Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 80 Entries. Sunday, February 9 View Page Time to start 2014 diary, here is some of things going down here in the basement. Not sure what the tomato plant is, it came up over winter down here but sure acts like a Mega Marv. I have several kohlrabi growing also plus Thomas has some garlic.   Sunday, February 9 View Page My grow lights filling up with plants from flowers for Farmers Market to my giant onions. I also have tomatoes ( Mega Marv. Porterhouse, Early Girl, Black from Tula, Betterboy, Seedless, Red perfection) all for Farmers Market that will be planted outside in the hoop around April 1st or before.   Sunday, February 9 View Page I have 2 kohlrabi and one cabbage(full season) that are starting to get big in gal pots.   Thursday, March 6 View Page Well almost done with the watermelon pits for the State Fair and they are warming up and should be ready by next week sometime. I still need to get the Pumpkin spots ready this coming weekend for the fair.All my outside water hydrants are froze so could be interesting when the 42 inches of frost leaves on how much water lines are busted. I have to haul water from the house now to the hoops. I have been on a diet for the last 8 weeks and its been rewarding and challenging. I have dropped 43 pounds with 6 weeks to go. I would like to get off about 20 more by May.   Saturday, March 15 View Page Dug two pits for this years early watermelons. We have been having trouble the last 2 years of having them drop dead. Thomas and Clare helping with the project.   Saturday, March 15 View Page Then we added 4 bales of wheat straw on the outsides as a border. This is straw bale gardening and will be decaying in a few weeks to add nutrients. There is a heat cable under everything and will fill it up with potting soil with amendments.   Saturday, March 15 View Page Here is the 316 Edwards in place with the soil very warm. The bales are starting to decay already after 2 weeks of amending with fertilizers to get it heated up. The whole area is built up to have energy flowing down.   Saturday, March 15 View Page One of mine I grew 2 years ago, the melon was not big as for the plant died early but still was able to get good seeds from the cross, 282 Dawson x 252 Neptune If I remember right. This melon was growing so fast before the plant died and as a plant it has started out fast so maybe a good sign.   Saturday, March 15 View Page Both plants covered up with heat lamps on timers .   Saturday, March 15 View Page The big 30-96 hoop starting to get going. I did dig the fair pumpkin pit today and was going to add cables but the soil is in great shape and warm so no cables. I planted 21 early tomatoes in the back and I have lettuce and radishes coming up.   Saturday, March 15 View Page A view of the hoops from on top of a snow drift. This is where everything early happens and my basement.   Monday, April 14 View Page Well going to be cold night tonight at around 24 degrees. We had a high Saturday of 84 degrees and now its snowing. Spent yesterday and part of today making sure everything is covered. The State Fair plant 1734.5 Steil mutated on me so had to go with a backup plant the 1744.5 Fulk(220.3 Debacco x 1789 Wallace).I have a 316 Edwards watermelon early going outside and starting to lay down along with 2 Grafted watermelon plants a good friend gave me a few weeks ago. The big plant was damaged by the cats that ripped there way into the hoop to stay warm but the plant is started to improve but a good chance they will be back in there tonight. I have 2 long gourd plants started the 120 Kline and 127.5 Kline. Onions are out with tomato wires over them.   Thursday, April 17 View Page Matthew with 40 seed packets and info for the local weigh-off. I need to get another 40 put together soon.   Thursday, April 17 View Page 34 grafted apple trees for a local non profit (all heirlooms)   Thursday, April 17 View Page 316 Edwards   Thursday, April 17 View Page Onions in there new home.   Thursday, April 17 View Page Lettuce, radishes looking good.   Thursday, April 17 View Page I had to put my hanging baskets in with my tomato plants to keep them alive after the 25 degree night.   Thursday, April 17 View Page hmmm what’s this growing?   Thursday, April 17 View Page My Basement with plants everywhere.   Thursday, April 17 View Page Treadmill lol   Thursday, April 17 View Page Grafting tomatoes   Tuesday, May 6 View Page Finally have the fair pumpkin plant down on the ground thanks to the warm days. No sign of a female yet but still have a few feet to go till I start to worry. I was working on my tomato plants for farmers market and noticed a huge mega blossom (about 3 inches across) and is the biggest I have ever grown and it is set. The plant was not suppose to be a contender for jumbo but we will see what happens. I will get photos of them all because its not the only plant that has them. The seeds came from a tomato I grew last year that was nice but not meant to be huge. I have more plants to get planted outside and can not wait now to see if these will throw mega blossoms also. I planted 4 fall pumpkin plants outside Monday and 2 more to go out.   Saturday, May 10 View Page Fair plant moving along.   Saturday, May 10 View Page One mega blossom on my porterhouse plant.   Saturday, May 10 View Page Another one.   Saturday, May 10 View Page This is the big one that is photo shy and has really grown in a few days.(Another Porterhouse)   Saturday, May 10 View Page Long gourd plant.   Saturday, May 10 View Page My onions but all seed stock onions did not make it over winter. That means no new seeds for handouts.   Saturday, May 10 View Page 315 Edwards   Saturday, May 10 View Page Something again this year, this is a grafted plant I went and got but did not make a pit for.   Saturday, May 10 View Page Here is the other plant in a pit of sterilize soil.   Saturday, May 10 View Page Farmers Market starts next Saturday, I think the Petunia's will be ready.   Sunday, May 25 View Page 1744.5 Fulk Iowa State fair plant at 15 ft and no female yet. I need to get one on here before I run out of room and time. Plant is in great shape and have males opening up.   Sunday, May 25 View Page The mega blossom on the porterhouse a little over 2 weeks now.   Sunday, May 25 View Page long gourd moving along and should be to the top in 2 days.   Sunday, May 25 View Page 316 Edwards watermelon plant with 2 females about to open in a day or 2.   Sunday, May 25 View Page One of the females on the 316 Edwards.   Sunday, May 25 View Page Big onions looking OK but I wish the necks were longer.   Sunday, May 25 View Page I loved standing here looking at all that is growing. It is hard to believe about 4 weeks ago there was snow on the ground.   Tuesday, June 3 View Page Pollinated today for fair 4 lobe self at est. 20 ft out.   Sunday, June 8 View Page 1744.5 Fulk Iowa State Fair day 5 and got it all ready today and hope it stays. The plant is about completely terminated but the main and 3 side vines that should be soon. Note: I made a road trip to Dave Davis's place today to see his tomato set up and pumpkin plant. All I can say is Wow on everything. Don, we are playing catch up fore sure. Thanks Dave for the tour!   Sunday, June 8 View Page 1744.5 Fulk plant at est 30x20 sq.ft.   Sunday, June 8 View Page 316 Edwards watermelon at 8 days and gaining fast. We cut off the early ones that were pear shaped but still have one early one that is shorter and should make up our mind on a keeper this week.   Sunday, June 8 View Page Mega tomato on the porterhouse plant at 18 cir.   Sunday, June 8 View Page Pollinated a 127 long gourd tonight with the 120 kline.   Sunday, June 8 View Page Matthew with the onion plants.   Wednesday, June 11 View Page Not very happy with the pumpkin yet(day 8, 20 inches), just does not look right around the shoulders. I will leave all side vine sets on for awhile or go with the 3 lobe set on main.   Saturday, June 14 View Page Fair pumpkin was 25 inches day ten yesterday and has picked up speed and the shape now is perfect. We will start cutting off side vine sets in a couple days slowly. Very windy today for the outside pumpkins and had a few side vines ripped out of the ground. Note: This is the first year out of the last 10 that the cucumber beetles have not been a problem or squash bugs. Usually there has been about a million of them and they never go away. I hope this continues!   Sunday, June 15 View Page It appears I have a long gourd set on the 127 but the 120 does not want to produce any females yet and is the larger plant. The Iowa State Fair pumpkin is 12 days old today and starting to get up and go. I had to move it 3 times today to keep it level. Hit it today with companion and Serenade. The plant looks as good as it can and a nice blue green color. 316 Edwards melons are growing fine for the fair and should be around 20 pounds now.   Saturday, June 21 View Page Day 18 and all extra pumpkins gone and it showed.   Saturday, June 21 View Page Measuring my porterhouse tomato and 19 inches   Saturday, June 21 View Page weighed 3.160   Saturday, June 21 View Page Picture of the fair plant and doesn't get any better in here than that.   Saturday, June 21 View Page More mega blossoms.   Saturday, June 21 View Page long gourd looks nice   Saturday, June 21 View Page Both LG plants about have it filled.   Saturday, June 21 View Page 316 Edwards melon at 58 cir.   Saturday, June 21 View Page Plant has things filled in and rooted down through the leaves.   Monday, June 30 View Page Well a little over a week ago we had winds take out the hoop again but with the help of our neighbours and a brother in-law. we had it back in place after 5 hrs of working in the mud and rain. It did roll a couple side vines off the fair plant.The hoop has been torn up 4 times now in 6 years but without it I would not have a fair plant.   Monday, June 30 View Page Thomas with the Iowa State Fair pumpkin a week or so ago. A long way to go till fair so anything can happen. They are calling for cool weather so look out for splits.   Monday, June 30 View Page Lucas with the 3.1 tomato   Monday, June 30 View Page Day ten for the 1180 Pukos at 33 inches. The 1432 Northrup is around 5 days old.Pollinated a 1024 Young today on a side vine. The Main stopped growing and aborted the only one that was on it so side vines it will be.   Monday, July 14 View Page Day 41 today and gains are starting to slow some and cold weather will really slow it down. Only 24 more days to go unless I decide to hold off.   Thursday, July 24 View Page County Fair went well and we got best of show with this red cabbage.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Best of show with the red onions.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Open class best of show table. Thomas, Clare, and Helen each go 5 blue ribbons. Anne has 2 projects going to the Iowa State Fair for 4-H.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Iowa State fair pumpkin with Matthew at 51 days old and could be a personal best.   Thursday, July 24 View Page My newest long gourd with clare at 98 inches and young but slowing down for some reason.   Thursday, July 24 View Page 316 Edwards watermelon for the fair and I have 2 of them on this plant.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Well on a bad note most of the fall pumpkins have aborted and 4 plants have been pulled. I have 2 plants left that could grow something average if we can keep them going but only one is on a main vine. I do have a late plant that will be pollinated in 10 days and should be 60 days old by Oct weigh-off. Lost 350 Kent watermelon plant to sudden wilt again. I should of dug a pit for it also but it was in new soil. I do have a Barlow melon going that has promise.   Thursday, August 7 View Page Pumpkin loaded for the Iowa State Fair. Should be between 1100 and 1400 pounds at 65 days old.   Tuesday, August 12 View Page Iowa state fair results for my wife and I. Jumbo watermelon 157.6 pounds and 111.9 1st place and 2nd. Jumbo onion 4.24 and 3.81 1st and 2nd Jumbo Tomato 2.43 and 2.3 pounds 1st and 2nd Jumbo Potato 1.6 and 1.57 pounds 1st and 2nd Jumbo Field Pumpkin 56.3 and 49.83 2nd and 3rd Biggest Sunflower 1st and 2nd Jumbo Kohlrabi 17.7 and 16.9 2nd and 3rd Long Gourds 97 and 91 for a 2nd and 3rd Regular watermelon Long 1st and 2nd and a few other 3rds and 4ths regular watermelon round 1st and 2nd other type pumpkin 1st   Saturday, August 30 View Page Last of the 316 Edwards melons. This will make over 500 pounds of melons off this plant. This should be my personal best if it holds up.It may go over 190 but may be short of 200 pounds. The melon is so fat it makes it look small in the photo. I think I found a way to grow these things again after the last 2 years of losing the plants.   Monday, September 15 View Page Kids pumpkins are all done and picked for weigh-off to get them out of the mud.11 inches of rain for the month of Sept. so far gotta love Iowa!We also had a touch of frost 2 days ago.   Monday, September 15 View Page We have 150 sq ft plant with a 34 day old pumpkin. Top gains have been 18 a day for 2 days but mostly average has been 10-14. I was hoping for a 500 pounder for Anamosa but the weather not helping that.The 316 Edwards watermelon stem is browning up so just a matter of keeping it solid for about 19 days.   Monday, September 22 View Page Picked the 316 Edwards melon tonight for next weekend to get it out of the hot hoop. The plant is done and the stem is brown. It will be my largest if it holds up for 12 more days and possible state record.   Saturday, October 4 View Page 209 Schnicker new Iowa State watermelon record grown off the 316 Edwards.   Tuesday, October 21 View Page Final results 1131 Pumpkin (first place Iowa State fair) GPC 209 watermelon (Iowa State Record - First Anamosa) GPC 112 Long Gourd (4th Anamosa) GPC 56.30 field pumpkin (second place Iowa State Fair)GPC 3.16 Tomato GPC 157.6 watermelon (1st place Iowa State fair) 111.9 watermelon (2nd place Iowa State Fair) 4.24 Giant onion (1st place Iowa State fair) 3.81 Giant Onion (2nd place Iowa State fair) 97 Long Gourd (2nd Place Iowa State fair) Took 1st and 2nd Iowa Sate Fair in jumbo Tomato. Took 1st and 2nd Iowa State Fair Sunflower heads Took 1st and 2nd Iowa State Fair Long watermelons Took 1st and 2nd Iowa State Fair round watermelons Took 1st and 2nd Iowa State Fair jumbo potato Took 2nd and 3rd Iowa State Fair Jumbo Kohlrabi Placed in other stuff but this is the most important for the year. The top 5 entries are my 5 GPC largest.   Tuesday, November 18 View Page Note to myself- Testing seeds today (onion and cantaloupe)