Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 84 Entries. Thursday, April 19 View Page I have decided to keep a diary this year. This my lineup for the 2012 season. I hope they grow big, I haven't had much luck the past few years.   Thursday, April 19 View Page Here they are in the germination chamber.   Thursday, April 19 View Page Here is a view of my main patch with the hoop house and heating cables in it to warm the soil.   Thursday, April 19 View Page The new fence to keep Benson (dog) out Janna's garden boxes.   Thursday, April 19 View Page This is the trellis I made to try and grow long gourdes. It might be too tall, but I'm going for a record (lol). I will probably cut 2 feet of of it this week, I hope it does't fall on top of me.   Thursday, April 19 View Page This the view of my small main patch, the secondary patch still has horses on it. A neighbor allows me to grow on his property after he puts his horses in a bigger pasture. More pictures to come of that patch.   Tuesday, May 1 View Page This is my new line-up for 2012. The last ones didn't germinate, due to some bad seedling mix.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page Tilled the new patch last Friday and planted 3 pumpkins.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page This year I have a new helper, Emilee wants to help me grow some pumpkins. She really likes to see plants grow, she thinks that the three pumpkins in the new patch are hers. They will be if she weeds them and takes care of them. So far she has done a good job.   Friday, June 1 View Page We had a wall of water collapse on one of the pumpkins in the new patch. Emilee was upset that one of "her" pumpkin plants died. This morning I started a few new seeds in hope of replacing the plant. It might have a late start but she won't care as long as she has a plant to watch grow.   Tuesday, June 5 View Page We have had some set backs this year. Two of the plants have split stems, one rotted in the ground and two were crushed by collapsing walls of water. Started more seeds this past week, it might be a late start but we are hoping to learn from our mistakes.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page With work and the 4th I haven't had much time to get out in the patch and the weeds have taken over. I hate purslane it! Here is a photo before weeding on the 6th July.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page After photo on the 7th July, there really are some pumpkins in there.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page Emilee decided to weed her long gourd, after that she went to make mud pies and mud animals.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page The long gourds are starting to climb the trellis and the pumpkins are starting to spread out, things are looking up after a late start. With the heat we will see if we can get any fruit set before it is too late to have anything of size.   Thursday, July 12 View Page Emilee watering her pumpkins at the Parker's. This is the new patch we started this year, it hasn't been work for a long time. We are hopeful she is able to grow at least one of decent size.   Friday, July 13 View Page Found this little guy on my pumpkins last night along with a few friends. Janna's pumpkins and zukes have had a few also in her garden.   Friday, July 13 View Page A friend of the last picture.   Friday, July 13 View Page Here I am looking for more pests. I just rip off their heads when I find them.   Friday, July 13 View Page Went to Home Depot last night to buy bug control. The War is on and I am going to win this year.   Friday, July 13 View Page I here that Bifenthrin is effective on squash bugs, we are trying it this year to kill them and win the War.   Monday, July 16 View Page The patch at Parker's there are two horses that like to say hi each time we are over. Emilee is scratching Sonny's nose.   Monday, July 16 View Page Here is Smokey. Sonny likes to chase him off so he can get all the attention.   Monday, July 16 View Page Emilee watering her pumpkins with some kelp and fish. We are hoping for them to grow. We buried the main vine on Saturday July 14.   Monday, July 16 View Page This is Emilee's patch, they are struggling a little, because of the late start and soil.   Thursday, July 19 View Page Yesterday when I was at IFA looking for some growth regulator for the football field at work I came across this product that says that it modifies the sex of the flowers on pumpkins. It causes the plant to produce more female flowers earlier and less males. With the late start and bad luck this year I need to have some females soon or it will be too late get one to ripen before the weigh off. After researching and looking at some testing by a couple of Universities I decided to try it and hope for the best.   Thursday, July 19 View Page Label instructions   Thursday, July 19 View Page Label instructions.   Thursday, July 19 View Page More instructions.   Thursday, July 26 View Page Long gourdes are almost to the top of the trellis, only a few more days left.   Thursday, July 26 View Page A view of the patch July 25,2012. Nothing set yet but at least we have some female flowers coming soon.   Thursday, July 26 View Page Tomato mega bloom July25, 2012.   Thursday, July 26 View Page Another mega bloom.   Thursday, July 26 View Page Another mega bloom.   Saturday, July 28 View Page Thursday July 26 I went out to the patch to check on the pumpkins and to my disbelief I noticed that every one of the main vines on all four had been split or chewed off by something along with some of the secondary vines. I'm having a great year! We went to water and check Emilee's and they were just fine.   Saturday, July 28 View Page I think I might have mice in the garden. Time to buy some traps.   Thursday, August 9 View Page This 5 lobed beauty was pollinated on 8-4-12. It is one of Emilee's pumpkins. I have some pollinated in my patch and have been playing honeybee the past week. I have to thank my neighbor Eric for allowing me to steal his male flowers off his 1600 McConkie. With all the problem this year we are only 5 weeks behind schedule, and with 100's expected this week I hope none abort.   Thursday, August 9 View Page Here is another one of Emilee's pumpkins 8-4-12. The UGPGA patch tour is coming up on Saturday 8-11, I'm considering taking Emilee and Eric if they can go so we can be jealous of everyone's pumpkins and maybe learn from other growers.   Monday, August 13 View Page The long gourdes are doing well, they have reached the top of the trellis and are going over the top.   Monday, August 13 View Page This gourd is about 24" and growing well. I just need to get something to tie it to the trellis so the weight doesn't snap it off. We have some others that are about the same length.   Thursday, August 16 View Page As we were coming out the store this showed up, now that is one big wiener. If you squint your eyes it kinda kooks like a pumpkin.   Wednesday, August 22 View Page I went out to the patch yesterday and culled everything to one pumpkin on every plant. This one 109 ott on dap17.   Wednesday, August 22 View Page 96 ott dap16   Wednesday, August 22 View Page 108 ott dap17   Wednesday, August 22 View Page 104 ott dap16   Wednesday, August 22 View Page Emilee's 103 ott dap17   Wednesday, August 22 View Page Emilee's 104 ott dap17   Wednesday, August 22 View Page Emilee's 101 ott dap18   Thursday, August 23 View Page Here are some of the culls from my patch in the backyard.   Thursday, August 23 View Page This one has a split on the stem, but seems to be putting on more weight than another one on the same plant. I will decide today if it is a keeper or trash.   Thursday, August 23 View Page Long gourdes are doing well I have 3 over 55'' and one that is growing fast. No tomatoes, it has been too hot at night for them to set, now that the night temps are cooling we might have one set soon.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Thursday Aug. 30 I went to water the pumpkins that we have over at Parker's and discovered that they had had a family reunion and one their grand kids had taken a sword and hacked at one of the pumpkins. As luck would have it, it was the one that was growing the best and looking really good. Well those are the breaks when you grow on someone property other than yours. So Friday I cleaned up the gouges and hope it doesn't rot.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Sunday September 2, Emilee, Sarah and me measured all the pumpkins to see what kind of weekly growth we are getting. 855 Haslam 196 OTT, 1013 Bowman 186 OTT, 866 Quigley 170 OTT, 472 Kolb North 177 OTT, 859.5 Christensen 190 OTT, 1013 Bowman 179 OTT,472 Kolb South 184 OTT. 80 to 90 lbs. average on most of them, lets hope they don't slow down for awhile.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page A view of Emilee's patch from the north. You can almost see 859.5 Christensen.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Another view this time from the south, with the 472 Kolb and 1013 Bowman.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page 866 Quigley left and 855 Haslam right.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page A shot from the tree house.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Emilee sitting on top of 859.5 Christensen.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Long gourdes are growing well the one the right is 86" and one on the left is 74". We have a couple of others that are over 5' and another that is almost 7'. Not bad for the first time.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page I named this one Slash, after the two gouges put on it. They seem to be healing well with no soft spots. It is growing the best out of all the pumpkins.   Monday, September 10 View Page Yesterday (9-9-12)we took some more measurements. 855 Haslam 219 OTT, 1013 Bowman 211 OTT, 866 Quigley 190 OTT, 472 Kolb North 205 OTT, 859.5 Christensen 224 OTT, 1013 Bowman 202 OTT, 472 Kolb South 217 OTT. Day 35 dap give or take a day. The last four have been growing at Parker's. They are all on secondary vines because of the main vine splits we had earlier in the year. 2 1/2 weeks left till weigh off, hope the weather holds out. Long Gourdes are still growing we have one over 93" and another 85".   Tuesday, September 11 View Page What's at the end of a rainbow?   Tuesday, September 11 View Page It's a giant pumpkin.   Tuesday, September 11 View Page Last night when I went to water a thunderstorm went through and when the clouds broke, out came this rainbow that lined up with one the pumpkins.   Monday, September 17 View Page Sunday 9-16-12 measured all pumpkins. Haslam 855 235 OTT, 866 Quigley 202 OTT, 1013 Bowman 224 OTT, 472 Kolb North 240 OTT, 859.5 Christensen 248 OTT, 1013 Bowman 217 OTT, 472 Kolb South 237 OTT. The plants at Parker's are growing better and putting on more weight, I think it is that at our house we have more shade and more powdery mildew resulting in lower weight gains. Long gourdes are still growing but slowing down longest 95 1/2 inches.   Monday, September 24 View Page Sunday 9-23-12 measurements 855 Haslam 241 OTT, 866 Quigley 208 OTT, 1013 Bowman 227 OTT, 472 Kolb north 260 OTT, 859.5 Christensen 262 OTT, 1013 Bowman (Parker) 226 OTT, 472 Kolb south 258 OTT. This week is the weigh-off final results to come on three of them. Long gourds not growing much, longest still at 96". We have a late starter that is now 65" and growing 3" - 4" a day. Night temps are in the 50's and day temps in the 70's to 80's and cooling off.   Wednesday, September 26 View Page Emilee sitting on her pumpkin. Three more days until weigh-off.   Wednesday, September 26 View Page Slash is getting bigger with on effects from being cut, healed up nice.   Wednesday, September 26 View Page A view of the patch in the backyard without the shade cover three nice pumpkins.   Wednesday, September 26 View Page Long gourd trellis, the vines have taken over the trellis and the tomatoes behind it.   Wednesday, September 26 View Page This gourd just started growing about two weeks ago and is growing 3"-4" a day and is at 70" to bad the weigh-off is in two days. I'm going to let it grow to see how big it will get and harvest the seeds for next year.   Saturday, September 29 View Page Sunday 8-26-12 I measured all the pumpkins that we have growing. Day 20ish for all of them + or - a day, I pollinated all of them between 8-4-12 and 8-7-12. Here are the numbers. 855 Haslam 154 ott, 1013 Bowman 146 ott, 1013 Bowman 140 ott, 859.5 Christensen 139 ott, 472 Kolb 132 ott, 866 Quigley 132 ott, 472 Kolb 123 ott. Long gourdes are growing well we have 2 that are over 6 feet and still growing. I will measure again on Sunday and see what kind of weekly gain we have.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page We had a great time at the weigh-off last weekend. Emilee and Sarah each took a pumpkin and did well for their first time.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Emilee with her 421 Kolb.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Sarah with her 396.5 Kolb.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Here I am with my 337.5 Kolb. I let the girls have the bigger pumpkins. Emilee placed 6th and Sarah placed 9th in the junior division I finished in the middle, not the smallest this year.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page This is how I lift them into the truck. It works for smaller pumpkins. I don't know what I will do when I grow a big one.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page They had this displayed at the weigh-off showing how big the root system is on a pumpkin. I don't know how they kept all the vines attached to the pumpkin. It looks like a lot work, but pretty cool.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Emilee and Sarah waiting for their pumpkins to be weighed.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Here are some of the pumpkins with ours in the middle of the photo.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Here are some more with the new Utah state record for Squash in the middle.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Thanks to everyone at UGPGA for making this year's weigh-off one of the best. Good luck next year.   Tuesday, October 9 View Page This is my year end picture. Here are six of the seven pumpkins that I grew this year. Not bad for a late start, 2385 lbs. total. Sarah's 396.5 was sold to IFA for a gift card for fertilizer next year. The neighbors think that they look good and good luck to someone who wants to steal them, they are heavy.   Tuesday, October 23 View Page After checking on the ott's on all my plants I'm pleased with the size of them this early after dap. The problems earlier in the year have set us back about 5-6 weeks. Oh what could have been, I hope the weather holds out and we don't get a frost in early September. September 28 is the target date for harvest of at least 3, the others I will let grow for the porch or neighbors or until it frosts.