Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 293 Entries. Monday, February 27 View Page Here we go on another growing season.......man if I'm not itchin to get Gowin and Growin. Heres my choice of seeds this year in my North Patch and My south Patch I'm goin with some Mistery seeds that I've grown the Past few yrs and have got a Pretty good feelin about them. Soil is going to be alot better this season and I'm ready for the SVB's this year.   Monday, February 27 View Page I got wiped out from SVB's last year but was able to get control but at a very late time frame. I had two vines left with Tri-vines in bloom and was able to pollinate a few Pumkins and man did they grow. I exploded more than what survived but with what did survive they thrived on my 3" Digester Feeding tubes I used with Horse Sweet Feed.....The seeds I got are Huge and so a week ago I filed 6 seeds and put them in some Miracle grow potting soil and put them in my Egg Incubater @ 90 degrees and BAMM... They germinated in Two days..couldn't believe it but its true and now I've got plants with four main leaves with nowhere to go lol,lol, but it was a very good test run...anyone want any of these seeds I'll send them to you If you want to try them for a side plant to see what you can get.....They are a very fast Growing seed   Monday, February 27 View Page Got My south Patch chiseled out and turned in about 3 tons of manure today (Dried from last year).Tried out my Chisel I built out of some old parts. Its 7 ft wide and my little Tractor pulls it with ease. Tons of Nightceawlers in the soil 3" sub surface and its the end of Feb. ..crazy weather. I'm putting only two plants on this patch, Plenty of room for big Plants.   Tuesday, February 28 View Page Seperating Tomato plants to satify the Growin Itch. They'll have fruit set on before I get 'em in the ground like last season but with the Biota Max Tabs they'll explode with production when they hit the Patch...Had 13 FT plants last yr doin it this way. thuis yr I'm growin them over low arches because I'm affraid of hieghts lol.   Wednesday, February 29 View Page Sun comin up last over may Daughters Patch. Shes 10 yrs old this yr and she determined to beat her reocord of 169 lbs from just common seeds...she did good.   Thursday, March 8 View Page Got my Soil Test today..............looks good except for the Organic Matter.....need to build it up......and quick (If thats possible). Will put more into compost from here on out and see whats the best to do so and I believe I need to go with a good cover crop this year following.   Monday, March 12 View Page Had to put this in here. On the 3rd of March this past week this little girl (Kid) Fainting Goat of my daughters was born along with two others. I got to name this one..............Pumpkin!!!   Friday, March 16 View Page I added this Blossum colored Bug Zapper to the arsonal against the pesky Insects....WHOA HA HA HA HA!!!!! I'll have two in each Patch along with all the other stuff....Hope theres enough room for the Pumpkin to grow, LOL   Wednesday, March 21 View Page Got a call from the Manager of the Soil Testing Facility I used and Boy "O" Boy he asked if I need any Tanks and this is what I brought Home: 4 - 275 Gal Tanks and 2 Black poly 55 Gal Barrels.........No Cost to yours Truly. These People are Awesome...and to add to it..One of the 275 Gal containers had about 150 Gallons of Low Temp Fish Fertilizer 4-1-1 "Not Mixed" Basically just like Alaska Fish Emulsion. Now go figure the price on that stuff. Wish some of you were closer..I'd surely share. ...A Good Day   Wednesday, March 21 View Page Here is the Stats on this stuff. I've got about 220 Gals of this Fish Emulsion.............That ought to do it for a little while. Like I said I wish I knew if anybody was close to me because I'd share, share, share lol   Wednesday, March 21 View Page I think Thats Enough Tomatoes   Wednesday, March 21 View Page Got the North Patch turned with Compost and sulfer per my soil Test and rechiseled the South Patch along with the East Patch.......now If I could just remember where that last patch is................   Wednesday, March 21 View Page South Patch Lookin Good and Ready too GO!!!   Wednesday, March 28 View Page Built 5 cold frames today   Wednesday, March 28 View Page The two down on the end from the first pic   Wednesday, March 28 View Page The two in the North Patch. Will lay Black mulch plastic tomorrow and set frames back on....soil temp today was 69 deg...C'mon heat-up, heat-up lol   Wednesday, March 28 View Page Rhubarb in the foreground and Blackberries along the old Gates I put in from on of the barns. I've already picked asparagus and the plums and peaches have just started to put fruit on..Crazy weather Apples and pears will be next but the straw berries are in bloom.   Wednesday, March 28 View Page Grapes are startin to leaf out   Wednesday, March 28 View Page Strawberries in Bloom..They are everbearing and will continue to put out till sept. M M Good   Friday, March 30 View Page Got all five cold frames totaly in place w/ plastic mulch to heat up the soil 2 days ago soil temp was 63 deg this afternoon 10 inches down it is at 79 deg under the huts. You can see why with this pic of the monitor coming from the cold frames....110 degrees will heat up that soil lol. Also got the Trunk pits filled in and the carbon Humic Trace and Mycorrhizal Stimulants and Biota Max soil conditioners put in place in anticipation of Transplanting the (2) 1382dmg Brysons 1419Bryson'10 x 1725 Harpe'09 and I'm puting in (3) 1232 M. Smith 1618.2 Bryson'10 x 1489 Kline'10 .   Friday, March 30 View Page With the soil temp up good and capability of keeping the plants safe from freezing I went ahead like a crazy person and put 36 Tomatoe Plants in the ground.............in March lol..I know...I know.........I hardened them the last two weeks and man they were beggin for it. Started them in the last week of Dec and they are full of blooms but will really take of now. Also got both my wells up and running and a little over 1000 Gallons of heating capabilty to boot.......gettin .....gettin there. Man I can Taste the BLT's lol   Friday, March 30 View Page Put in 36 Tomatoe plants in Beef Steaks and Better Boys..Nothin special just some good all around Tomatoes. Started these things the last week in Dec and boy I was tired of chasin the sun inside the house lol. I use DC Volt Blankets on three tunnels at a time if they need protecting. I also Painted a bunch of bricks Black and the sun heats them up so hot that you need gloves to pick them up. I put one or two in at night and they are toasty all night.   Monday, April 2 View Page I want to Thank Mr. John Vincent @ the PECPG for getting my 1650 Sproule seed Mailed out to me on a Fraction of a Minute Notice. Not a bad Replacement seed, It may prove to be the best in my line up. Had to go thru again and pick the suckers from my tomatoes and pinch the first set of blossums.   Friday, April 6 View Page Heres a pic of the 1232 M. Smith. I know there is not a garantee with seeds..BUT...................Only one seed out of the (3) 1232 Smith and neither one of the (2) 1382 Brysons I bought from "Dills" germinated. My germination Chamber has 100% accuracy in germinating seeds. Bummer.....Regroup!!! I just think the seeds should be a bit better than this if your going to put them out there as "Provin Premium Seeds", just My Opinoin and a roll of the dice.......we all play the game still, lol.   Friday, April 6 View Page Got Two Plants out into the Cold Frames with Heat Lamps 4/6/12. We had Temps at 30 deg. this mornin and my cold houses on the Tomatoes did perfect.....never got below 50deg. on them. Tomatoes have their second set of blooms comin on at around two ft. tall. I'm going to pinch those back and the suckers again and then I'll keep the following sets for the season. Got one Dill PLant from my early germination runs with two male blooms on it. I put it out on the side of everything just to see what it does. It came off a plant last year from the side of one of the patches (OP) that had a couple 200 lb pumpkins off of it. Good test Seeds.   Monday, April 9 View Page Got a couple of the cold frame doors put on this mornin   Monday, April 9 View Page saw this Idea for baiting&Trapping Japenese and Cucumber Beetles. Yellow plastic cups with water attract the beetles and they fall in the water......Trapped. Also gets SVB's at times I'll set out about twice this much on all (4) patches.   Monday, April 9 View Page Here is the condition of my 1650 Sproule Seed that I got in the mail from PECPG. Pretty sad Luck so far this year on My Seed List........OH WELL!!   Tuesday, April 10 View Page A Huge Thanks goes out to DHertz, lobsterdude725, Soopr Sizr, Richard B. Steelydave and John Vincent for saving my Daughter and I's season with seeds. I'll do my Best for you all!!! As I like to say.........Stand back....I don't know how big it'll get!!   Tuesday, April 10 View Page A Big Thanks for Support Also from Smallmouth Luke!!!   Tuesday, April 10 View Page My Daughter Paytyn 2011 Season with one of her AG's we let Open Pollinate in her Patch. She had so much fun growing these and now she says the funs over Dad in 2012 we get Serious lol..This is so funny and so I'll keep you posted on how she does with her $3.00 Howden "Biggies" Field Pumpkin Pack.   Thursday, April 12 View Page A Big Thanks to Mr. John Barenie if I haven't already!!! Got A Couple of yours and Lukes Orange Beasts soakin in 12% Humic, (1)tble spn of lquid Kelp/1 qt of well (heated slightly) and 6" upside down butter dishes ready with Mirical grow soil laced w/Mycorrhizal Stmulants Toasty at 89 deg in germ box just awaitin for 2:00 pm.   Saturday, April 14 View Page Steelydave..Got your Seed Packet in the Mail..Your Also Too, Too Kind. Thanks so Much. Bad Storms predicted Today.....Be Nice Mother Nature.......................Please?   Saturday, April 14 View Page All my watering Tanks and barrels are full of rain and well water and I am recharging a 7,000 Gal sistern that is below the east side yard with rain water from the house gutters. From the looks of the weather report it should fill up this weekend..............Thats the good side to this weather maker, Mother Nature can keep the Hail and Tornados lol. If you here someone yelling "I'm melting" thats just me feeding my daughters Fainting Goats between the lightning Strikes.........Stay low and Keep moving Fast Joe lol.   Tuesday, April 17 View Page Thanks to alot of you out there here is my growin list for 2012. I'm also helping my daughter put in Field Pumpkins and a few Blue Moons. Going to cross a few of the Blue Moons with the 525 Puricelli's and the 1399.5 Marsh..should be intresting. I'll post a pick of the Blue Moons. Thanks again to everyone in your response on my seed request...WOW I hope to do you all Proud!!!   Tuesday, April 17 View Page Here are the Field Pumpkins except for the Faradales (Blue Cucurbita maxima). I thought this color would be intresting to cross too see what the color would be and still maintain a good genetic size. There are the "Howden Biggies" Our local garden and seeds guy told me that these particular field pumpkins get huge on their own but wants me to see just how big I can get one...ought to be pretty cool. Says right on the back that they are "Pepo's"   Tuesday, April 17 View Page Soopr Sizr and J. Hudson got both of yer seed packets in the Mail.Thanks for everyone for saving our Season...I am forever in your Debt. The Smile is "Still" on my face!!!! Good Luck and the Best of your PB's to Everyone!! joseph   Tuesday, April 17 View Page I am also growing a Giant Squash sent to me by Mr. J. Hudson along with some pretty impressive sounding Tomato's. Can't wait to see the ORANGE on the 525 Puricelli either.   Saturday, April 21 View Page With Help from Lobsterdude725 I am adding The 1365 '11 Singleton (1385 Jutras 07' x 1610 Leiber 10') to this years line up. Thanks "Bob". I took the tractor up to the upper berm of the Little Bear Creak which is about 2000 yards north of my property (No chance of flooding) and chisseled out about 100' - 150' x 60' patch area..rich sandy black soil w/ 4' tall cereal type grass on it since the beginning of time, really rich virgin soil. Going to put two plants up there on it. 4:50 am 4/21/12 and its 32 deg ambient air temp outside but 73 deg soil temp inside the cold frames with inside air temp of 61 deg no heat. Weather guy says it should be our last freeze...Key word there being "Should" lol. Today will start to set out plants in w/ heat at night. Been hardening of plants during the day in the cold frames in anticipation of getting them in the ground. The 1232 M. Smith has been in the ground and is starting to vine out, 525 puricelli is looking like a Beast of a grower Too. Started Brewing tea yesterday (Soil amendment Recipe used by Evans The Big Veggie Grower from Alaska). Last week put down and turned in 170 gallons of 8% Mollasses between all 4 Patches all other Root Pits are ready to rock n roll with soil blast and last dose of humic to those areas have been applied along with Carbonated Humate with 8% Calcium Nitrate, Kelp meal and Drammatic K. Don't know who said it but it is true, "We are our own worst enemy" lol,... taking a break now..   Sunday, April 22 View Page These guys are going out in the coldframes tomorrow. 525 Est. Puricelli, 1449.5 Traylor 09, 1333 Dodge, 1399.5 Marsh 09, 1650.8 Sproule 11, 1308 Berenie 11, 1135 Bhaskaran 09 and the Est. 497 Squash sent to me by Jim Hudson. The 1365 Singleton just prouted on the 20th and will hit the coldframe a bit later in the week or on the 27th or 28th. I put up old sheer curtains over the growlights and the shelving units to creat a Micro environment for the Kins to grow in. With the misting and the heat of the 48" lamps it maintains about 88 degs in there with 90+ % humidity...They just thrive in there.   Sunday, April 22 View Page Rebagged my Victor Beetle Traps with 1 Gal Freezer Bags for Eazzier Storage of the bugs.........Just Kidding lol. I cut the bottoms of the frezzer Bags so I can dump the contents alot easyier and its still simple to add water again, holds water great with no leaks if you only fill 1/4 of the way.   Sunday, April 22 View Page Note to Self: Learn to Spellllllllllllllllllll lol   Tuesday, April 24 View Page Made up a Quick reference layout chart in case I get lost my Daughter can't find me lol. Going to keep multiple black 275 Gal Tanks at the #7 & #8 patches filled with creek water via gas 2" Pump. Just getting to the site will require a 4 wheeler and Indiana Jones Outfit and a side kick...maybe some of that theme music too!! If these Plants produce I may have my own syndicated TV show on just getting them out of the area.......Maybe call on the GSA to send a couple chenutes in for an Air Lift or two lol. Will get some North, North Patch Pics posted so you can see that I'm serious. If I fall back there I'll definetly want my cell phone with me lol. Will get a Field Pumpkin chart up soon. Tell my Family I love 'em..Over and Out.lol I'll go ahead and post this because I have incountered problems loading the image. Chart of patches following this post   Tuesday, April 24 View Page Patch Layout Chart   Tuesday, April 24 View Page Patch Layout 2012. Does not include Field Pumpkins and Giant Squash   Thursday, April 26 View Page And then it Rained.............and Pour. Last Night.   Thursday, May 3 View Page The Plants are doing well for May 3rd   Thursday, May 3 View Page I have two Plants yellowing.Can any one tell me if the yellowing problem here is Nitrogen deficiency or under watering or any plant diseases? Shoot me an e-mail if you would know...Thanks This is a 1449.5 Traylor '09 the other one doing the same thing is the 1399.5 Marsh '09   Thursday, May 3 View Page Lookin down Broccolli/Tomato Alley towards the 525 Est Puricelli House I see a Bug.......and its a big one at that..lol...the new Patch Monitor..should scarem off.. ya right   Thursday, May 3 View Page Giant Cantelope from a 27 pounder last year I grew. The one vine grew three of these at the same time. Good strong plants. Started 68 and 68 germed..pretty good % rate on germination. Anyone want seeds I've got plenty you may "HAVE"...drop me an e-mail and I'll get 'em out to ya's. I'm putting all of these out down at the top of the Creek Berm ...very good sandy virgin soil..can't wait to see how they do.   Friday, May 4 View Page Thanks Bigmoon and dbcreek3 for your input and advice on the yellowing on the plants. You both I believe hit the nail on the head with the cool weather and cool nights. Plants are growing very fast so I think their OK. Had tons of Hail and Wind this morning at 2:45-3:00 am. Thank God I have them all protected so I hope the bad storms go away until november .............like that'll happen. Thanks again for your alls input...Great People Here!!!   Saturday, May 5 View Page I've got the patches looking like a Reservists Camp lol. These are some Bar Netting AKA DOD Two men Mosquito Netting. Its hot here today and I got thinking......I'll bet the my old DOD Bug Netting will help cut down on UV's so I just draped them over the cold frames as you can see and it dropped the Temp with doors open from 93 deg to 80. The leaves on the Plants perked right back up. Man this works great so I've located some more just like the 5 I already have cheap so I'll get em and sew them together which two together will give me approximately 30' x 20' coverage and may help keep the bugs off also like its intended to do for us. Time will tell but the shading aspects works great.   Saturday, May 5 View Page A couple other Plants with the Bar Netting for shading. The Cold frames are 8' x 4' and already the M. Smith (1618.2 Bryson '10 x 1489 Kline '10) is soon to out growing its home in a few days (Man thats Fast). I'm starting to believe in the Products I'm useing that was recommended by an Agronomist from our area. It is a field Production Fertilizer that is proven in Various Vegetables to increase yield in Crops Like Broccili and Melons dramatically. For example this product increases Broccilli Production by 47 Boxes per Acre............Thats impressive so I'm on the 1st Nitrogen based product and will switch to the MPK Product after Blossums first appear. OH ya and try not to explode something lol. Should be intresting.......I really want to see what the 525 Est Puricelli (1059 Vin/McGill x 1165 Marsh) is going to do along with the 1399.5 Marsh (1161 Rodonis x 1385 Jutras). I'm crossing the 525 with the 1399.5 Marsh....Big-N-Orange!!   Thursday, May 10 View Page Thought I would throw this in my Diary for all to see...Jerry Baker is an "OLD SCHOOL GARDENER" who got famous to most old school Gardeners like myself by working for it and actually knowing what he was talking about. He has written several books so this is the one I just happened to have that was givin to me for Christmas about 8 yrs ago. Has Tea's and Tonics, Bug repellant recipies(That Work), Insecticidal Soaps all home made along with various Fertilizers with discriptions and uses per Plants to be Fertilized. This book is not only for Yards but Vegees and he does touch on Pumkins in a few places. I can't see me not having it so I thought I would share the fact and Idea of having it in my arsenal.   Thursday, May 10 View Page Blackberries in full bloom. this pic is three weeks old. My two Eastern Blue Bird families that bunk here in the summer don't bother the berrys in fact they run other birds of the plants and eat most of the bugs and don't bother the bee's. lol   Friday, May 11 View Page Founf these little guys on two houses yesterday. Worms of some kind, clear bodied with black heads, inch worm shaped. They just hatched on this one so I cut the plastic out of that area and put em to the fire Test..They didn't last.....Good. So I sprayed everything I have growing with Bonide Fruit tree Spray Purple Cap. Anyone know what they are Please let me know. I've tried looking on the net but no luck so far. Early May and already dealing with these guys...YIKES!!!   Saturday, May 12 View Page All the Plants have really started to vine. I lifted this ones cold fram to get a good pic. The cold frames are 8 FT long so I'd say this 1232 M. Smith is about 5 FT. I'm really going to watch this one 1618.2 Bryson'10 x 1489 Kline'10. Got the Silt Fencing in Yesterday off of ebay Cheap and will get the cold frames pulled starting Monday because of how wet the Patches are from the rain this Mornin. All 10 Plants are growing Very Strong including the 497 Est Giant Squash from Jim Hudson......Thanks again Jim!! The 1308 Barenie'11 is growing at an unusual rate with a huge thick vine. At first I thought it was going to be a flat or double vine but its not, its just Massive. I'll get some pics of it on here next week..   Sunday, May 13 View Page I've noticed about a dozen of these Megablooms on the tomato plants this mornin. Even the regular blooms if you notice in the pics are even pretty large.........better cut back on crossin em with AG's lol.   Sunday, May 13 View Page 1308 Barenie laying down. This is the vine I thought was going to be a flat or double vine but it is neither just going to be a healthy plant. One problem with this one is it was planted in the correct direction but is growing opposite of what it should be. So I'm training it to jump through hoops and turn abit south the other direction. My poor Daughter.... her dads lost his mind. She asked me yesterday how I train them to change direction.........I told her you get down a bit with your hands on your knees and say, "Here Boy, Here Boy"!!........She just walked off and got on her bike turned her head at me, looked down and said " OK, If you say so Dad" in a real supportive but yet wanting to run and cal the Facility way. lol I'll let her keep thinkin about it for awhile. lol.   Sunday, May 13 View Page !!!!!!!!!HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOMS!!!!!!!!!   Wednesday, May 16 View Page Plants are starting to really get going after beginning to bury the root nodels of the vines. I got help setting up the cement mixer and put the following for my vine root pits and Vine/top soil Dressing: (1) Very Large bag of M-Growpotting Soil, 3 OZ. Humic liquid, 3 OZ. Molasses, (5) Lbs Worm Castings, (1) 7 gram packet of Soil Blast, (2) Lbs of Old Coffee Grounds, 1/2 Gal Old brewed Coffee(Liquid), 1/4 cup Calcium Nitrate soluable granuals, 1 OZ "Nutrapathic" Liquid Bacteria Concentrate and 20 Lbs of garden soil. I let it tumble for about 20 minutes. This soil is so rich. I used it on the M. Smith Plant for a test right at 2 weeks ago and the results show very thick and agressive vines, wonderful coloration with no leave curling and the root systems are huge. Roots about a meter from the stump are over .085 in thickness just awesome and the M. Smith plant grew 12 inches long yesterday to this mornin!!! The other (9) Plants are growing good but soon to be Better and Bigger. The WIZ told me to keep it Fun and boy it is Fun watching the Progress here. I'll also show a close up of the bug catchers I made to look like flowers and have already caught a couple cucumber beetles in them.........Yikes already. My Daughter also killed two Squash bugs on the Strawberry Patch......Thee Assault Begins.   Wednesday, May 16 View Page One of my "Ultra High Tech" Bug catchers......but more importantly these guys let me know if the SVB's AKA Squash Vine Borers & Cucumber Beetles are around yet (and the cuc's are). I hang a plastic spoon off of every other one to scoop out honey bees and lady bugs. I fill half ways with water...simple as that   Wednesday, May 16 View Page I looked back and had seen I never did put up from what Parents my Squash I'm growing Hence Fromith. 497 Est From Jim Hudson (811.6 Vincent McGill'08 x 973 R Laundry'08). Thanks again to Everyone that helped my daughter and I out on seeds this Season, I feel I can't say it enough. Also got my 2 1/2" x 40" Sub Root Pit feeding tubes put in on all ten plants. (3) of my Plants are going to get daily Carbinated water injections to below the Main Root Base. C02 Does in fact enhance root development and greatly improve all around Plant growth...Will watch these guys very close. I studied this all last winter.............Are my dogs Barkin this evening. Note to self: Know your Limits, and follow them. lol   Friday, May 18 View Page Yesterday 5/17/12 Foliar sprayed Insecticidle Soap w/Neem oil on the tops and more importantly the undersides of the Kin Leaves. Yesterday buried main vine on the 1449.5 Traylor '09, both 1333 Dodge '11, 1308 Barenie '11, 525 Est Puricelli #1 Plant, 1399.5 Marsh'09 and buried more main and secondarys on the 1232 M. Smith. The 1365 Singleton'11, the other 525 Est Puricelli #2 Plant and the 497 Est Squash have all layed down with no problems. I had about 6 sticks holden up the second 525 Est puricelli because it is so big and tall but it layed down with no splits as I wiped my brow. All plants very vigorous. Today early gave a Biota Max dosage to all plants thru the 2 1/2" tubes under the root base along with some calcium nitrate 5%. All the Marigolds I started in November last year are in all 4 patches. I'm giving all the left over treatments to the Tomatos.....Lets just say they are doing well, lol..Sweet Peppers, Bells, Brocolli, Brussel Sprouts, Cucumbers, Zucinni and all 69 seadlings of NC Giant Cantaloupe are all exploding with growth. Can we use the word Exp$#@$ng on here lol. Till next time...G-Day   Wednesday, May 23 View Page 1232 M. Smith is doing good at 9ft. The bug netting is working out pretty good. Did full Tea Drenches on all 10 plants yesterday and another round of insecti/neem oil foliar today on all. Spent some of the last week putting up extra wind protection but yet moving it furthur away from the plants due to burning from the heat off the black silt fencing material. I'll post new patch pics to show the extreme difference in set up on the wind protection.   Wednesday, May 23 View Page Looking South on the south Patch. (Standing on top of the Compost pile). 1st plant on the right is the 1365 Singelton, (4ft long), across from there to the near left is the (1st of 2) 1333 Dodge, (5ft long), past the tomato's on the left is the (1st of 2) 525 Est Puricelli, (6ft long), and at the end is the 1449.5 Traylor, (8ft long).   Wednesday, May 23 View Page female 1308 Barenie about 5 ft out. Too early for this lol. but wait theres another at about 7 ft out on the end of the vine...   Wednesday, May 23 View Page Megabloom Tomato comin on   Friday, May 25 View Page (#2) 525 est Puricelli Plant bustin out with secondary vines comin on. I've noticed this mornin that 9 out of ten plants have at least 1 female flower comin on them, most have 2. Wonder if its my special brew or the Carbonated water their drinkin up......Just kinda odd that 9 of em are spittin out females this early. The 1399 Marsh is the one that isn't, (Yet) lol. Yesterday we had what I'd call windstorms that tore down some of my wind protection but all is good and has been reinforced with heavier stakes.   Saturday, May 26 View Page Tomato Plants are full of Tomato's and the Brocolli is commin on strong.   Saturday, May 26 View Page Blackberries lookin Full.   Sunday, May 27 View Page Planted (3) 64 Nieuwenhoff (119.5 Star x Self) and 10 Howden Biggies Field Pumpkins yesterday. Feeding and Foliar Spraying the Field Pumpkins the same as AG's.   Sunday, May 27 View Page Pinched a Female off the 1449.5 Traylor Plant at 9 ft out. It was tuff to do.   Tuesday, May 29 View Page Buried more secondary vines on all 10 plants this mornin. Will leave females on 5 plants from now on beings those 5 have reached lengths over 10 ft. Sprayed for cucs and svb's this mornin and fertilized Tomatos also. Brewed 30 gals of tea since yesterday..will use as drench this afternoon on all kin and Tomato plants. Removed cover from all 69 giant cantaloupe plants and will drench this after noon with 15-30-15. The Lopes are already blooming so about ten plants I'm pinching back and going to let the rest just do their thing like last year. Going to get pics of that Lope Patch and get it on here this afternoon. We got 1/4' of rain yesterday so it recharged all 6 (275 gal)Tanks and the three 55 gal Tanks for me. I figured with a 1/4" rain fall rate both the house, Barn and Chiken Coop collects individually between 137 gal - 156 gal/15 minutes. It rained for a total of 30 minutes so I guess you would actually call that (1/2 inch per hr rain). Thats still pretty darn good but there is alot of sq ft of roof that collects the rain.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page Lope Patch down by the creek. Gave them a drench of tea yesterday and this mornin when I took this pic..man they were all perked up lookin strong. Pinched back blooms on almost all of them. Never knew they could get blooms so early on when their just starting to vine out. I've got them planted in direction of alternating every other one will grow north, then south. Will see how they do.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page The cantaloupe Patch distance from the house......Its up on top of a 10 ft tall berm. Man .....shouldn't have sold my 338 Win Mag to that guy in Montana..lol   Wednesday, May 30 View Page Cucumbers startin to climp pretty good..tons of blooms on em.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page First male flower on the 1232 M. Smith plant this mornin too.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page First Male flower on the #1 525 est Puricelli Plant also today   Wednesday, May 30 View Page Heres the smallest canteloupe from last year. Around 17 pounds.......just a pup lol. It was in the weeds on a plant I forgot about, found it when my daughter and I were pullin vines up. Can't wait to see what we get this year having some control over them.   Saturday, June 2 View Page Just had to add this. I about fell over when I initialy read this book to my daughter when she was 3 yrs old. This is a page from a childs reading book, "Scruffy and Sqeaks Secret Garden. If you read what they are watering you'll realize why its called a "Secret Garden", LOL,LOL   Saturday, June 2 View Page Here, on this page you can read what they are watering lol,lol   Thursday, June 7 View Page Started keeping Females on the plants Todat. 1232 M. Smith Plant has a Female on main @ 17 ft out, 1449.5 Traylor has a Female on the main @ 15 ft and the 1399.5 Marsh '09 has a female on the main @ 13 ft. Tomato plants are so loaded down I had to add criss cross bracing to the row all the way down to support all the wieght....Thats a good thing lol. Plants getting the Sodium Free Carbonated water are doing very well...they have secondary vines thicker than the larg mains on the plants that are not recieving the CO2 Water. Have gone up to 40 on the Potash and calcium is up in numbers as well. Will continue with 3-18-18 until fruit set next week (Hopefully) and start with 1-10-50 Apps once a week and drench only with the kelp and Hydraslate Fish. Been so very busy with burying mains and seconds that I see myself coming and going. Next year Two Plants ONLY will be the Law around here just won't be able to keep up...struggling right now with it. OH YA...Need Rain Badly..... Till nest time....   Saturday, June 9 View Page Awe....Cool beautiful Saturday mornin.....so I thought..Wait a Tic..Something large, very early this morning thought my season should end Here and Now. Out of ten plants I now have 5 plants remaining. The stump areas on both 525 est Puricelli's, both 1333 Dodges and the 1399.5 Marsh were dug up to about 2 ft down. No Racoon or skunks did this. Crazy thing is there are no tracks per say but one spot on a pit has claw mark about 5" wide so unless I woke up in Montana it looks like we now have bears in midwest Illinois lol. I doubt that very much...may have been a Badger..........Badgers?...We Don't need no Stinking Badgers!!!....Sorry Diary. I mean this thing looks like it went around digging up the root Pits Faster than Anthony Wiener Texting his *@&%#$@hiemer. You all tell me what you think it is..heres another clue...3 nights ago I set a trap for what I thought was a Racoon and found my Trap around 400 ft away from where I set it with the door tore off and all bent up!!....I've got two Trail Cams going up this evening....How much do I get if its Sasquatch......or someone affiliated with the current administration....OK that wasn't funny...I'm Sorry..just a little bitter about my plants....I'm OK..lol. Everything else looking Good.   Saturday, June 9 View Page Thanks Mr. Paul Schweigert for your feedback...I agree with you..Probably a Raccoon.....A Freakin Huge Raccoon on Mollasses, Maple syrup, fish and Seltser water (CO2) steroids. I didn't realize they can dig so bloomin deep but the root Pits are nice and loose so I guess its easier for them. Will put out the Trail Cams this evening and some traps...Maybe some not so humane traps hangin in the barn as well. I relocate the coons I do catch in the cage traps about 25 miles away, (daughter doesn't like them getting infected with lead). Also I tell our Cat Sam if he drops his friends off one more time in the kin patches he'll be relocated too lol......Just don't tell my daughter.   Monday, June 11 View Page Theres another young one behind the trap making a total of 3 youngens and one Big Female (in the trap). smallmouth_luke would be proud of me...I caught the little ones with a long dip net...for a few moments the situation was hairier than the coons..its next to impossible for me to lift anything with my left side so I was wranglin the coons with the dip net right and holden off the others with the left lol,lol...should have made a youtube video.lol I've had both a Mother Mountain Lion and a Mother Black Bear on seperate occasions charge me when I was between them and their little ones before...This little fiasco was more hair raising than that, lol. Hopefully the digging up of the kin plants stop. I've also stopped with the fish Hydra.. I also think I've saved the 1399.5 Marsh and one of the 1333 Dodge Plants. Time will tell...Their both still spittin out Male Blooms as of this mornins 1/2 " rain.   Monday, June 11 View Page Tomato plants are bushin out big time. Not trying to make them go up this year. Pullin no suckers..I want the Maters for Farmers Markets   Tuesday, June 12 View Page GOOD MORNIN ALL PUMKIN AND NON-PUMPKIN GROWERS!!! Sorry for bein so loud at 6:53 this fine mornin..Pollinated the first Kin on the 1232 M. Smith Plant 20 ft out on the main with four flowers off the 1399.5 Marsh. Nice cool Mornin so it should take rreeeaaaallll Good!! Got that expecting Father feelin again lol. Crazy Huh? You know what I mean. Next up should be the 1365 Singleton crossed with the 525 Puricelli..should be good lookin Kin with Awesome Color next Year and If the Puricelli survives back from being dug up like the Marsh has I want to cross it with the 1449.5 Traylor. Daughter and I went up north yesterday evening to the Cantaloupe Patch.....Man are the vines goin crazy...Got to get off here and take the tractor up there to chisel the outsides of the patch one last time while I can. All 69 Plants are doin Great. There are females settin on there so I want this to be the last time the tractors in the Patch..I'm takin the camera so I'll get some updated pics so I can keep track of growth better than countin on me noggin. Going to turn 49 tomorrow and my 10 yr old Daughter Paytyn is doin up a Coconut Cream Pie for dear "Old" Dad lol MMM Good. Last yr remember saying I wanted a Kin pollinated before me birthday...Been there done that. Everybody be safe.   Tuesday, June 12 View Page Stopped all Nitrogen Priority applications today on the kins. Going now for bloom enhancements and fruit set. Have switched to 3-18-18 off set with 0-34-25. All remaining Plants have fruit to set on mains. Remulched the Tomatos. Grapes are setting on the vines strong. I forgot to prune the grapes this past spring so some of the vines are stringy looking but loaded down..wanted to get more running upwards than outwards on the grapevines.   Wednesday, June 13 View Page Pollinated 1232 M. Smith x 1399.5 Marsh '09 yesterday   Wednesday, June 13 View Page Deadheaded all but 4 secondaries on the 1232 M. Smith plant and chased a SVB around from patch to patch until I figured out about an hour later I could care less at that point...   Thursday, June 14 View Page After not being able to chase down an SVB yesterday and figuring there would be a little leaf damage pullin out the Mossberg 12GA...(Seriously Considered it)..(I think Smallmouth_luke can relate lol) I got BT out and Bronine, Incecticidle Soaps/Neem oil and hit em hard early this mornin. I posted a question in thegeneral disscusions on a leaf bunching issue I'm having on the 1449.5 Traylor...Would deeply appreciate any input from any and all. Keep yer Stick up!!....LA Kings..Brought Home Stanly....Who would have Thunk It..   Thursday, June 14 View Page Cantaloupe Patch video I thru (Quickly) together to realy see how the patch is doin..even added some groovy tunes to it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDj_ACtOtSM&feature=plcp   Saturday, June 16 View Page Since we got about 1/2" of rain last night it looks like the 1365 '11 Singelton Female will open this afternoon so I've just put a cup on it and will most likely cross it with the 1308 Barenie or possibly the est525 '11 Puricelli. Big-N-Orange. Put up more hail netting and shade cover on the 1232 M. Smith, 1399.5 Marsh, 1365 Singlelton and est 525 Puricelli. The 1449.5 Traylor has still got issues with the main bunching up...not only the main but all the secondaries now also. It has a female just coming out on the end of the main but it is so small I can't see it amounting to anything..time will tell. The 1308 Barenie is doing very well with two Females out front at 16 & 18 ft and the last remaining 1333 Dodge has a female out at 13 ft. All the Field pumkin plants are doing well. Cut 16 pounds of broccoli last night (lots of blanching and bagging today. Tied up more tomato plants with strips of old bed sheet to the main center wire for support..They are just so loaded down I can't believe it. Got 7 Zuccini on with more female poppin. All 120 Pepper Plants are in full bloom or got peppers on...Note to Self...Order a couple of Semi Loads of freezer Bags lol. Last year every time I would buy vegetable trays from Wally World I would save the Orange, Yellow and red sweet Pepper seeds and so I started all of those and the typical bells and sweet Banana Peppers..they all numbered to 120 plants..yikes!!   Sunday, June 17 View Page Pollinated this 5 lober on the 1365 Singelton (1385'07 Jutras x 1610 Leiber'10, with 4 males off the 1399.5 Marsh. Got 1" of ran yesterday evening with some damaging winds. Plants are OK but most of the silt fencing needs alot of repairs. Two Robin nests knocked out of the big sugar maple with four little robin babies flappin around on the ground. Tried to put them up high in the douglas fur but they just jump back out.....my moneys on the cat..   Sunday, June 17 View Page Pollinated a 5 lober on the 1365 Singelton this mornin with 1399.5 Marsh. Got 1" of rain yesterday evening. Drenched with Calcium Nitrate and 3-18-18 this mornin.   Sunday, June 17 View Page 1365 Singelton Today X 1399.5 Marsh   Wednesday, June 20 View Page Pollinated the Est 525 Puricelli(1059 Vin/McGillx1165 Marsh) with the 1365 Singelton (1385 Jutrasx1610 Leiber)this mornin 6/20/12. The Puricelli Plant is a Miracle Plant being it is thriving after being dug up by a family of Racoons. I got it replanted ASAP and hit the root ball with soil Blast and Blood/Bone Meals. Well Luke we'll see what she does. The Kin is right at 12 ft out so should be good position on main vine.   Wednesday, June 20 View Page Est 525 after pollination this mornin Ah YAH!!...that was good!!..................why do I feel the urge for a smoke........lol looks like its covered pretty well......I'm talkin about the flower...GEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!   Thursday, June 21 View Page 6/21/12, 1232 M. Smith aborted, culled this morning. 6/21/12 Pollinated 1308 Barenie x 1365 Singelton(1385 Jutras x 1610 Leiber) at 12 ft out on main and Pollinated 1399.5 Marsh x 1232 M.Smith(1618.2 Bryson x 1489 Kline) at 13 ft out on main. Went to St. Louis area yesterday and ran around with my brother, Mother and Daughter..Had a Blast. Took my daughter thru Lone Elk County Park..she loved the Elk, Buffalo, and Deer..I told her not to like the little cute Racoons that were every where....Their the "ENEMY"!!!! but she liked them anyway. smallmouth_luke I waved went I went by..Stopped by and saw Daniel Boones house...he needs to get off his muskett and mow the yard lol. actually I think it was his brother Nathans place Daniel lost his house to the spanish because he failed to build a cabin and or raise crops on the 30 acres along the Missouri river so the Spanish took it back from him...but he did help lewis & Clark hook up Broad Band across the country .. lol Tough crowd..History lesson over   Friday, June 22 View Page Pollinated a 4 lober on the 1232 M. Smith with 6 males off the 1399.5 Marsh this mornin...Again after the last one aborted. The Kin on the 1365 Singelton took. Growing very Fast. Will post pics when I can catch up to it lol.   Friday, June 22 View Page At 9:00 this mornin 6/22/12 I pollinated a nice Green 5 Lober on the 1449. Traylor..The plant is beginning to Un-Bunch on the main vine a bit si we'll see how she does.   Friday, June 22 View Page Meant to enter: Pollinated the 1449.5 Traylor with 6 males off the 1365 Singelton   Sunday, June 24 View Page This is a kin on the 1365 Singleton. 15" circumfrence 7 DAP. oing to try very hard to change the position little by little on the main. Any one have sugestions please let me know.   Sunday, June 24 View Page Kin on the 1449.5 Traylor at 15ft out.   Monday, June 25 View Page This is what I ended up doing. Not too popular with some but the Pumpkin will still have a very good go at making it Big w/ a little over 900 sq ft of foliage behind her it ought to still do very well by removing that 5 ft of main in front of it. The est 525 Puricelli doubled in size since yesterday so I feel pretty good about it setting. The 1333 Dodge that the coons dug up has bounced back with a very nice growing Pumpkin on it as well. Thanks to all including Mr. Singleton for givinging me advice in the 1365....this plant is Huge and the Pumpkin is seeming to make its efforts quite well I must say....Sounded just like Martin Short fron Second City TV...aka Ed Grimmly lol,lol   Monday, June 25 View Page Here is a very, very good link to what exactly neem oil does to insects....you should read this. I have been spraying Neem Oil since april and I have cuc & Squash beetles constantly fly around but no signs of damage and yesterday I found the first clutch of squash bug eggs...on the Top Side of a leaf..yes I spray under neath. There are dead cuc and squash beetles littered on the ground and my Blossum colored Bug Zappers had to be blown off and literaly piles of cucs and moths underneath them and a couple half burnt SVB's. http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-oil-insecticide.html   Monday, June 25 View Page 1308 Barenie has got a nice Pumpkin set and growing quick   Monday, June 25 View Page Cantaloupe vines are growing good. There are two and three Lopes at each stick we got stuck in the patch....there are many many more not marked..we have 68 sticks in the patch..you do the math at this point lol....I've Isolated 4 lopes on 4 seperate plants to see how big I can get em. Lopes are about 4 inchs at this point 6/25/12. My daughter Paytyn likes comin back here to check on them. So far no deer or coons doin damage..course their not startin to ripen either...   Monday, June 25 View Page Giant Lopes are about 4 inches now, 6/25/12. There are over 200 on the vines at this date.   Tuesday, June 26 View Page Well.... it would have been a six lober on the Est 525 Puricelli and the second set but I just didn't like where the seeds were...but I'm going to start a "Micro" AG Patch lol.....building cold frames will be a (rhymes with brew ha ha). I had another seed in the bloom on the 1399.5 Marsh this morning also..Pic below   Tuesday, June 26 View Page 1399.5 Marsh w/ seeds in the bloom. Also culled two kins off the 1308 Barenie and kept the fastest growing kin. This plant also had two other open pollinated kins that I didn't know about....looks like I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue......."Airplane"..   Wednesday, June 27 View Page Pollinated 1308 Berenie w/ 6 males from the 1365 Singlelton 6/27/12, 6:45 am, 68.5 Deg. This is the second Kin on this Plant. I'm glad I close both the female and the males I'm going to use the night before they open...the bees here are on the blossums prying them open at 5:00 am...they must have military back grounds..If you google the "Dadant Bee Company" out of Hamilton Illinois...You'll see what I'm up against...never not enough Bees around here. They are 8 miles to the north of me. lol All 10 field pumkin plants are growing very well at this time, Will pinch blooms back for another week then stop when the vines are about 10 feet..they are at about 3 - 4 ft now. Heavily Drenched the soil on the fields with Humate, Mollases and Soil Restore Mycros. Got some coons eating my Grapes ...sittin up tonight..good thing I don't have neighbors close by. Tomatos have been ripe now for three days and yes they are wonderful...There are some really big ones I'm letting..."Wieght theirselves out" so too speak. Have a good day everyone out there in Pumpkin Land..   Wednesday, June 27 View Page Don't know what its like in your neck of the woods but heres whats comin for us here in midwest Illinois this week..YIKES!!   Wednesday, June 27 View Page 1308 Barenie #1 Kin   Wednesday, June 27 View Page Est 525 Puricelli...good n round 6/27/12   Wednesday, June 27 View Page Maters...I see Rosie O'Donnel in ther somewhere....scary..lol   Saturday, June 30 View Page It was hard to get a waiter with this guy hangin around I tell ya's. 1365 Singleton aborted after 14 days..Big dissapointment this kin was big and growing fast..I blame the heat. Fans ETC. still went down. The est 525 Puricelli has hit overdrive.....Fingers crossed. Pollinated the secondon the 1449.5 Traylor..will call in a Witch Doctor on the Traylor, lol. Near 100 again today..4th day in a row. Field pumpkins are doin good out at 7 ft. Giant Canteloupe count is over 200 in the Patch and doing fine with the heat. Caught and released a Pregnant Coon yesterday...could barely get her and the trap in the truck bed..Big Coon. Noticed this mornin I have another Kin comin out on the 1365 Singleton for next week pollination.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Cantaloupe Patch is doing great with little rain. Going to water today.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Nice cantaloupe!!   Saturday, June 30 View Page Please forgive God about Mocking and Laughing at the Global Warming Theory!!!!! I Apologize to everyone for doing so..........................   Saturday, June 30 View Page Its HOT...Please forgive "ME" God for making fun of the Global Warming Issue.."ME"...Not "YOU" God.."MEEEEEEEE", "MMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE"   Saturday, June 30 View Page est 525 Puricelli has doubled its size in under three days   Sunday, July 1 View Page Here's an example of the Giant Cantaloupes in the Patch......1308 Barenie is 4 DAP @ 50 OTT. Good 1/2 inch rain early this mornin..Pollinated #2 Kin on 1232 M. Smith @ 26 ft out main vine. (#1) 1232 M. Smith is doing very well. Nice long Kin so far, will post some pics next couple days.   Sunday, July 1 View Page One thing I think thats helped me get the last 5 Kins set in this heat is to put two 1 gallon freezer bag ice packs on both sides of the female during pollination...changed them out 3 times during the day with a towel over them. 5 attempts 5 successes.   Tuesday, July 3 View Page My daughter and I ran into town for about 40 minutes last night and when we got back one of these popcorn storms hit our place ripping some libs out of our trees, blowin almost everything out into the fields and damaged the 1308 Barenie, and the 1365 Singleton a bit. Could always be worst. Look at the poor Folks out on the east coast. Hope they all get power on Very Soon. Got 3/4" of rain in about 30 minutes from the small storm. Corn field across from us partially blown over. Looks like a micro Blast went through. I'm gllad our animals and our house and barns are fine. Sam our Cat didn't seemed thrilled about it..he looked at me as if to say..."I can't believe you left me hangin" lol.   Wednesday, July 4 View Page Est 525 Puricelli has stopped growing at 22" circ 14 dap. 1232 M. Smith at 27" circ 12 dap, 1399.5 Marsh at 31" circ at 13 dap, 1308 Barenie at 31" circ at 7 dap. Barenie is out performing at this time. Oh Ya..The Weather SUCKS!!!   Thursday, July 5 View Page I finally made a correct decision on culling. I culled the first 1308 Barenie this past Sunday @ 10 dap. and the #2 here in the pic is what we're keeping at 8 dap @ 35" circ ott 77. Tea drenched and Foliared all AG's and All 10 Field Pumpkin Plants...64 Nieuwenhoffs (119.5 Starr x Self) are kickin butt. Howden Biggies are (plant wise) livin up to their name. Leaves on the 1365 Singleton are now at 52" tall..That may be normal but seems tall to me. Counted 458,000,000 cuke Bugs today..am going Chemical on their Arsses in the predawn hours at say............ 0000000000000500. Witnessed more than one pair of squash bugs having conjical visits today..hopin they get mixed up in the cross fire with the cukes in the mornin. I recommend standing back a bit. Good thing I coped that gas mask from Dessert Storm, lol.   Friday, July 6 View Page I stand corrected...The last 4 out of 5 Pollinations in the styrafoam cooler method has takin....this the Est 525 Puricelli aborted yesterday and culled this mornin 7/6. The Puricelli has another one coming up this weekend possibly Mon-Tue but I'll start putting Ice on it Saturday to get it in the mood...Maybe some Barry White music and a dimmer switch on the sun...I know what Luke would do in a situation like this.......Grab thee other cooler and go FISHIN.......SEE YA!!!!   Friday, July 6 View Page 1399.5 Marsh 14dap @ 37" circ. This Kin just kinda sat still for a few days and now has takin off..."To The Moon Alice"!! Jackie Gleason.   Friday, July 6 View Page 1232 M. Smith 14 dap @ 31 circ. Slowly gaining.   Friday, July 6 View Page Beef Steak Mega   Friday, July 6 View Page Went back to the Cantaloupe patch and measured one at 35 " circ. 35"-19"-23"= 77" ott and has a long way to grow. this seems to me an average size in the patch.   Saturday, July 7 View Page Barenie 10 dap has a 43" circ w/ ott of 96. 5 lbs/day at this point   Sunday, July 8 View Page I went chemical on the cukes and squashbugs arsses yesterday evening late when the heat went way down to 98 degrees and this was thee outcome on all the leaves in all the patches. I chated with a rep from the manufacturer of Spectracide Termite and Carpenter ant Killer concentrate yesterday and threw the question of whether their product possibly hurting my Kin Plants and after a couple phone calls on their part he came back with a go on useing it on the kins. He was very pumped up and enthusiastic about helping out with this problem of cukes and squashbugs and the thought of growing such large pumpkins. (2 Tabl Spns/ 1 Gal of water. I bought a 30 gal barrel of the stuff at an auction 5 yrs ago unopened for 25 bucks. This mornin it looks like Bug atrocity out there..WHAAAAHHAAAAA!!!!! "Nothin like the smell of Pesticides in the mornin", lol. Of course evrything is glowing and I can't remember my name lol. It also killed squash bugs and they said it will kill any eggs left by the cukes or squashers. We'll see and so far the plants look great and they all put on 5"-6" since yesterday evening and last night. Still useing neem oil regularly. There was no damage from the bugs just tired of not seeing the plants for all the flying insects. Daughter has been restricted from the patches of a 350 yard parimeter, lol for now. This is the same stuff the commercial sprayers use on the inside of your house but she's still restricted from walking thru the patches for now..better safe.   Sunday, July 8 View Page This is a miricle Female on the 1365 Singleton after yours truly cut off the main just past a set that aborted after 14 days. Pollinated this purdy girl with 15......... yes 15 (1308 Barenie) males this mornin at 6:30 am 7/8/12 @ 70 degrees out with 56% Humidity. I still set a Styrofoam cooler with a frozen gallon milk jug of water inside to help with the temp and to mainly cut the humidity to ground level abit. Will remove after about 3 hrs.   Sunday, July 8 View Page !308 Barenie males for 1365 Singleton this mornin....that ought to do it!!   Sunday, July 8 View Page Pollinated second est 525 Puricelli this mornin with 13 blooms of the 1399.5 Marsh (1161 Rodonis x 1385 Jutras). Got this seting under a cooler with 1 gal milk jug/frozen water. Will leave it in there for awhile...still showing 71 degrees inside with 80 ambient degrees around the outside of the cooler, please, please, please take!!!!   Sunday, July 8 View Page Triple digit temps are gone for now says the weather man. My water bill says thank you.....80's during the days and 60's, 70's at night..Should help them grow big..   Tuesday, July 10 View Page Pollinated on 7/9/12 A five lober on the 1333 Dodge with the est 525 Puricelli. Terminated all plants and buried vines with compost and river sand, worm castings coffee grounds, ground up some egg shells along with the nieghbors cat.............just kidding about the eggshells. Giant Cantaloupe are doing great. The deer tracke are like Hwy 5 north out of LA in the lope patch so I'm going to put up a hot wire and a couple trail cams to see how they react.........sounds like another youtube moment lol.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page Good Morning Pumkinopolis!!! Pollinated the second est 525 Puricelli x 1232 M. Smith (1618.2 Bryson'10 x 1489 Kline'10) with 65 degree temps this mornin. Also Pollinated a "Howden Biggie" Field Kin x 64 Nieuwenhoff '11 this mornin 12 ft out. Got a little rain here..just enough to really make you wish it would rain. Walked all the way back to the Giant Cantaloupe Patch last night and about fell over at the sizes of the melons...Sorta like my first night going off Base to the clubs with my fellow Airmen......UUUHHHMMMM!!..Thats an entirely different story...and website..and no we weren't technicaly held for questioning, lol until then...Keep yer Hoe Up..   Wednesday, July 11 View Page 1308 Barenie at 61" cc this mornin 7/11/12   Wednesday, July 11 View Page 1399.5 marsh 9 dap. 49" cc   Wednesday, July 11 View Page My Mistake on the dap w/Marsh 1399.5...19 dap above photo..has basically stopped growing will cull today probably.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page 1232 M. Smith (1618.2 Bryson'10 x 1489 Kline'10) 10 dap.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page Giant Lopes looking good and have still alot of growing to do.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page 1365 Singleton 2 dap. Kin has got a good look to it and I've got a good feeling about it. There is alot of Huge plant behind this baby so we'll sewe what happens..I heard on the weather this evening that here in midwest Illinois the temps are going back up again.....Well isn't that a *&#$^ ...rhymes with Brew HA HA!!!!   Wednesday, July 11 View Page Giant Cantaloupe Patch.   Friday, July 13 View Page 1308 Barenie, Pollinated on 6/21/12 = 22 dap. I got confused with one on this plant that was aborted a while back so this is the true dap for this Kin. I'm talking to myself as I'm typing this............I'll make thee appointment to see the Doc...lol.   Friday, July 13 View Page 1232 smith...starting to fill out on the right side..hope the left does the same. Fed all Kins last night w/ 0-0-50 cut 50% warm in feeding tubes and drenched the main vines. Hope nobody pops, going to do a Tap Root injection 10" down of co2 water/Soilblast/Humic/Molasses. Yummy!!   Friday, July 13 View Page 1365 Singleton 5 dap already has grooves in it...hope thats a good sign. Kin is larger than pic makes it look and the stem on this is nice and big.   Friday, July 13 View Page 1365 Singleton Pumpkin Plant Trunk. Little bigger round than a soda can.   Saturday, July 14 View Page "Howden Biggie", x 64 Nieuwenhoff '11. pic is 2 dap   Saturday, July 14 View Page Cut away two leaves on the 1365 Singleton this evening because they are touching the kin. 1399.5 Marsh has not grown any for three days. Still at 108 ott and over all Plant is in Perfect condition and is Huge..Can't figure whats up. Should I cull it or let it ride? Please someone tell me what you think if you read this. All vines are teminated on the Marsh except one secondary at the end of the plant that is about 3 meters long with a week away female on it. Est 525 Puricelli has now aborted the last 3 Kins so I'm letting it run on its own here on out. 1333 Dodge has set a kin and is good to go, 1449.5 Traylor has gone caputt...Really gave it my all on that Plant...Sorry Jason Traylor. 1232 M. Smith is turning into a Crazy Pumpkin and is unstoppable at this point, and last but not least by far...the 1308 Barenie put on 20 pounds since yesterday and has really suprised me. It requires a bigger shelter over it after only a week with this one. I'm going to put in "T" Posts and a tarp Higher than 4 ft like the last one I put up. I will post new pics in two weeks time to see real changes on here. Amazing the difference with your second year of growing AG's and a bit more knowledge given to you by others with the same illness, lol. My Daughter and I have sold over 600 pounds of tomatoes out of the garden between Last Thursdays and Todays Farmers Markets, and this evening her and I picked another 9 bags just to prepare for Mondays Market at Carthage, Illinois...I'm really seeing a difference useing the soaker hoses from the rain tanks and the teas. I'm very proud of the results but more so my Daughter at 10 years old and how much she contributes to assisting me in the garden..I truely couldn't physicaly do it with out her help. I again have to stop and Thank Everyone on Bigpumpkins.com who has helped her and I with seeds and the endless wisdom to even begin to share in this crazy world of growing AG's. Thank You ALL   Sunday, July 15 View Page My daughter attempting to lift one of the Giant Cantaloupes this morning. On three ready? One, two and.....   Sunday, July 15 View Page My turn to feel the wieght of one of the Lopes...Yeah Right..like thats gunna happen, lol   Monday, July 16 View Page Picked the closest table yesterday and the furthest table this mornin...seems I pick atleast a table full a day now with lots still comin on..........Who's Bringin the Lettuce and Who's bringin the Mayo? lol. I've got some Sicilian Saucer Plants about 6 ft tall and tomatoes comin on in the garden that Jim Hudson sent me so when they start comin off I'll post some pics of those....Can't wait. Thanks again Jim.   Monday, July 16 View Page My daughter just reminded me that I got the tomato plants mixed up so if you look in the pics to be posted you will see the Sicilian Saucers that are now growing and the ones that are still growing in the garden are also Sicilian Saucers....Olds Timers is settin in, lol. You all can tell me If you think they are them too if you want but I believe my daughter is correct in telling me I mixed them up by accident early on in the germination process.   Tuesday, July 17 View Page Heres our Patch Cat "Sam". He arched up right before I snaped this shot because there are goats right behind me, so I guess he felt threatened lol. Great Holloween Pic HUH? Now if I could just get him to do this, stay still so I could dye him black lol. Oops I posted a pumpkin pic..oh well   Tuesday, July 17 View Page 1308 Berenie 80" circ @ 174 ott est 122 Lb, 1232 M. Smith 72" circ @ 162 ott est 100 Lb. Too many Field Pumpkins pollinated to list here tonight lol. Drenched all Kins yesterday with Tea cut down to 25% ...no explosions this mornin just good growth. Will add Calcium and co2 in the mornin. May the Shwartz be with you and Good Day to All Growers. P.S. I made a Pumpkin diarhia, "You mean Pumpkin diary", ..............OOPS!!   Thursday, July 19 View Page This cantaloupe has a circ of 44" with an ott of 89.. not the biggest by far. I never did get in and seperate and pinch off further blooms so I won't see any record cantaloupes this year but man are they going to be good...and plenty to sell at the markets.   Thursday, July 19 View Page Pollinated 2nd kin on 1333 dodge this mornin. Drenched yesterday 1000 mgLiquid Calcium, Calsium Phoshate, Magnesium, Boron combo. Over head watered with 102 Temps yesterday all plants. Lost the 1399.5 Marsh kin yesterday at 45 pounds. Will pollinate one on secondary 1399.5 Marsh tomorrow. 1308 Barenie putting 20 plus/day now, 1232 M. Smith getting bigger at 15 lbs./day.   Thursday, July 19 View Page Chunk of the #1 1399.5 Marsh cut off yesterday   Friday, July 20 View Page Pollinated 1399.5 Marsh x 1365 Singleton this mornin w 70.3 degree temp. Last chance on that particular plant. Singleton # 2 aborted yesterday so #3 and #4 still growing..time will tell. Will measure 1308 Barenie and 1232 M. Smith on Monday. Heres the upcoming weather for the midwest of Illinois area......I can sum it up for you in a word...........^%$#@*# Terrible!!!   Friday, July 20 View Page Howden Biggie FP pollinated with 64 nieuwenhoff '11 / 7dap   Friday, July 20 View Page Pollinated two Kins on the 1399.5 Marsh this mornin # 2 x 1365 Singleton and #3 x 1232 M. Smith. Pollinated est 525 Puricelli x Self also this mornin and here is a Pic of the huge 4 lober on the est 525 Puricelli. Nice cool mornin here..Hope it takes.   Friday, July 20 View Page I didn't realize that leaf stems could get thick big and I'm sure there are larger ones than this. This is why the leafs are so tall and big also on 1365 Singleton plant...its turned amazonian. lol Hears another pic below of the Trunk on the Singleton.   Friday, July 20 View Page Well lets see if the cantaloupe has put on any size...................................What the..   Saturday, July 21 View Page Thee above Photo is "NOT" real, lol. I got an email from some one critisizing me for trying to pass this photo for being real...Please lol...quit making me laugh so hard lol. but I do have a Tropical island in nebraska for sale lol.   Saturday, July 21 View Page 1308 Barenie. Wondering what the proper way to measure ott on this lopsided Kin lol. Any suggestions out there?   Saturday, July 21 View Page The Kid with the 1308 Barenie...Man this thing is getting wide and still not sure if I'm measureing right, also has a 1 inch spit starting on the stem side on the kin surface. Signs of extreme growth starting...don't know how to try and stop or treat a split..hope this thing survives...don't even know for sure how big the kin is. It Is measuring 93" circ but that not at the widest point...confused on the ott so I quit posting it and so I'll not post any other of my other kins ott's until I figure it out. don't want to be spewing numbers that are not representive, Oh Well.....   Saturday, July 21 View Page splits on stem end of the 1308 Barenie. You can see the seeping...this Pumpkin unfortunately is far away from eletricity to put a fan on it. Any suggestions of whether this is normal with fast growth or I need to do something specific please your knowledge is needed. Thanks Alot   Saturday, July 21 View Page Another pic of the seeping areas...the black stuff is pruning sealer I used on a spot of the stem that a small dead stick fell out of a tree in a storm and gouged the stem a bit. Maybe the seeping is normal due to the fact this kin is kicking it up a bit in growth.   Saturday, July 21 View Page Field Pumpkin Patch runnin wild   Sunday, July 22 View Page After further review....I definetly have been measureing the ott on the Kins "incorrectly" (as trivial as it may be). 1308 Barenie has a 222 ott and thee 1232 M. Smith has a 186 ott. Nothing outstanding at this point but correct est at this point and already easily surpasing my pb from last year and so on and so on...Thanks to All that straightened me out on that "Measure"..sorry...had too and Bob's yer Uncle.   Sunday, July 22 View Page Sprayed the patch again two evenings ago and was just out ripping up the 1449.5 Traylor Plant Hard to Do :-( and looked down in the dirt..got off the tractor and noticed tons and tons of dead squash bugs and tons of cuke Beetles lieing about and pretty much every kind of insect that lives in the Northern Hemisphere (spelling?) oops I tell ya I posted a while back about me spraying Spectricide "Termite and Carpenter Ant Killer". what got my attention was it says "Kills Wood Bees. HMMM chated with a rep out of Missouri they made a couple phone calls and BAM..they told me to use it on the Kins..it should kill everything I've got so 2 tbls/gal Later Problem solved. I've done this now twice and have run tests with jars of squash bugs and their eggs eggs, cukes, waited the 2-3 week period for hatching...nothin kills the eggs. I have not one I repeat not "ONE" Aphid in my Patches or veggies (that I don't spray). This stuff works and works Deadly. The Plants aren't affected by the spray because you can spray it on shrubs and ornamental plants (says on the bottle). OK I could go on and on about it but I read where some of you are having problems with cukes and Squash bugs and Aphids...You won't if you attack them with this stuff, just spray late in the evening to lessin pollinater Carnage because the next mornin in the Patch..........CARNAGE all about..Its visual, you'll see it. If you do a jar test you can whatch the squash bugs die in about 2-3 minutes, cukes even faster. Its the only time Carnage will put a smile on your face...Hopefully, lol. Remember its going to kill spiders...everything that comes in contact with it...and I fill up my 15 gallon 12 volt sprayer and spray heavy = No Bugs for a month or more. Again just tellin people what is working 100% for me.   Monday, July 23 View Page 1308 Barenie this Monday mornin. 33 dap 228 ott. 19 pounds since yesterday evening. I'll post a side view so I cam watch the bottom growing out but the sides are slowly cautching up in size...hope she breaks out.   Monday, July 23 View Page 1308 Barenie.........You can see how the bottom is growing out and the sides are gettin all knarly lookin. Is that Jay Leno?..Grow Baby Grow. Temps this week..Today 103, Tues 104, Wed 104, Thursday 103, Friday 92...what 92....better dig out the Muffs&Mittens...BRRR!!   Monday, July 23 View Page Here I go to check out the Giant Cantaloupe Patch........EEEETHE WHAT!! Is that Me?   Monday, July 23 View Page Announcing..........The next President of thee United Sta.......Sorry..This is Oliver AKA The Patch Man Oliver being the husband character from Green Acres. My Daughter and I built him yesterday because the deer are getting frisky with the Cantaloupe patch...(Deer are inspecting the darn things closer than I am). lol. Barreled out some fencing for the torso and limbs, he's got a heavy spring at the shoulder holding the makeshift solar powered lantern so it moves in the wind and the other arm is solid holding the "Upsidedown" bucket concealing the radio that blasts all day long with AM talk radio.."That would Frighten Off Anything in my Book". lol Please don't get emotional because I drilled a 2 1/2" hole in Duck Boots..they were dry cracked so its OK. The left leg has a 2 1/2" grey schedule 40 elect pvc pipe pressed with 6202 bearings inside that allow Oliver to swing around in the breeze 360 degrees (pipe goes all the way up to the chest area)...Thats about it..whats funny or stupid on my part is when we went back later in the evening to check the patch..every time I turn and looked and caught sight of him it scares the hell out of me.....Can we say Hell on here?...If it doesn't work on the deer it keeps my Ticker goin, lol. What I ought to do is this fall spray him down with buck lure and put a couple of my trail cams on him lol,lol,lol..whattia think?..another youtube Moment? I can just see the comments...of course in a willy Nelson voice Uhum.."I've seen alot of things in my time but I've never, ever, seen a man be violated from a deer so much and just stand there and take it." .."I wonder if he already knew the deer"? lol,lol sorry!!   Monday, July 23 View Page Paytyn my daughter will not come out here at night anymore lol..Can,t wait I'm going to have my sister come over to meet me in the patch about this time of day...only it won't be me, WHA HA HA..I'll get it on Video lol. Knowin her and as much as she can talk, she'll talk to it for 30 minutes before she looks at it...Oliver will probably remove himself and run off..lol   Monday, July 23 View Page 64 Nieuwenhoff '11 FP coming along nicely. Got about 25 like this size on all the plants combined. Will drench 0-0-50 cut 50% today with Fast Absorbing Liquid Calcium and Boron, Mag. Daughter should have some great Jack-o-lanterns. Decided Daughter and I will go to Homer Glen on sept 30th for the weighoffs. Really looks like a fun time...Still laughin about the Buck Lure lol,lol...It's not a Tumor!!!   Monday, July 23 View Page 1232 M. Smith AKA Hot Lips from M*A*S*H. 186 ott this is a wierd Kin but it is still growing at 11-12 lbs/day. Got a kin set on the 1333 Dodge, 1365 Singleton and 1339.5 Marsh...AGAIN all are still goin.   Monday, July 23 View Page You may think I've lost mind mind but this is what I've been feeding the Kins since Pollination stage. Has additional Boron and Magnesium and it taste good too, lol. So far so good. I mix two tbl spoons/gal water. Feed it down the tubes and drench only in this heat along the Main Vine and main Root Pit area up to 4 ft out. 3 gals at a time/week/plant.   Tuesday, July 24 View Page All the squashbugs and Cukes in the Tri-State area are on the Zuccini Plants this mornin so I'm going to cut them at the base and throw them on a fire this mornin. I've got a 107" tractor rim for burning and a water hose on standby. Still no squashbugs, SVB's or Cukes on Kin plants. getting ready to go back to the Giant Cantaloupe patch to see if Oliver needs any help controling the deer. Also thought when deer season comes up all I have to do is pull Oliver and just stand there still and the deer will walk right up to ya...going to tell that to the people who own that hill, lol. Man did you people see Holloways Giant Cantaloupe he lost do to a Split?...HUEBUNGUS of a Lope..so sorry for him, man that could of been THEE ONE!!!   Tuesday, July 24 View Page Stem Damage on the 1308 Barenie. "SOS" I have Zero experience with kinda thing and don't want to lose this Kin over something as hopefully simple as this. The yellowish spot is soft down to about 1/16th to an 1/8th inch. Do I cut it out and run a fan and what is this sulfer that I hear people talking about and where do I get me hands on some. Not living in a big city area. I've got a shout out to Cntryboy on this but if anyone else wants to chime in I like to learn about this stuff from different angles. Thanks   Wednesday, July 25 View Page 1308 Barenie..0tt 239 - 296 Lbs. slowly increasing growth rate. dmg Stem is healing up nicely..Thanks to all that helped me with it..my blood pressure is now down under 195 lol. Picked 6 Giant Cantaloupe lastnight..just little ones wieghing 17-21 pounds. Noticed some sleeper lopes that are huge.their shaped like Pumpkins not longated like Holloways was just big and barreled shaped....oops must have been a mix up at the factory...man these melons taste awesome. I've got a roaster that easily fits a 25 pound turkey or the head of your best friend and the 21 pounder lope won't fit in it...not sure why I would want it too...oh well. Everybody in Pumpkinopolis have a good day!!!   Wednesday, July 25 View Page 1308 Barenie Growth as od 7/25/12   Wednesday, July 25 View Page Sicilian Saucer 2.5 lbs 16"circ. It was good and I saved the seeds. Very dence Tomato   Thursday, July 26 View Page 1308 Barenie hit 244 ott at 314 lbs this evening. Did real well selling Giant lopes & Maters today at the Markets = gas money for Homer Glen lol. Sold a bunch between 17 and 26 pounds. People are funny when they first realize their lookin at a 26 pound cantaloupe, seems they can't resist paying $20.00 for one. Seems like more of a novelty but they taste wonderful. Lost the blossom stem today on the 1232 M. Smith but it seems to be healing up..Don't know if a Pumpkin will grow correct with out the Blossom end sticking out but we'll see? Goodnight Neverland.   Friday, July 27 View Page Caution: Don't ever let me keep records for you at any time unless you never want to see them again..lol. Just found thee original small notebook I entered the Barenie and Singleton's Plant #'s in. It is official..The Pollination date on this #2 set on the 1308 Barenie was June 27th..Pollinated with 1365 Singleton. As of 1:25 pm central time, 7/27/12 the 1308 measured in at 105"cc, 68"fb, 76"ss = 249ott @ 333 pounds via GPC ott table '08. Track yer Vegetables says 351 Lbs ? Which is right? Lots of stretch marks on the main side and a bit more seeping..I can almost hear her growing...if it grows any faster it'll sound like a womens tennis match...lol   Saturday, July 28 View Page 1308 Barenie ott 253...est 368 Lbs. 31 dap   Sunday, July 29 View Page 1308 Barenie..Is it a good thing if you have to use scotch tape to measure your Pumpkin? This thing is really growing good. I put a bunch of additional sand around her and deeper and now I don't have an accurate measurement when I measure ss and ee..because I put the sand in really deep..I'll figure it out, not too worried about it. Got 1/4" of rain this mornin early. Culled the 1232 M. Smith this morning, 186 ott. 1308 Barenie is the only Pumpkin left..but its a good one.   Sunday, July 29 View Page 1308 Barenie. I'm 6' 1" and I cannot reach around this thing any more to measure cc so I have to use tape if I want a somewhat accurate measurement lol. I feel this is a good problem.   Sunday, July 29 View Page OK cntryboy...theres my state of the art empty size 20 oz main vine support system at the bottom of the pic of the 1308 Barenie. This thing is turnin a tint of green with all the canalouping on the back and lower front. Now the front side is cracking and oozing with sap and stretch marks along with the lower sides and back..I like the Idea she packin it on but its scarin the Heck out of me lol. The sand below the kin looks likes waves at the beach every evening because of the added wieght with growth pushin it outwards..pretty cool and a good indicator of growth. I feel very fortunate to be this far in my second year growing AG's. Field Pumpkins are just growing crazy right now..will post some measurements this week.   Sunday, July 29 View Page 1232 M. Smith aborted yesterday at 186 ott :(, 1308 Barenie is ridin solo :) & Bobs yer uncle..   Tuesday, July 31 View Page est 32 lb. cantaloupes. Can't find any info on Illinois state record for these. yell at me if you know where to find the Info, Thanks   Tuesday, July 31 View Page A couple Cataloupes I picked yesterday, the one off the scale weighs 33 pounds. If I already posted this forgive me..we are haveing server issues in my area this morning. Still trying to figure out The biggest Cantaloupe grown in Illinois..if you know let me know, thanks.   Tuesday, July 31 View Page I'll give you one guess what the house smells like inside.   Thursday, August 2 View Page 1308 Barenie 272 ott, 36 dap   Friday, August 3 View Page AAAAwwwwwee...Just yer normal 5:30 am setting.. a man sitting alone....looking at his Giant Pumpkin ...sippin his mornin coffee... watchin and listenin to the birds squable back and forth and................................talkin to the Giant Cricket to his right.........yes I do share my coffee..........lol. 1308 Barenie this mornin sittin at an ott of 275, 468 Lbs. This kin is not really thumpin any more..I guess what I mean to say its like slappin the side of a Portland Cement Sak....solid....hope thats ok. I can tell the top is growing upwards and out now. I have a feelin I'm being too conservative on me measurments but I'd rather have it that way and be positively suprised at the scales lol. By the way when someone asks about yer weeds..do what I do and say..."Well this fall I'm going to be too busy to put out a cover crop so I'm getting started on it now" ........works every time..Good to see luke having a kin on..what a battle its been for him this season. I've been sellin the Giant Cantaloupes just fine right up to the point when some one asks what kind they are and I respond..."They are Fukashima Cantaloupes" then I have to chase after them and explain the tasteless joke, lol. Have a good day in Pumpkinopolis Today everyone!!   Saturday, August 4 View Page Back and fourth on the 1308 Barenie Pollination date. I personally need to quit making my 1's look like 7's. Three dates were entered on my home calender for 3 diff pollinations on the Barenie. Thing is two were 5 lobers and one on 6/21/12 was a four lober...well the 1308 is a "4" Lober..Done deal and so here are the stats I have for this Kin to date. Like I've always said..we are our worst enemies...I've never worried about anyone messing with me my whole life...I can do a better job at screwing things up myself, lol. Shes starting to really get surface cracks and stretch marks out front now. Fed her more Fast absorbing Liquid Calcium this mornin...scary. 2/3rd's of the Kin on top you could comb yer hair its so bright and shiny but on the back and lower 2/3rd's its green and canalouped all crazy. Somebody convince me this is going to keep (maybe) growin till the end of Sept, lol. Grey Hair allert!!!! I know I'm measuring way too light but like I said, I'd rather it be that way...Wish there was a fellow grower within Striking distance to inspect this thing in person. Only one grower here in Pumpkinopolis..Later   Sunday, August 5 View Page 1333 Dodge yestersay had a Field Pumpkin slamed up next to it. I marked down seeing this female flower opened on 7/27/12 and forgot all about it. Plant is 700-900 ft away from any other plant so I'll call it "Selfed" on 7/27. It 4" cc since yesterday evening. The 525 Puricelli I was going to pull up but couldn't bring myself to do so has a kin set.   Monday, August 6 View Page 1308 Barenie update video on youtube..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWe1yNSB0E&feature=plcp   Wednesday, August 8 View Page 1308 Barenie 47 dap. I need to raise up the 10'x10' tarp so I can get a decent pic of it from this angle. Drenched Barenie main and seconary vines with Liquid Calcium and 0-0-50 Potash yesterday 2 hours after Tap root injections of Seltzer Water (C02), Humic Acid and Liquid Kelp at a 10" Depth. All my drenches are at a liquid temp of 87 degrees. On cool mornings the patch and Kin are ingulfed in a Steven King style Fog from the warm Liquid lol. The thing really seems to take up the potash and calcium better if I hit the roots a couple hrs prior to stimulating them so the roots will hopefully take up even more nutrients for bigger gains. Like I've wrote, when I thump anywhere on the Kin its like thumpin a bag of portland cement, lol. Theres hardly any sound..hope thats good. Had a buddy over yesterday visiting so I asked him if he wouldn't mind helping me move the Barenie abit back from the main. He and I couldn't even budge it. I'll pull up to it and use the front loader to just pull on it a bit useing just the front bucket control to tug on her abit. If I'm able to get her up to Homer Glen, Illinois on the 30th of Sept maybe I'll get Shazzy or someone to tape this thing correctly so we can see if she goes heavy...I have little experience with weighing these things but got a feeling its heavier than it looks. Fingers Crossed, lol.   Wednesday, August 8 View Page 1308 Barenie 8/8/12... when I walk up to this thing it reminds me of the movie, Little Shop Of Horrors..."Feed me Seymor" lol,lol.   Saturday, August 11 View Page If someone would'nt mind, please save this pic to your paint and draw a cc line that I should use to measure an ott on the 1308 Barenie and email it back to me...I would really like to get other growers perspectives on this problem. Thanks for takin the time to do so in advance, Joseph   Saturday, August 11 View Page Can't believe how wide its getting.. and all the sap comin out on the sides and top...pushin it abit...still don't know exactly how to measure her just right..lol   Saturday, August 11 View Page "Feed me Seymore"   Saturday, August 11 View Page Kudos to whom ever is doing the posting screening...awesome Job this evening!!! Super Fast!!!   Monday, August 13 View Page 1333 Dodge 16 dap, 186 ott   Monday, August 13 View Page And now ...........For something different...1365 Singleton off n end of a seconary I didn't catch. Wierd how it's stem is fused with the vine..pop goes the weasel..The Kin that has been set on the 1365 Singleton is growing good   Monday, August 13 View Page In the spirit of thee Olympics..............heres my daughters Micheal Phelps impression for ya'll...some of the things she does as comedy, I would swear she was born in canada...lol   Monday, August 13 View Page I'll try to fix the image size on the previous post   Monday, August 13 View Page Now...my daughters Phelps Impression..she also does the back slap thingy he does, lol   Tuesday, August 14 View Page A different angle on the 1308 Barenie this mornin. pap had posted about odd lookin Pumpkins...well here ya go, lol but man she's lookin heavy and pushin sap out all over as she's gettin bigger   Tuesday, August 14 View Page If you look close you can see how big the stem is on it..I finally got a good 110 volt fan out to it because with the crazy growth the stem has started to crack more on the surface..so I put on some sulfer and got the fan 24/7 on her.   Tuesday, August 14 View Page Thump, Thump lol   Tuesday, August 14 View Page My Dollar General Fan lol...hey it works already...   Tuesday, August 14 View Page The 1333 Dodge is growing over twice the rate the 1308 Barenie did...If I don't blow it up it should be quite respectable in 40 days   Thursday, August 16 View Page 1333 Dodge 19 DAP 200ott @ 189Lbs   Thursday, August 16 View Page 1333 Dodge...Growin twice the rate of the 1308 Barenie per the DAP..and is it just me or do I have the Butt Ugliest Pumpkin goin here or what? lol   Thursday, August 16 View Page The 1333 Dodge put 26 Lbs on from 8:00 am this morning to 6:00 pm this afternoon. 2.6 Lbs an hr..no record breaker but not too bad for day 19.   Sunday, August 19 View Page 1333 Dodge growin fast at 21 dap. We'll call it "The Blob".   Sunday, August 19 View Page Side view of "The Blob"..you can just make out the beer bottle to the right. Field Kins around her lol....Keeping gaurd of the Queen Pumpkin, lol. I'm pushing this Kin a bit..Gave her 10 Gals of Fast absorbing Calium & Magnesium/1000mg perGal, 10 Gals of 0-0-50 6%, 10 Gal Humic acid al at 88 degrees....OHHHH this steam over the Patch..also did half quantity to the field Pumpkins...got one that measures 26 inches across the top and is too heavy for me to manipulate because its growin at a 35 degree angle intangled in its own vine but I think I've got it tilted and supported back enough to relieve stress on the vine. Field Kins are more forgiving on the stem to vine pressure by a wide margin...thank God. This one is still solid green to almost black with no signs of orange ..."YET"..   Sunday, August 19 View Page 1308 Barenie nice and toasty this mornin..58 degrees..yesterday morning was 43 degrees..yikes..   Sunday, August 19 View Page ****CAUTION**** If you don't have a strong stomach don't LOOK.....Had to do more surgery on the 1308 Barenie Stem sprayed, cleaned out and applied sulfer then crossed fingers. Still growing very strong.   Sunday, August 19 View Page 1308 Barenie out growing its Sandy Foundation...Its a good thing!! but a pain   Wednesday, August 22 View Page Pulled the tarp temporarly off the 1308 Barenie this mornin so I had to go back with some kind of cover...me hat. Did some weedin and cleanin up around er..easier with the top down. The top of er is real beginin to grow with sap pushin and sections beginin to appear now more distinct. Told Shazzy awhile back no one needed to worry about competition from me up at Bengstons even though I don't have a clue how heavy she is because theres some pretty good heavy hitters goin to that weigh off I'm sure..but like he said its going to be a great expereince for my daughter and I and thats what matters....this year anyway lol,lol   Wednesday, August 22 View Page Stem is stayin good and dry, more surface cracking on the stem side and the blossum side and like George Washington was qouted in saying to his wife after returning home from Valley Forge that cold, cold winter without her......"I believe theres going to be some bulging happening very soon............unquote!!   Wednesday, August 22 View Page Found this book on Amazon.com thought it was pretty Ironic with the growing season and all. Got it for my Daughter for a couple bucks..theres plenty more there for even .99 cents used   Thursday, August 23 View Page Heres the new updated Patch Scare Crow, it will keep at bay: dogs, cats, coyotes, savings, groundhogs, chipmunks, small businesses, Crows, deer, wild hogs, constitutional facts, wood peckers, wood chucks, your rights, badgers, raccoons, rabbits, hope and change, ground squirrls, investors and for the WIZ.....Elk!!   Thursday, August 23 View Page OH SETTLE DOWN!!!! For those of you who's day I destroyed......clean up the spilled coffee tell the girls everything fine and keep alert for I'm picking up a George W Mask and this one will be even better, of course I wouldn't mind getting a Dick Cheney mask because I've got an old shotgun that would look good with one of these holding it. lol.   Thursday, August 23 View Page OK I'm already getting testy feed back. To clarify: I mean I would like to have a Dick Cheney Scare Crow in reference to holding a shotgun in reference to Cheneys little hunting accident he had with him shooting his buddy while dove hunting...............nothin more..and no not holding the shot gun on another scare crow....now back to pumpkin growin. Pulled 4 females off the 1308 Barenie plant and fed calcium, humate and bacteria again to the 1333 Dodge and 1308 Barenie.   Friday, August 24 View Page Oliver watchin over the 1308 Barenie...he's thinkin .."Sulfer or measure? Sulfer or measure?" Yours truly needs new glasses..found that twenty pounder kin on the 1333 Dodge yesterday, notched it yesterday and culled it this mornin. Oliver wants me to divide it up, spread it around today so all the little microbs can feed off of it in the compost pile easier.   Friday, August 24 View Page Heres my sling I threw together. Not an expert at building these but should lift kin just fine with 8 straps holdin her in and each strap rated at over 1000 pounds with a 15 ft draw strap on the bottom.   Friday, August 24 View Page 1333 Dodge yesterday 26 dap @ 93" cc "The Blob"   Friday, August 24 View Page Me new hat rack   Sunday, August 26 View Page On the last monthly stretch before weigh off...and I'm still feedin like we're just gettin started...maybe thats why this Barenie kin hasn't blown up yet............OK I'm back, had to go knock on wood, lol. Followed up by Humic worm tea and some more fast absorbing 1000mg Calscium with Mag&Boron. We,ve gottin about 1/4" of rain since yesterday evening and this mornin there is more on the way..goody!!   Sunday, August 26 View Page Hence the prior post "Calcium"..Thank you..Thank you very much   Sunday, August 26 View Page I boosted the temp on the Potash up this mornin to 104 degrees because with the rains the soil temp is down and I want to maintain the temp of the potash at the root level at around 82 degrees for maximum influent capabilities. I've got a field Pumpkin that is lovin this stuff also. I got clear into the patch of field pumpkins to get a close up look at em and forgot to bring the tape so I'll get a measurement next time. I didn't know that field pumpkins could get all canalouped like AG's...man this thing is big and is all heavy and wide on itself again something I Haven't seen a field pumpkin do before but of course I have never shoved so much calciums and well just everything I've been feeding the AG's I feed to the FP's. I've got a twin bed sheet fold and quartered and it won't fit over it and I did take a bathroom scale with me to slip under it but I honestly couldn't get a good grip to lift it up so my daughter could slip the scale under it...I'll just get back out there to measure again,,don't think its a record breaker but its the biggest FP I've ever grown and I've been growin them for a bit over 30 yrs..I do know I'll have to load it with my Yanmar loaders front bucket thats for sure. Again its all in on the feeding of the Kins this last month before the weigh off up at Homer Glenn. I wonder if they'll weigh this field pumpkin if I drag it up there too. lol   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Here is one of the big Howden Biggies FP. Its way out in the middle of the patch. I've zoomed in on it a little so I can see how the sides have been bulging out on it like an AG,,Crazy, I've never in 30 plus years of growing field pumpkins seen one bulge heavy like this..they usually stay in their form pretty well This particular plant is getting fed the Wellnesse Brand Fast absorbing Calcium+Magnes+Boron+ o-o-50 Potash every 4 days religiously and no others. Nine other FP plants going and no other FP's are bulging out like this dude is. I'm not getting a measurment soon because I'm afraid to go out there from all the thick vining and just knowing I'll either fall from getting caught up in them and breaking a vine and I'm just wanting to see how big of a suprise it will be for me and my daughter when we do finally measure it to see how big she is. Will let the vines die out I guess. Don't know how much water lose I'll have waiting that long. The picture does it no justice, all kidding aside its big. Crossed this one with the 64 Nieuwenhoff. I'm not able to drive the long distance to Homer Glenn as of now so I won't be getting the 1308 Barenie or the field Kins "Officialy" weighed this year...sucks but am happy that I know we beat our PB of 169# on the AG's..I haven't taped the 1308 Barenie lately but am having to sulfer cracks and splits all over it every other day and just seeing it daily I know its pretty darn heavy lol. I know it won't fit between the humps of the wheel wells in the bed of my truck either direction. Would be nice if I knew someone local I could trust driving me truck lol and I may find somebody.... Life is good.   Thursday, September 6 View Page Well treked out in the middle of the FP patch without falling down, lol and measured the biggest FP and got a 191 ott out of her. Not too bad considering there are 4 other large kins on the same vine lol. Just planted them and after I crossed this one in the photo above I got so busy I just let the darn things grow where ever they wanted to. Next year I'll grow this seed and cull the plant properly for competition weight. Standing in the middle of the patch I counted 57 mature Field Pumpkins. what now, lol I'm sold on the condition and sizes of the Howden Biggies. Average size looks like around 50-60 pounds hence the name I guess. I'm going to weigh all of them and get a precise average if that makes sense. 1308 Barenie is really packing on late season weight. I've got an old St. Louis Fairbanks seed scale 8ft x 10ft you drive on to that goes to 28 thousand pounds and registers about 2 pounds off in the floor of my barn..I'll weigh her there for my own satisfaction, I know its not official but we do what we can do, lol. Maybe I can take it to somewhere close buy with a certified scale and hopefully that makes it official but I now theres alot of crazy "Good" rules allowing weights to be recognized and not recognized either way it is good fun.   Friday, September 7 View Page 1308 Barenie really stretchin out. The deep groves aren't so deep anymore with the late growth its puttin out. Its really cracking up&down wise in the groove areas. I've been spraying Fast absorbing Calcium with Molasses with these rains we've been having. This is 78 dap today and will push it as much as I can. Also drenched with Humic this morning. Entire plant now looks like new with all replaced growth..nice large new leaves and very little bugs but have noticed more mice activity as with the colder temps coming on thats natural..their filling up their reserve seed deposites under ground = more activity. Pulled the sheets off this mornin and two mice fell out of them...put the cat on notice and added eight mouse traps around the Barenie.   Friday, September 7 View Page Heres some of the stretching cracks occuring on the Barenie. You can see clear sap coming out and theres another crack on the left side of the pic with yesterdays amber sap showing...I'm hoping this is good and means more weight..It has added obvious numbers to the ott thats for sure...I need to add more "sandbags" around er for support..lol   Friday, September 7 View Page Just showing you can put out nice field pumpkins on top of a cement slab lol.   Monday, September 10 View Page Was mowing down weeds and came upon this...A seven ft section of the est 525 Puricelli I thought I had cleared out. Nice little fat Kin growing. Talk about aggresive will to keep going...I will let it grow out for my daughter to have as a jack-o-lantern along with her Feield Kins. Pretty tough plant I'd say with only two root nodles in the ground, lol.   Friday, September 14 View Page 1333 Dodge pulled today due to BES ott 241/est weight at 320 lbs...sucks & Dangit...and this mornin when I pulled the sheets off the 1308 Barenie there were 4 different mouse holes in the sand going directly under the kin.....My cabinet met this morning and we aknowledged that this is in fact an act of war from the mice and I have no resurvations in deploying the troops via traps, mothballs, and yes.......chemical weapons if need be. We will drop leaflets to thee citizen mice and give them a 15 minute departure time out of thee target zone, after that they will be considered combatants and will be treated as such..no questions asked. May God have mercy on their little mice souls and may God Bless The Pumpkin Patch at the Young Residents.   Friday, September 14 View Page 1333 Dodge blossom end. If you have kids make them leave the room at this point please...SO_ $#@*^(and I C_$#@*^&%to be o&%^$@#*&^ in a Teeky Hut,. OK they can come back in..lol   Tuesday, September 18 View Page Oliver the "Patch Protector" after spraying Mollasses and Humic/Calcium this morning. Love the 104 degree mollasses on these cool mornins as much as the plant do...Like walking into a Bakery at 4:00 am, Oh the smell of it, lol. Yesterday had 3 does just standing in the fog at 5:30 am lookin at "Oliver" from about 30 ft...I beg to know what they were thinkin they turned and saw me and ran...I probably scared them, lol.   Tuesday, September 18 View Page 1308 Barenie proudly displayin thee o'le Bigpumpkins.com attire I may say. Lettin the sun warm er up from the chill of the 45 degree air...burrrr. Emptied 3 traps this mornin of mice...the war lingers on...The Mice have yet to set up their *M*A*S*H* Unit:-)   Tuesday, September 18 View Page here is some of the rapid growth indicators all over the 1308 Barenie. This area use to be a pretty deep rib but in the last week has become pretty much level due to growth. The best I can tell is that the cc has increased about 5 inches in a week. Probably not much growth but at this point anything is good I would think..Still have no clue of an est on her. I told Shazzy it is atleast 700. But that measurment was nearly a month ago so I have no clue I measure it three diff angles (Because of its weird shape and lack of experience) and get six results..lol. Weigh off will be very intresting for me and my daughter. Crossed with the 1365 Singleton ...I can't wait to grow this seed next yr.   Tuesday, September 18 View Page Yard Stick on er back side.....Gee I use to experience the same thing when I went to school..lol.   Tuesday, September 18 View Page Yard Stick on its Blossom end....this too use to happen to me in school, lol. Lettin the late afternoon sun warm er up for the night.   Tuesday, September 18 View Page 1308 Barenie Stem still doing very good. Pumpkin is pushing hard on both sides of the vine but I think I can hold it off till the 29th...fingers crossed..mice war continues..we've got a special raid scheduled for later tonight...over and out.   Saturday, September 22 View Page My daughter and her Pumpkin Display. A bit windy today but man what a Beautiful sky. Drench Fed 10 Gal. EA. of Calcium, Humic seperatly at 30 minute pauses at 104 temp yesterday evening and Foliar Sprayed 0-0-50 and Fast absorbing Calcium at 104 Temp at 5:30 am this morning for the last time of this season on the 1308 Barenie. The late evening drenches I've slowly learned are better because of the strong desire for the roots too take up close to 9 times more nutrients during the nighttime period and naturally the Stoma pores opening wider during the sunlight hours on the leaves for Foliar Spraying with Co2 in addition. I am going to research this entire fall and winter on stimulation terms and stimulation applications to increase widening of the "Gaurding" pores adjacent to the "Stomas" on the leaf surface that take the nutrients in. I have also been studying where millivolt electrical stimulation of the Plant itself increases opening size of the pores and allows the plant to take in more micro nutrients during folior spraying thus allowing more growth of fruit. 1308 Barenie is still packing on weight and if I don't split er I will cut her loose and load her up next Saturday evening..Bengstons or Bust.   Sunday, September 23 View Page *FROST*..BLAHH!!!   Sunday, September 23 View Page Ice Crystals in thee air this mornin over the 1308 Barenie with the over head sprinkler runnin at 5:30 AM...BURRR!!!! 29 degrees now at 6:53 AM   Monday, September 24 View Page Oliver my Patch Gaurd/buddy and I hangin yesterday. He had to borrow the sun specs to sing the blues of the season comin to an end. I told him .....well I won't tell ya what I told him, lol. He wants to go to Bengstons weigh off with us but think its best if he watches the place with my "Cousin" while we're gone, lol. Another hard freeze here this mornn and another 3:30 am watering only this time Jack Frost beat me to it..burnt leaves are appearing so I guess the plant will be done until saturday. Been a good year because of the generous and helpful growers here on Bigpumpkins.com. Double Thanks to John Barenie for growin this seed. The joy you all helped bring to me and my Daughters summer and beyond, can never be replaced..but built upon and I deeply Thank You All.....SALUTE!!! This won't be a winner at the weigh off but the trip to get there has been a winner to me. See Ya's Saturday Shazzy & George.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page 1308 Barenie all tucked in last night. You can see the burnt leaves from the hard freeze we got. Pic of the chair reminds me...Why do Texas Aggies feel they need to put a chair at the side of a coffin during a funeral?......So riggamortis can "set" in.....no applause no applause..just tens and twenties thank you, lol. Forcast till Friday is rain everyday. It is storming right now at 4:59 am which reminds me.......why the hell am I not in bed? oh ya some dumby around here has the coffee come on at 4:00..Have a good day all here in Pumpkinopolis!!   Tuesday, September 25 View Page 1308 Stretchin out to the sides   Tuesday, September 25 View Page If this Kin was all the way developed who knows what it would weigh out at, lol.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page You can see all the cracks from growth on the lower front and midway up on the sides and all of the valleys are wanting to flattin out. The Barenie has put on many inches the last two weeks, It will be intresting to see (for me) what she gets taped out at and what she actually weighs..Can't wait..I hope I do Shazzy Proud, lol...hate to show up with a wanna be Field Kin on steroids...This is why measuring this thing is a pain for me and thats why I've stopped trying to do so,lol. Its a bloomin mystery :)   Wednesday, September 26 View Page 1308 Barenie 2012 Season Progression   Tuesday, October 2 View Page The 1308 Barenie now the 671 J Young, came in 9th Place Too Cool. Awesome time up at Bengstons. Amazing on how such a large facility could be so personable to my daughter...very impressed!! shazzy , George and everybody I met were just toooo Gracious.. but I guess thats what its all about. Congrats to All the growers. I'll see the fellow Illini Growers in the spring at Georges Place...can't wait!! Oliver says, Peace!! 671!! New PB by 502 pounds!!!   Tuesday, October 2 View Page On a Funny note: I brought up a Nice Field Pumpkin to be weighed along with the AG and when I saw Bengstons had larger ones for sale there at their farm......well I just sorta left mine in the truck bed. lol.   Saturday, December 22 View Page Starting some AG's and some FP's for grafting Practice. The top row are AG's the bottom FP's. These are the big field pumpkin seeds "Fat Boys" that I got from those huge FP's that were 69 & 89 lbs right out of the field I got at a friends pumpkin patch. The AG seeds are above average size so you can see what size the FP seeds are compared to the AG's. I'm going to see how and if I can get the scion of a FP to graft to the root stock of an AG to see how the initial growth of the plant appears to be. Going to grow them under lights for a bit on a big layout table in my basement for a test of the plant trunk (stump) per analyzing the growth of the graft area looking for cracks during early growth stage. I'm also this winter working on Grafting two AG scions to one AG root stock and the same with FP's for more available foliage feeding for size obviously. You've guessed it I'm already bored from not having a garden and its only December, lol. I'll post some pics of the progress and the starting points...should be intresting.   Saturday, December 22 View Page Soaked seeds on the 17th of Dec in 1/3 peroxide for 4 hrs @ 80 deg.   Saturday, December 22 View Page Germ Box in the basement. With a 40 watt bulb and the 24" Grow light it is a constant 80-81 degrees. Also have two old bread pans with water in the bottom for humidity and a half gallon of water in a jug in there so its always the same temp if needed for watering the seeds and seedlings to prevent shock from watering with cold water. Top Plexi lid is himged at the back for simple entry. Has a regular light switch on the outside of the box with an additional outlet inside for more lights and a small fan if needed.   Saturday, December 22 View Page and heres what we have this morning the 22nd of Dec. @ 5:30 am. Both AG's and FP's are bustin out really nice. Theres also an Apple seed and an Orange seed that has germed that my daughter has had in the frig in an old pill bottle, lol.   Saturday, December 22 View Page I'll leave these guys in here until the 26th and then put them under lights upstairs misting them occaisionaly until they get one full perm leaf on them, then I will start the grafting. Going to use the top insertion method on the FP-AG root stock and the tongue method on the two AG scion-one AG root stock where they will go into complete darkness for 24 hrs and the slowly be aclimated to light while at all times being sealed up with humidity @ 84 degrees,....till then..Merry Christmas to all.   Saturday, December 22 View Page 22nd of Dec and Sweet Peppers full of blooms with a snowman looking on, lol.   Saturday, December 22 View Page Also from my friends pumpkin patch, he gave my daughter and I some "Cushaw Pumpkins". This one was 26 pounds and you have not had a good pumpkin pie unless you've ate a Cushaw Pie..........and so I made some.......mm good!!   Saturday, December 22 View Page 12 pies in all out of the one 26 pounder above. This was at Thanksgiving. Ate a couple and gave the rest away. Made up some more this last Wednesday...In the freezer..   Sunday, December 23 View Page Started another batch of eight seeds each this morning 12/23/12 of AG's and FP's to become the scions of the first grafting tests. These all will be for Top Center Insertion Methode of grafting. These are sitting in a 1/2 gal (black plastic) plant container in a west window in the sun. The sun warms the seeds up quite nice in this simple arangement of the black pot absorbing the heat without frying them while soaking for 4 hrs.   Sunday, December 23 View Page Everybody looking perky this morning12/23/12. These are the rootstocks for the up coming grafting this coming week. These guys need to have one permenant leaf that is a little over i inch in dia.   Tuesday, December 25 View Page Winter Patch Buggie   Tuesday, December 25 View Page AG's and FP's graduated to 12 oz containers befor grafting in about 4 days. Did some light deprivation for longer stems, all have got good true leafs coming up.   Thursday, December 27 View Page Getting ready to graft FP scions to AG rootstocks. They sure were reaching for the sun huh?   Thursday, December 27 View Page haven't got regular grafting clips yet but the local Dollar General has these girls hair clips that work pretty good with slight alterations, lol.   Thursday, December 27 View Page After alls said and done I've got 12 plants in the healing chamber to sit in total darkness for 24 hrs and sealed up with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom at 84 degrees inside it. Feel pretty good that I'll have success with the FP over AG setups.   Thursday, December 27 View Page Healing chamber..........simply put I robbed a toy container from my daughter and cut down an egg incubator to fit just inside the top area, put sop stops on the side to hold it. Put some old coolong racks in the bottom, used an old frig shelf for the lid with some rolled up wally world sacks as seals along the top edge. Put a remote temperature read out in it and walla.......a Healing Chamber for grafted veggie plants. After wards I covered it all up with black fabrick and a body bag.....(Large leaf bag). The key is water to feed and for humidity level you want is 100%, spray the grafted plants regularly before putting into chamber and keep them at 84 degrees in total darkness for 24 hrs..if they look wilted then keep them in for an additional half day. Second day I will uncover them (If not wilted) and block up one end of the lid about 1 inch, next day will slide the lid back about 4 inches, next day if they look good slide the lid back half way, after about six days remove from chamber, repot into one gallon containers and they go onto the layout table in the basement.   Thursday, December 27 View Page good night little ones, lol...Can you say cabin fever?!!   Thursday, December 27 View Page I'd say the humidity is good. I'll cover them and look in on them later tonight. I did look at the difference in primary stage root mass between the two and there is a small noticable increase in volume of root mass with the AG's..even at this stage of ten day old plants.   Thursday, December 27 View Page Heres a pretty cool link you can read on what I myself am trying to achieve here with this grafting hoopla. All you need to do is read the first paragraph to see its pretty intresting. http://hcs.osu.edu/vpslab/sites/drupal-hcs-vpslab.web/files/grafting-single-double-effects-sci-hort-sept11-1.pdf   Thursday, December 27 View Page Meant to say all you have to do is read the abstract on the article to get a grip on the reasons I think that it's possible for grafting to make a difference in this hobbie and or sport.   Thursday, December 27 View Page You can easily see the difference between the AG deeper roots versus the FP shallow roots. Both root systems are 10 days old. Whats intresting is ...the FP roots whiegh slightly more. Both watered the same and the same potting soil, temp..all the same.   Friday, December 28 View Page Moved the growing lab up to the main level of the house with the help of my daughter. Healing chamber in the middle, next set of AG's and FP's have germed and will hopefully be double scion FP's on AG rootstocks. So far so good with the first batch of test grafts in the chamber. Took them out of total darkness a few minutes ago. They will remained sealed up for 5 days in the healing chamber and then hardened off slowly for a couple days following the 5 days. Hybrid Lillies up top should bloom in middle of January.   Friday, December 28 View Page Second bunch of FP's & AG's started on 12/23/12. Also tested Cushaw Pumpkin Squash..they germed in two days...mn they are Delicsssssss!! Tested some White Acorn Squash...they germed in three days just fine.   Saturday, December 29 View Page Trying already to pick 4 seeds out of this group for 2013 season...OUCH!!   Sunday, December 30 View Page second round of FP's and AG's doin well. Ag's are furthest two containers. FP's are real harding plants. Can't wait in a couple weeks to see what the last grafters look like.   Sunday, December 30 View Page Will be growing Carolina Cross in 2013 ..Look out Italy!!   Sunday, December 30 View Page Hoping for the same problem in 2013!!