Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 61 Entries. Wednesday, May 9 View Page When to start planting? Last year I started the seed in a small greenhouse with a warming plate. The seeds sprouted just fine but didn't harden off too well. Any suggestions? Considering a direct to the soil planing this year.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page Finally, Two AG's are up. A Hoffman 1011 and a Hoffman 495. Thanks to a great guy in Wyoming that shared his seeds last year. Here is the 1011!   Wednesday, May 30 View Page And here is the 495!   Friday, June 22 View Page Here are my two AG's a slow start here in the NW. A few warm days and now back to March weather.... This is the Hoffman 1011   Friday, June 22 View Page Here is the Hoffman 495   Saturday, June 30 View Page Showing signs of growth... Looking for that post 4th of July warm weather to set these off! Here's the Hoffman 495   Saturday, June 30 View Page And here's the 1011   Monday, July 9 View Page Weekly update: Some wind damage on the Hoffman 2011 from a week or so ago. Looks to be recovering, Vine is heading East.   Monday, July 9 View Page Here is the Hoffman 495. A much better looking plant. Vine is headed NW.   Friday, July 13 View Page The 495 is moving out. Started burying vines today.   Friday, July 13 View Page And here is the 1011   Wednesday, July 18 View Page The Hoffman 495 has taken off. Three main vines, one going West, one going East and the other going south.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page Here's the Hoffman 1011. A much better behaved plant. The main vine is now 4 feet from the base. Started burying vines on Tuesday.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page And yes there is more to gardening than giant pumpkins. The dahlia flowers   Friday, August 3 View Page Late but hopeful. Yesterday we got two gals going. I missed a female but, hoping mother nature took care of the polination. This is the Hoffman 495 X Hoffman 1011   Wednesday, August 8 View Page Four polinated. Sure hope I'm not too late to get something going this year. Here's a picture of the most hopeful!   Wednesday, August 8 View Page On a brighter note the corn is up to 5'. Now if I could just keep the person who's pulling up the corn stalk to see how it grows to just look but not touch...   Wednesday, August 8 View Page On a brighter note the corn is up to 5'. Now if I could just keep the person who's pulling up the corn stalk to see how it grows to just look but not touch...   Friday, August 10 View Page Ok, I think I've got this thing figured out. It's starting to grow! I'm wondering if the bees got to this Hoffman 495 before I did. Funny thing is that I didn't see any male's out when this gal got pollinated. It's a growing and I'm not complaining. Just hope the cool weather waits until mid September.   Friday, August 10 View Page Here's the littler guy who's just a few days behind.   Friday, August 10 View Page And for those flower lovers.... This is just a portion of the Dahlia patch.   Sunday, August 12 View Page The Hoffman 495X1011 is making it's move. Here's today's image. There are two on separate vines from the same plant. This is "a" the next image is "b"   Sunday, August 12 View Page Here is the "b" pumpkin. There are others. Not sure if there will be time for them to make much of a growth. Corn at 6' today.   Thursday, August 16 View Page Almost to the size of a basketball! Hot weather (90'S) this weekend!   Thursday, August 16 View Page And here is the little guy trying to catch up...   Saturday, August 18 View Page Surprise! The Hoffman 1011 came through! Was looking through the under brush and there was a cant-elope sized giant.   Saturday, August 18 View Page Here is the Hoffman 495X1011.   Saturday, August 18 View Page Here's the little brother...   Saturday, August 18 View Page And a BigMax that's going to make a run for it. It's doing well considering the end of the plant got clear cut. This one is on it's way. BTW the corn is tassled out. That 90+ weather really got things growing...   Saturday, August 18 View Page And a BigMax that's going to make a run for it. It's doing well considering the end of the plant got clear cut. This one is on it's way. BTW the corn is tassled out. That 90+ weather really got things growing...   Sunday, August 19 View Page Here's the big max picture. Nothing special but a start...   Monday, August 20 View Page Stopped by the peapatch to cut flowers for friends. Couldn't resist taking a look and at the AG's... This is the Hoffman 495X1011 Their moving along!   Monday, August 20 View Page Here is the Hoffman 495X1011B   Monday, August 20 View Page The Hoffman 1011X495   Monday, August 20 View Page And the BigMax   Thursday, August 23 View Page Here's the Hoffman 495X1011. You can see around the sand that it's beginning to push down. I was thinking I needed to clear some of the sand to take some of the stress off the main vine. Seems to be taking care of that itself... The little brother on the 2nd main isn't growing. Should I terminate?   Thursday, August 23 View Page Here is the Hoffman 1011X495 on the other side of the patch...   Thursday, August 23 View Page And the big max. It's doing ok... slow but growing...   Friday, August 24 View Page Trying to figure out the pollination date for the Hoffman. I'm thinking it was some where around the 8th of August. This would make these gal's around 15 days old. When the pictures come up on the post you'll see how well they're doing.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Does this look like a 16 day old AG? Culled the smaller brother... Wasn't growing...   Sunday, August 26 View Page Here is the Hoffman495 Day 16   Tuesday, August 28 View Page 20 Days. Does this look like a 20 day old AG?   Thursday, August 30 View Page Day 22. Water's off at the PeaPatch... Anxious, very anxious!   Friday, August 31 View Page AG Dissection... I had a small AG that was open pollinated. This late in the season it wouldn't amount to much... Here is a sequence of pictures of what a 5 day AG looks like.   Friday, August 31 View Page Water is still off at the PeaPatch... How long can these guys go with out watering. Checked the Hoffman tonight. Here's a picture of what I found...   Saturday, September 1 View Page Ok, so the water is still off. Really anxious now... Not to mention hearing across the pea patch... Look at the giant pumpkin and to kind three small children in the patch... They we're thinking this was the great pumpkin. Little did the know this was just a small guy compared to the truly great....   Monday, September 3 View Page Here's what the AG is looking like on day 23   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Day 24... The AG seems to be slowing down. Maybe there is more mass to move. Interested in seeing what day 30 looks like and compare to the other day 30 examples.   Thursday, September 6 View Page Day 28 Seems to have slowed way down..... 85 degree weather... Well watered... maybe we can have a late season growth spurt...   Saturday, September 8 View Page Slooooowww growin... I'm thinking this is day 29...   Thursday, September 13 View Page Day 33. Same Same...   Saturday, September 15 View Page Going Orange Around day 35. Some growth noticed.   Tuesday, September 18 View Page Sloooooow growing. Plant beginning to tire.....   Saturday, September 22 View Page Day 42.... I was hoping for a AG twice this size this year. It was good season with a warm summer. Maybe it was that I got a late start...   Monday, September 24 View Page Today's entry. That low sun in the sky is casting an orange glow.... The racoons have found my corn patch, took all the goodness out of the field today.   Thursday, September 27 View Page It's a growing again.... How do I know? The little guy across the patch has got some new stretch marks, yea I know what your thinking... I'll have to post a picture tomorrow. It's one weird looking AG... I did find some rodent has been digging up my potatoes and eating them next to my AG.... Sure glad it didn't start eating on my AG!   Thursday, October 4 View Page Looks like this be the best that she'll do this year...   Monday, October 8 View Page Ok, as promised a few weeks ago, here is the weirdest AG that I've ever seen. Looks like it couldn't make up it's mind what it wanted to be....   Monday, October 8 View Page And here's my beauty. Not too big but putting on quiet the show of orange!   Tuesday, October 16 View Page Season coming to an end... By the way, the "turbin" AG is still putting on weight.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Well that weird looking pumpkin just got weirder. I've harvest the seeds, so if you'd like few let me know. Ended up carving the thing, and wouldn't you know, it's the head of an alien triplet! Take a look for yourself.