Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 61 Entries. Wednesday, January 1 View Page Really excited about the winter largest Tomato contest Yardman started. This is the 5.8 Osmala which is 2 weeks old and has been replanted three times   Saturday, January 4 View Page I love to talk gardening. I teach gardening. I email stuff about gardening. My brother says I need this poster!   Tuesday, January 7 View Page It will be hard to improve on 2013 as far as the weigh-in goes so we are determined to grow even bigger fruit! Very excited about all the snow we are getting here in Missouri because we seldom get any and this year we have been snowed in twice! We are currently building a new pumpkin patch and working on a 20 x 96 hoop house. Wish everyone the best in 2014!   Saturday, January 11 View Page My wife loves cats, my 93 year old mother in law loves cats. Me not so much!!! We made a mistake and the cats came in and climbed the furniture to where I had my 3 gallon pails growing the 5.8 Tuijla and they scratched around a little. I chased em off but that night the leaves laid down and the next day they were totally limp. The cats wiped out the 5.8 tomato plants with bacterial wilt. I am going to start another plant in new bucket and pro-mix.   Monday, January 20 View Page On Jan 2oth I planted two more Giant Tomato seeds. These are the 5.11 Daho 2013. I will be doing additional seeds each week in an attempt to grow the largest tomato I can. Tomorrow I am building two greenhouses which are 7 foot wide and 8 foot long. As soon as possible I am trying to build a new hoop house 30 feet by 65 feet. In the meanwhile I am growing the tomato's under grow lights in my bedroom. The first two were the 5.8 Osmala, planted Dec 13th and the next two 5.11 Daho were Jan 20th. Even with greenhouses it will be a long winter until I can plant the tomato's in the ground. My wife has over 50 plants growing in the laundry room, none of them Giants. I have purchased all my amendments for the spring and will apply them in March. It is my goal to have 5 pumpkin, 3 squash, 15 cantaloupe, two terrace of long gourds, 3 bushel gourd plants and 25 Giant Tomato plants. My wife will be growing 1/4 as many Giants but she will be growing all of the ordinary vegetables as well. Gee it is great to be retired! I have ordered the materials to make 12 more raised beds which will not be used as raised beds this year but Giant Tomato spots instead. I already have 15 raised beds and my wife has ten raised beds. I am using rye as a cover crop for the raised beds and gardens at this time. Today I went out to the gardens edge and stuck my hand as deep as possible in the soil. At 4' there was a shallo9w frost but I was able to break through and go about 8-9" deep. It was cold but rich and crumbly. Is crumbly a word? No clumps and full of decaying organic matter!   Wednesday, January 22 View Page ðc Today at 3:39 PM Eat well me hardies for tommorow we......build 3 greenhouses. They will be 8 foot 4 inches long by 7 foot wide with a door at one end and a window at the other. It cost $75 per greenhouse for material with $6.00 worth of liners and $6.00 worth of hardware plus plastic making the total cost without labor of $111.00 per greenhouse. The entire greenhouse can be pulled to whatever position you want! I will paste a picture upon completion.   Wednesday, January 22 View Page I am hoping that McDonalds will become a sponsor. This is one of two remaining 5.8 Osmala at 5 1/2 weeks. I am going to put additional promix up to the top of the McDonalds cup. The two seeds I planted the other day have not yet germinated.   Thursday, January 23 View Page I have made amendments of 240 pounds gypsum, 5 pounds Manganese sulfate, 25 pounds Alpha, 25 pounds Kelp and in April I will add 10 pounds blood meal to the 1000 square feet   Thursday, January 23 View Page 2013 soil test Pumpkin Farm Going Green Midwest Laboratories soil test 9.0 organic matter 84 ppm low phosphorus 101 ppm strong bray phosphorus 1851 potassium 577 magnesium 2800 calcium 175 sodium 7.0 ph 24.3 cation exchange capacity percentage base saturation (computed) 19.5 k 19.8 mg 57.6 ca 0.0 h 3.1 na 161 ppm nitrate-n 290 pounds/A 176 ppm sulfur 37.4 ppm zinc 12 ppm manganese 45 ppm iron 7.6 copper 1.9 ppm boron excess lime low soluble salts 1.9 mmhos/cm blame it on the wife but she put to much Epsom salts on the garden not understanding what amount I said water soluble report 189 ppm P 1078 ppm K 232 ppm CA 77 ppm MG 181 ppm NA 199 ppm S   Thursday, January 23 View Page I made the following amendments per 1000 square feet. 240 pounds Gypsum, 5 pounds manganese sulfate, 25 pounds kelp, 25 pounds Alpha and will be putting 10 pound of blood meal closer to planting!   Saturday, January 25 View Page What a day...What a day! I had broken pipes to dig up and greenhouses to build. They are on skids for easy movability. I went inside during the day to pull the plastic tight and was sweating big time before I was done. Only 45 today but great for making a greenhouse on skids!   Saturday, January 25 View Page Here is hoping the plants love them as much as the wife does. We ate out for supper and the greenhouse was her conversation of choice. Two more greenhouses to build tomorrow!   Monday, January 27 View Page Besides digging a 15 foot by 15 foot by 6 feet deep hole to fix a water leak I was able to complete another greenhouse. They look really nice and it was 90 degrees in there today when the air temp was only 45 degrees. Tomorrow it is suppose to be 9 degrees so we will see how warm it is inside the greenhouse.   Monday, January 27 View Page The window opens at the top to let hot air out. Lowes has a temperature activated window opener that opens at 85 degrees to keep it from getting to hot in the house and closes at 75 degrees.   Monday, January 27 View Page Promised my helper I would credit him with helping me build the greenhouses. So Ronnie, you have been credited!   Monday, January 27 View Page It is really simple. I took two 2x6x12 and measured 12" on each end and cut the board at an angle from top corner to bottom corner 12" in. Then I laid a 2x4 along t6op of 2x6 and put a line. That is as far down you go when you put Cattle panels on the board. I then took a 2x2x8 and laid it on top of cattle panel and screwed into the 2x6 below cattle panels. Once you have that done on both ends you simply raise the cattle panels in the center and put a 2x4x7 between the two 2x6 and lining up on the top edge of each 2x6 you screw them in. Important...I wanted more height so I went with 6 1/2 feet 2x4 instead of 7 feet and that gave me more height in the center but 6 inches narrower. Measure in from each edge on the 2x4 so that you can have a 36" door and then put a support from door to each side of the greenhouse so that they hit the cattle panel wire and screw a screw on each side of cattle panel and then wire it to hold. When you place the pipe sleeve over the outside edge of cattle panel you will cover wires up. Then you put supports in on other end just like door but you put another 2x4 at 24 inches down to make a window instead of a doorway. Now apply greenhouse plastic on both ends and put firing on outside edge of each 2x4 to hold plastic in place. then cut along firing to open space for window on one end and door on other end. The pieces of plastic you cut out can be attached to the door and window you then make to go inside the 2x4 framing. Put firing along the edge of them as well. Apply hinges and if you want apply window opener. Now place greenhouse plastic over the greenhouse cattle panels from ground to ground and put another fir strip just above the 2x2's and it will hold your plastic in place. Drill hole in 2x6's at 11 inches from edge on center and put in rope and move to where-ever you want. For questions see attached   Tuesday, January 28 View Page Each week I am going to start another Giant Tomato. This Monday I started a 3.9 Ruegger 2013 (7.33 Hunt X open) Marv suggested on the Tomato forum that we should plant a variety of different Tomato's because BZ grow different then Delicious and so on. I am going to do that and I will be planting a grand total of 33 plants for the year so as to give myself the best chance of growing a new State record!   Tuesday, January 28 View Page Two 5.11 POUNDS DAHO MEHDI (5.07 BOUDYO) and a 3.9 Ruegger (7.33 Hunt x open).   Saturday, February 1 View Page The 5.8 Osmala is now 40 days old and it is doing well. It is as thick as a pencil and should be getting suckers soon. currently I have two 5.8 Osmala, two 5.11 Daho and one 3.9 Ruggers. Tommorow is a new plant. Which one should I plant tomorrow?   Saturday, February 8 View Page Mehdi Daho grew some really nice tomatoes in 2013 and here is one of two plants that are 11-12 days old.   Saturday, February 8 View Page I have true leaves on both of the 5.11 Daho seeds I planted on January 20th. Since no tomatoes can hit soil before May 1st I will be growing these in 5 gallon buckets.   Saturday, February 8 View Page The 5.8 Osmala was planted on December 20th a month earlier than the small pots up front. It is planted 13 inches deep in the 5 gallon bucket and is 17 inches above the bucket.   Saturday, February 8 View Page The picture of the 5.8 Osmala wasn't very good this one is better!   Monday, February 10 View Page I pre-germinated the 6.83 Boudyo and will place them in sterile medium tonight! The use of paper towel and heated seed chamber worked very well. I love seeing the little tails seeking nutrients!   Tuesday, February 11 View Page The 5.11 Daho on day 20. Great color many leaves! Doing well!   Tuesday, February 11 View Page comparison for size out of curiosity for me! This is the 5.8 Osmala at 20 days. Wanted to compare to previous entry the 5.11 Daho.   Thursday, February 20 View Page Some 11 years later this is the "Year of the Tomato!"   Saturday, February 22 View Page I built 3 greenhouses so far at a cost of $115 plus time for each greenhouse. They are 7 foot wide and 8 1/2 feet long. They can be moved behind a car, truck or even a lawn mower. I have built two shelves for my wife inside hers. The outside temp was 46 degrees yesterday and 82 degrees inside. The soil temp was 39 degrees outside and 53 degrees at 6 inches deep.   Saturday, February 22 View Page The greenhouses have been moved to their permanent location west of the house in full sun. I will be growing 220 day corn in mine and the wife already has 50 plants going all winter in the laundry room.   Saturday, February 22 View Page I am continuing to build greenhouses. 12 greenhouses will be raised to grow veggies in and to shelter my pumpkins, squash and cantaloupe from getting killed when the farmer next door sprays roundup on his crop mid June. I need to plant May 1st.   Saturday, February 22 View Page I also have built soil warmers where greenhouses are not practical. They cover an area about 60x60 and cost $50 to make!   Thursday, August 14 View Page This year started out ok and then we had 10 inches rain in 10 days and extremely cold temps arrived just behind the rain. Seven of my 10 greenhouse tomatoes died from water and temperature exposure. One of my 5.11 Daho survived and had two major megablooms.   Thursday, August 14 View Page I was so excited and expected a major tomato. They were tickled twice a day with electric toothbrush and both started to develop and then rotted on the vine. Others continued but were 1-2 pounders.   Thursday, August 14 View Page I had great expectations as the temps warmed up and everything bloomed. Then the mice found my young stock and I lost 7 to 30 plants a day. After many dollars to eradicate the mouse problem I had a new problem. Beet leaf hopper infected my plants and killed over 150 tomatoes with curly top virus.   Thursday, August 14 View Page The previous picture was a megabloom on the 5.11 Daho that died and rotted from Curly top!   Thursday, August 14 View Page Many growers were gracious and hearing about my misfortune they sent me more seed. Time was of the essence and not having time to start indoors and transfer to the garden I planted directly in the garden. These are my healthiest plants.   Thursday, August 14 View Page Today I have 6 plants which are healthy with no curly top. All were planted late and planted directly in the soil. They range from 17 inches to 26 inches in circumference. The 5.11 Daho are three of the six, the 4.19 Montgomery and the 4.01 Diaz are two others. The 6th has no tomatoes as of yet but has lots of blooms.   Thursday, August 14 View Page because they were all planted late they are all a brilliant green and should not mature till late September with a October 5th GPC weigh-off   Thursday, August 14 View Page I also had to plant my Pumpkin, Squash and Cantaloupe late due to my neighbors annoying habit of spraying round-up and a herbicide in mid to late July. This year I had multiple planting dates and ran sprinklers all day the day of the spraying. It did affect some plants but even my earliest planting had bloom Aug 1-10 and I currently have pumpkin or squash on all plants. This is a picture of last years largest pumpkin in Missouri which I grew, it was the 391 Wellington. Grown in 75 days from July 16th to September 30th.   Thursday, August 14 View Page The 391 Wellington 2013 planted in 2014. I have pollinated 3 blooms in the past week!   Thursday, August 14 View Page Another view of the 391 Wellington.   Thursday, August 14 View Page This has been a tough year but then I knew that any year would be tough after last years success. My wife and I took both 1st and 2nd place in pumpkins, 1st and 2nd place in squash and 1st and 2nd place in Cantaloupe at the Republic Daze GPC Festival near Springfield, Mo.   Thursday, August 14 View Page Last year I sold one tomato for $10. It weighed 3 pound   Thursday, August 21 View Page I pollinated this pumpkin last week on August 15th. Here we are 6 days later larger than a basketball.   Thursday, August 21 View Page I pollinated this pumpkin on the 18th of August. Already larger than a softball and smaller than a soccer ball!   Thursday, August 21 View Page This is a pumpkin in another pumpkin bed altogether and it also was pollinated on the 18th of August.   Sunday, August 24 View Page Gained another inch this week. Congrats to Dan Mc Coy for WR tomato 8.41 pounds. Ely Minnesota! I still have to grow quite a bit but one record at a time! State record in 2014 hopefully!   Sunday, August 24 View Page My biggest tomato is on the 5.11 Daho plant from Medhi Daho of France who has a new personal best 5.59 Pounds! Way to go Medhi!   Wednesday, August 27 View Page Can you feel the tears? It was turning red so I cut her off and took it to the supermarket to weigh it! It was 3.25 pounds. But not to worry I have planted another 20 plants which will produce just before weigh-off in Republic, Mo.   Wednesday, August 27 View Page Can you feel the tears? It was turning red so I cut her off and took it to the supermarket to weigh it! It was 3.25 pounds. But not to worry I have planted another 20 plants which will produce just before weigh-off in Republic, Mo.   Wednesday, August 27 View Page It weighed light but not to worry I had already started 20 more plants which should bear just before our GPC weigh-off! Congrats to all you who have set records like Bubba Presley!   Monday, September 8 View Page Only 15 days old when I cut it from the vine on September 3rd. It has a sister that should be a beauty by the weigh-off on October 5th.   Monday, September 8 View Page This is a giant cantaloupe grown from my 39.8 Wellington 2013 (46.6 Westfall) Weigh-off is still 3 1/2 weeks away!   Wednesday, October 8 View Page Between the local county event and the GPG weigh-off in Republic we did pretty good. The Howard Dill Award was a real honor. 1st and 2nd in cantaloupe again this year with a 2nd and 3rd in bushel gourds and a 2nd and 3rd in tomato.   Thursday, October 16 View Page My Howard Dill Award winner for 2014   Thursday, October 16 View Page 1st and 2nd in Giant Cantaloupe again this year. 2nd and 3rd in Giant Tomato and 2nd and 3rd in bushel gourds! Howard Dill Award winner!   Thursday, October 16 View Page 3.53 Wellington BZ 2014 DMG (4.61 Finders BZ 2013) Day I cut it from vine the caterpillar ate a hole in it!   Thursday, October 16 View Page 3.25 Wellington BZ 2014 (5.11 Daho BZ 2013)(5.07 Boudyo BZ 2010)   Thursday, October 16 View Page 3.25 Wellington BZ 2014   Thursday, October 16 View Page 2.5 Wellington BZ 2014 (5.11 Daho BZ 2013) (5.07 Boudyo BZ 2010)   Friday, October 31 View Page Had to cut this today as we are having frost this Halloween