Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 19 Entries. Saturday, April 19 View Page I'm back. After 5 years away due to living in a condo, I now have a house with a yard. Let pumpkin season begin! This year's line up is the only 2 seeds I have... A 1194 Northrup and a 740X that was the selfie child of a 921 Gergardt.   Friday, April 25 View Page Well this doesn't look good. After getting 2.5 yards of "garden soil" from a local Landscaping supplier and filling my new gardens with it. I picked up one of these test kits and ran this test. Not sure about you but having your PH come back Blue sure doesn't look good to me. That colour is not even on the chart, what is that? Like 8.5ph?. Uhg. More Google mining lends me to believe that these tests are garbage anyways, so let's hope that's true. Biggest trouble is that my plants are already germinated and will be going into the ground in the next 2 weeks so even if I wanted to try lowering the Ph, that's not going to happen. What a way to start a new season in a new garden. Here is to hoping it's wrong.   Saturday, April 26 View Page This year has two small first year gardens. Patch panel is about 14x13 ft with room to grow if my wife doesn't take it over with flowers. It consists of the nucleus growing area being "Hanks Blend" it is well sifted and fine, from a local Pulp and Sawdust garden soil supplier. The Outer edges have their "Garden Blend" which has has not been sifted as well. Don't know what is in it. I also had a ton of old man mulched leaves from the fall that were on decomposed yet that I through under the garden blend to slowly continue decomposing through out the year. Had no were to get rid of I so I threw it on under the garden blend only. Nucleus is only Hanks Blend down to the clay type soil under night that appears to have a lot of worms even though it looks like it doesn't look like good soil. My major fear this year is that a cheap test kit said my PH for Hanks blend was over 8ph.eeek. We will see and take send out a sample to the lab so I can work the soil over the winter. Patch two is about 6x12 feet with only the Garden blend and Sand under neither it.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page Pumpkin 1 "Jolly Roger" is in the Ground. This week is suppose to be warm temps all week so I figured no time like the present. Whole dug, Myke added and mixed in, then watered with Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer in a 3ft Radius. Let's see what happens.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page First night out all alone, nestled up warm.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Happy Pollination Day Today I pollinated. Pumpkins, these 2 back to back pumpkins about 10ft out on the main and 1 on a secondary about 10 ft out.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Happy Pollination Day!   Saturday, June 28 View Page Happy Pollination Day! 2 on the main 1 on a secondary.   Thursday, July 24 View Page OTT of 138" each about 65lbs. Still not sure which to cull. I am waiting to see if the small undeveloped looking end begins to rot and die. Have had it happen in the past about this size.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Here is my whole plant.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Here is my whole plant.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Here is my Backup out on a secondary. any ideas why my leaves are yellowing on the tips?   Thursday, July 24 View Page Here is more yellowing on my leaves. I am fertilizing every 2 weeks with water soluble 10-40-25 mixed with fish fertilizer and seaweed fertilizer. I am thinking maybe to much water? I have been watering every night during this hot weather. Anyone have anymore ideas?   Sunday, July 27 View Page It's culling day, both have OTT's of 145 so that doesn't help. Which is the best shape to take? Hmmm   Sunday, July 27 View Page Decision is done. We're all in.   Sunday, July 27 View Page Official OTT of 144 = 73lbs approximately. Which is probably about right because I could hardly pick it up out of the garden.   Friday, August 1 View Page Disaster has stuck! They say you need the 3 G's to grow a successful giant pumpkin. Good seed, good soil and good luck. I had good seed, but with this first time garden, it was only mediocre soil, but last night I ran out of good luck. I came out this morning to find my pumpkin rolled down the bank. Apparently it's odd shape made it stem heavy which caused the blossom end to lift up and tip over. Unfortunately for me, though I thought I had it on the flats at the top of the bank, this appears to not be the case. It was a #pumpkilanche! Boooooo. Only chance of anything now is one last pumpkin way out on a secondary that is the size of a basketball. Problem there is that it's way down on the steep bank and it actually rolled over yesterday. We will see what happens. Such is the life of a giant pumpkin grower. :(   Friday, August 1 View Page Another Pumpkilanche pic. BAH!   Monday, August 4 View Page Some how some way it's still growing. With an OTT of 168 now. There was massive main vine damage near the stem. So I electronically tape splinter it up to try and fuse the vine back together like a broken bone. Let's see how long it lasts. It seems to be growing 3 to 4 pounds a day still.