 View Page A shot of or top 3 Pumpkins this year at our Mt. Pleasant weigh-off this year.   Monday, November 5 View Page Newest family member, born at 7:47 am central time. Lucas George Schnicker 7 pounds 4 oz. 19.5 inches long. Helen is 4 and Matthew is 2. So this makes 6 children!   Monday, November 5 View Page The kids with our field pumpkins.   Monday, November 5 View Page Anne,Thomas,Clare,Helen and Matthew,next year there will be one more in the photo.   Monday, November 5 View Page Trick or Treat!