Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 109 Entries. Wednesday, March 5 View Page Tonight I will do some test germinations since I want to try seeing how a propogation/heating mat will work. I usually use the oven light method, but a good friend quit growing and gave me all of his stuff, so I'll try the mat and see if it will work for me. It's been really rainy, and once it quits for a few days, I'll get my soil sample off to the lab, but judging by the forecast, it may be awhile before this rain lets up. I've got room for 10 plants this year and will be double-planting at each site. My pumpkin goals for 2014 are to hit 1300+ pounds, win the WA State Fair, and to beat my personal best field pumpkin weight of 128 lbs. Stay tuned to see what the Tobeck 2014 lineup is...I'm still waiting for a couple of bubble mailers to come back!   Monday, April 14 View Page Here is the 2014 line up. Yeah...it's awesome being me! I've never had such a strong mix of proven and potential. This year I'm really ready for such great seeds: my soil report was amazing. Thanks to Bathabitat for carefully analyzing it. The garden is tilled and the hoop houses are under construction. Tonight the seeds are filed and waiting until the morning of the 15th. I'm a little early this year, but not by too much.   Monday, April 14 View Page Right now the pots filled with potting soil are heating up in my "bio-dome" sitting atop a heat mat controlled by a thermostat. When the thermostat reads 85 degrees in the morning, I will soak the seeds for one hour and then they will get planted!   Tuesday, April 15 View Page And so it begins....   Sunday, April 20 View Page 100%germination success!   Tuesday, April 22 View Page Pumpkins repotted this morning into gallon pots.   Saturday, April 26 View Page Today I installed 3 heating cables and planted my 1985 Miller, 1409.5 Miller, and 1676 Daletas. I don't yet have plastic on my hoop houses, but they are covered in mini cloches. If the rain lets up I may go out and bury one more heating cable and plant my 1552 Sherwood. Best looking plants so far are those four and 1623 wallace.   Monday, May 5 View Page Today I sarted 2 long gourd seeds: both 122.88 Young's from 2012. The greenhouses are all built and I am one tired girl! I built four 20 x 25' houses and two 14 x 16' greenhouses. Each has soil heating cables. The 1985 Miller is getting the royal treatment with a heater/fan at night. It is my biggest plant. The 1789 Wallace has strange true leaves and won't be going in my patch. I may plant it at my school garden for the kids to try growing a big one. I gave the 1659 to a friend. So, what I have left are the 1409.5 Miller (looking great). 1552 Sherwood (looks good); 1409.5 Miller (robust); 1623 Wallace (big and healthy); 1676 Daletas (looks good); and 1791 Holland (off to a slow start/some wrinkling of leaves).   Monday, May 12 View Page Long gourd trellis is up and long gourd is planted. I will start the field pumpkins in the next day or so. The field pumpkins and gourd are in the extra patch since my main patch is maxxed out with 6 AG's. The other patch got tilled last night and then amended with the most beautiful, wormy 3-year old composted horse manure/maple leaf compost. Yesterday we were in the low 80's and today through Friday we'll be in the mid 80's. All of the AG's are looking amazing and have fans on them during the day to keep the temps down in the greenhouses.   Tuesday, May 13 View Page Field pumpkins started: 117.5 Tobeck; 128 Tobeck; 80 LaRue; 152.5 J. Daletas; and 136 Werner.   Wednesday, May 14 View Page View of some of the greenhouses housing the AG's.   Thursday, May 15 View Page 1409 and 1789 battling to see who gets to live. The 1409 started to fuse its main and a secondary, and so I planted the 1789 in there. I didn't plan on using the 1789 since it was so slow to start, but it's my only back up.   Thursday, May 15 View Page 1623 wallace   Thursday, May 15 View Page One of my giant cabbages.   Thursday, May 15 View Page 1676 Daletas.   Thursday, May 15 View Page 1985 miller.   Thursday, May 15 View Page 1552 Sherwood.   Thursday, May 15 View Page 1791 Holland.   Thursday, May 15 View Page Long gourd trellis. Can you see the plant?   Thursday, May 15 View Page Close up of the 122.88 Young long gourd.   Thursday, May 15 View Page Field pumpkin patch with compost that needs spreading.   Friday, May 16 View Page 100% germination success on the field pumpkins!   Saturday, May 17 View Page I took the field pumpkins out for some sunshine and my darn dog got into them, tipping half of them over and eating my 80 LaRue. I planted them all and will start another 80 tomorrow...maybe even a back up in case Jasmine decides to eat more.   Tuesday, May 20 View Page New 80 LaRue emerged yesterday and is out in the sun today - away from Jasmine the hungry basset hound!   Friday, May 23 View Page 80 LaRue got planted today in the dirt.   Monday, May 26 View Page The latest thing in fashion for the serious grower...patch shoes!   Monday, May 26 View Page 1623 Wallace   Monday, May 26 View Page 1676 Daletas   Monday, May 26 View Page 1552 Sherwood   Monday, May 26 View Page 1791 Holland   Monday, May 26 View Page View of the fIeld pumpkin patch.   Monday, May 26 View Page 80 LaRue   Monday, May 26 View Page 128 Tobeck   Monday, May 26 View Page 117 Tobeck   Monday, May 26 View Page 136 Werner   Monday, May 26 View Page 152.5 J. Daletas   Monday, May 26 View Page Long gourd   Monday, May 26 View Page 1409 and 1789 doing battle.   Monday, May 26 View Page 1985 Miller.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page Pumpkins are all looking great. The 1789 lost out to the 1401. The 1791 had a female open up 5 days ago at 6 inches on the main vine; it got plucked. Today I pollinated a female on the 1552 with the 1676.5 at about 6 feet out just for fun. Today I had 2 males open up on the 1676. There's another one down the vine at 9-10 feet that'll be ready later. I pruned and weeded the whole patch today and plucked off several females from secondaries. I'm seeing females on the mains of every plant but the 1791. I plucked off a female from a side vine, so I'm sure I'll see one on the main in the next few days.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page Evening patch tour June 10.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1409 Miller with a little female on tip.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1623 Wallace   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1623's close up of main vine tip.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1676 Daletas. Do you see the baby on the tip of the main?   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1676 getting ready to open tomorrow 6 feet out on the main.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1985 Miller. No double vine here folks! Do you see the baby on the tip of the main? Perfect position. It'll be a keeper I'm sure!   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1552 Sherwood. Love this plant. Pollinated one already today on it, but likely will go with one farther down.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1791 close up. This is my smallest plant, but still very healthy, with a 10 foot main.   Wednesday, June 11 View Page Pollinated the 1676 with the 1623. I also found a female on the 1791 main .   Thursday, June 12 View Page Measured vines today: 1409-10'; 1623-10'6"; 1676-11'6"; 1985-11'2"; 1552-11'9"; 1791-7'...I thought it was longer.   Friday, June 13 View Page It is crazy-windy here today! I am so thankful that I built my greenhouses well and secured all of my plastic using wiggle-wire. Every year I have had to deal with the buried plastic blowing loose and wrapping around my plants...no more!   Saturday, June 14 View Page Pollinated the 1552 with the 1985 today; second one out on the main.   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1409 Miller crossed with 1985 Miller 6-23   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1623 Wallace crossed with 1552 Sherwood 6/19   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1623 x 1552 back up 6/26   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1676 Daletas x 1623 Wallace 6/22   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1623 x 1985 6/28 back up   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1985 Miller x 1409 Miller 6/24. Long!   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1552 Sherwood x 1985 Miller. Another long one! 6/25   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1552 x 1985 back up gets pollinated tomorrow.   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1791 Holland x 1623 Wallace 6/19 set at 7 feet.   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1791 x 1985 6/28 set at 12 feet.   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1791   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1552   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1985   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1676   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1623   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1409   Wednesday, July 16 View Page Here is what I'm going with for 2014: 1409 Miller x 1985 Miller; long, ribby and orange pollinated 6/30. 1623 Wallace x 1552 Sherwood; tall, gorgeous, 200+ lbs already, creamy and smooth pollinated 6/19. 1676 Daletas x 1985 Miller; long, football shaped, ribby, pale pollinated 6/28. 1985 Miller x 1409 Miller; long, pear-shaped, smooth, white, 130 lbs, pollinated 6/24. 1552 Sherwood x 1985 Miller; long, lovely, shallow ribs lightly orange, 165 lbs, pollinated 6/25. 1791 Holland x 1623 Wallace; round, tall, maybe will be a wheel, smooth and white, 170" pollinated 6/19   Thursday, July 24 View Page Evening patch tour.   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1409 Miller   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1409 fruit   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1623 plant   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1623 fruit   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1676 plant   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1676 fruit   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1985 plant   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1985 fruit   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1552 plant   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1552 fruit   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1791 plant   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1791 fruit   Thursday, July 24 View Page Long gourd at 12 feet today and field pumpkins are filling in their patch.   Thursday, July 24 View Page 1409 x 1985 pollinated 6/30 171" 1623 x 1552 pollinated 6/19 269" 1676 x 1985 pollinated 6/28 168" 1985 x 1409 pollinated 6/24 257" 1552 x 1985 pollinated 6/25 240" 1791 x 1623 pollinated 6/19 241"   Saturday, July 26 View Page 1985 looks like momma.   Saturday, July 26 View Page 1985 looks like momma.   Monday, August 11 View Page Left to right: 1409, 1623, 1676 & 1985   Monday, August 25 View Page For those of you who have been reading my diary the last few years, you know that my ultimate pumpkin fantasy is to win the Washington State Fair (formerly called the Puyallup Fair). We're 11 days away from the Fair, and I AM BRINGING A WHOPPER. This may be my year! It's doing 39 pounds a day...I am going to go for my dream!   Sunday, August 31 View Page 1623 Wallace x 1552 Sherwood   Sunday, August 31 View Page 1985 Miller x 1409 Miller   Thursday, September 4 View Page Loading for the Washington State Fair!   Thursday, September 4 View Page Lift off!   Thursday, September 4 View Page I'm backing up he truck.   Thursday, September 4 View Page We're in!   Thursday, September 4 View Page This stump is 8 inches in diameter and got dug up and is soaking until the morning when I have to cut it.   Saturday, September 6 View Page Ahhh...the coveted purple banner...I thought it would finally be mine this year...but I was wrong.   Saturday, September 6 View Page There were some big ones at the Fair this year! Paul Rosquita and family with his new PB.   Saturday, September 6 View Page Matt Radach also got a PB with his big beauty!   Saturday, September 6 View Page Stan Pugh's pumpkin might be the ugliest I've ever seen, but it came in VERY heavy and totally took the wind out of my sails.   Saturday, September 6 View Page Joel Holland went to the scale right before me with his giant.   Saturday, September 6 View Page Mine was last to get weighed. I knew it was possible to go way heavy with the 1623...my heart was racing!   Saturday, September 6 View Page This is me right as the scale read the result. I was so hoping for heavy! But, it went exactly to chart.   Saturday, September 6 View Page My pumpkin was so big and beautiful last night! Every year I get a little bit better, and this year was a huge improvement and personal best.   Monday, September 8 View Page I forgot to say my pumpkin's weight from the Washington State Fair in Puyallup: 1484.5 pounds. So, I've been crunching some numbers tonight after measuring the remaining five pumpkins, and I stand a pretty good chance of earning my GPC Heavy Hitter 4000 pound club jacket! That would be a really nice way to end a great season!   Monday, October 6 View Page I went to Nampa, Idaho to the National Championship horse show, and had to be away from the patch a whole week. But it was worth it: National Champions!!!   Monday, October 6 View Page Jack and Sherrie LaRue came over to help my load up the 1985. It quit growing over a month ago because I almost completely severed it from the vine. While I was away at the horse show, it got some pretty bad stem rot. Jack and I are discussing what to do so the judges at Bauman's don't disqualify it. The verdict: carve off the part of the stem that was rotten, then put a fan on it all night long.   Monday, October 6 View Page I am happy to report that the judges found my 1985 perfectly fine! Here I am celebrating the new 1381 Tobeck (1985 Miller x 1409 Miller). This was my most aggressive pumpkin, but the dumb grower (me) got a little too aggressive moving the main vine one day and SNAP! This pumpkin didn't get to reach its full potential, but it's helping me to get closer to my goal of 4000 pounds with 3 pumpkins and the coveted 4000-pound club jacket! I only need 1134.5 pounds of pumpkin....and I've got 3 that will easily handle that task! Next stop: Central Market Weigh-Off!   Monday, October 13 View Page Here I am with the Tobeck 1471.5 (1791 Holland x 1623 Wallace). It took 2nd place at the Shoreline Central Market weigh-off and went 10% heavy! So, I have earned my GPC Heavy Hitter 4000 pound club jacket with my 1484.5, 1381, and 1471.5 for a grand total of 4,337 pounds. I have one more weigh-off next weekend in Tualatin, Oregon called Terminator, where I will see how my 1409 Miller weighs in.