Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 70 Entries. Sunday, January 12 View Page I've had enough of winter.   Monday, January 13 View Page Winter sucks   Monday, March 3 View Page Holy Moley, where has the time gone?! Inbetween being auction coordinator for the VT club, having knee surgery, being in pain post-op, and doped up, I have fallen down and can't get up when it comes to my diary this year.   Monday, March 3 View Page Here is my line up for this year. Bore-ing...Orange again :-( When am I ever going to see the light and grow BIG!!!?   Monday, March 3 View Page Here is my patch, patiently waiting for me to get my gimpy knee in shape and do what has to be done to grow my first 1/2 ton Atlantic Giant.   Saturday, March 8 View Page I am NOT getting any younger waiting for spring to get here.   Sunday, March 16 View Page It's been a bad winter.   Monday, March 17 View Page Spring. Must have SPRING...   Tuesday, March 18 View Page Does this look like I'm going to plant early this year? Snow against fence is 3 feet deep.   Saturday, March 22 View Page Is it Spring yet? I'm so tired of snow I could just poop in my pants.   Saturday, April 12 View Page Cover it up when it rains; uncover it when the sun shines.   Saturday, April 12 View Page Forgot the pic with previous entry.   Wednesday, April 16 View Page 20 degrees out in South Hero, Vermont, windchill 10. Patch is still wet. 2 inches of snow on top of plastic I cover patch with. This doesn't look good for a world record in my back yard this year, considering many growers have already planted with hoop houses, soil cables, and heaters. Yeah.   Sunday, April 20 View Page No tilling yet. Soil is wet a foot down from surface. Maybe if I bury roof heating cables in my patch next year it will dry out faster? :-P   Monday, April 21 View Page Sent in my soil test samples today. Patch is still damp. Covered it with plastic to prevent further wetting from rain forecast tomorrow.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page Someone was supposed to till my pumpkin patch before it rained. It is raining, and someone did not till my patch. And it is forecast to rain for... the...next...7...days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Knee replacement or not, I am going to fire up my tiller as soon as I can and do the tilling MYSELF!!!! PS: I'm PISSED!!!!!! And I rarely get this angry.   Saturday, May 3 View Page Patch tilled. Rye seed broadcast. 1290 Poirier, 1662 Stelts, 1770 Lieber, and 1432 Northrup in germination chamber. 690 Calai and 677 Rose as backups.   Sunday, May 4 View Page Three planting holes dug. Got soaked by rain, so tomorrow for last hole and hoop houses. 1770 Lieber has germinated after less than 48 hours. Waiting on the rest.   Monday, May 5 View Page 1770 Lieber, 1662 Stelts, 1432 Northrup, and 1290 Poirier all germinated within 48 hours and placed in 4 inch pots with seed starting mix. All 4 planting holes amended with Pro Mix and worm castings and sub soil dug up with broadfork(16 inch tines).   Monday, May 5 View Page Frames and pvc hoops are up. Plastic goes up tomorrow. Sprouts in dirt and waiting for cotyledons to show.   Monday, May 5 View Page Should have said sprouts are inside house in dirt.   Sunday, June 8 View Page 1753 Bryson. This is one of 4 "second chance plants". 42 inches   Sunday, June 8 View Page 1059 Vincent-McGill. 36 inches.   Sunday, June 8 View Page My two 831 Squires(1330 Keys x 1421 Boyce). Just laid down and ready to roll.   Sunday, June 8 View Page 279 Young(811 Gerhardt x 777 Young). In shadiest part of garden and weighing in at 28 inches.   Sunday, June 15 View Page 1753 Bryson--7 foot main vine, put on 42 inches last week. 1059 Vincent-McGill--6 foot main, put on 3 feet. 831 Squires--4 feet, 3 inches in one week(!)279 Young(John)5 foot, 5 inch vine, put on 37 inches in 1 week.   Monday, June 16 View Page 279 Young, 6/16   Monday, June 16 View Page 831 Squires, 6/16   Monday, June 16 View Page 1059 Vincent-McGill, 6/16   Monday, June 16 View Page 1753 Bryson, 6/16   Monday, June 16 View Page Saw my first cucumber beetles today. I was hoping to spray before their appearance. Oh, well.   Wednesday, June 18 View Page All 4 plants vining at 12 inches per day--in spite of the cuke beetles which I sprayed last night and tonight as well.   Tuesday, June 24 View Page Added last of amendments to patch before soaking rain. Praying to Great Pumpkin to look favorably on my work.   Wednesday, June 25 View Page Bad. Very bad. 1059 Vincent-McGill main tip snapped off by winds in spite of bamboo stakes. Dark thoughts will drive me to the I Ching and the Tarot cards tonight.   Sunday, July 6 View Page Finally got in the running with a pollination on the 1753 Bryson 16 feet out,. 1059 Vincent-McGill was the proud papa. 279 Young and the 1059 both should have females by end of week. 831 Squires just grew a pea-sized female.   Thursday, July 10 View Page Time to deadhead some AG vines, prune tertiaries, and cull some male and female flowers--judiciously, of course.   Tuesday, July 15 View Page Day 10: 1753 Bryson x 1059 Vincent-McGill, 16 feet out. Note how fruit is growing on top of my watering pipe.   Tuesday, July 15 View Page Day 5: 1753 Bryson x self. 18 feet out.   Tuesday, July 15 View Page Day 4: 1059 Vincent-McGill x 1753 Bryson on secondary trained as main. 13 feet out.   Tuesday, July 15 View Page Pollinated 831 Squires with 1753 Bryson today, 18 feet out. 279 Young will be pollinated tomorrow with 1753 Bryson, 17 feet out.   Sunday, July 27 View Page 1753 Bryson, day 22, estimated weight, 133 lbs   Sunday, July 27 View Page 1059 Vincent-McGill, day 16, estimated weight 42 lbs   Sunday, July 27 View Page THIS is the 1753 Bryson at 22 days.   Sunday, August 3 View Page 1753, DAP 29, 223 OTT   Sunday, August 3 View Page 1059, DAP 23 176 OTT   Sunday, August 3 View Page 279 Young(John) DAP 21 OTT 152   Thursday, August 7 View Page 1753 Bryson DAP 36 OTT=248. 1059 Vincent-McGill DAP 27 OTT =194. Moderate gains, but happy.   Sunday, August 10 View Page 279 Young(John), 28 DAP, chart weight 226   Sunday, August 10 View Page 1059 Vincent-McGill, 30 DAP, chart weight 242   Sunday, August 10 View Page 1753 Bryson, 36 DAP, chart weight 397   Sunday, August 17 View Page 1753 Bryson, 49 dap, 278 ott, 476 lbs est.   Sunday, August 17 View Page 1059 Vincent-McGill,38 dap, 246 ott, 334 lbs est.   Sunday, August 17 View Page 279 Young(John), 36 dap, 251 ott, 354 lbs est   Thursday, August 21 View Page 911? I'm missing a giant pumpkin!   Thursday, August 21 View Page Maybe 425? 1059 Vincent-McGill strikes again.   Thursday, August 21 View Page I was hoping it would go wheel well to wheel well, but it is what is(1059 Vincent-McGill x 1753 Bryson).   Thursday, August 21 View Page I need every pound I can get. Come on pumpkin, suck up that water!   Wednesday, August 27 View Page My pumpkin entry for the Champlain Valley Fair. 367.5 pounds, grown off the 1059 Vincent-McGill on a side vine.   Wednesday, August 27 View Page Wrong pic. Sorry. Wrong 007 pic.   Tuesday, September 2 View Page 279 Young(John) 286 OTT, est weight 517   Tuesday, September 2 View Page Side shot of 279 Young.   Tuesday, September 2 View Page 1753 Bryson, OTT 292, est weight 549   Sunday, September 14 View Page 279 Young(John), 299 OTT, est wt = 588   Sunday, September 14 View Page 1753 Bryson, 293 OTT, est wt = 544   Wednesday, September 24 View Page 279 Young(John)OTT= 301 inches, est wt=599 lbs. 1753 Bryson OTT=292 inches, est wt=549 lbs. 279 goes to Vermont State Weighoff this Saturday.   Wednesday, October 1 View Page Geez, I'm always taping my pumpkins light. 279 Young(John) is now 650 Minor(279 Young x 1753 Bryson). 0% heavy/light.   Thursday, October 9 View Page 1753 Bryson x 1059 Vincent/McGill seeds are drying. Estimated weight was 544 lbs.   Thursday, October 9 View Page 544 Minor(est) seeds are huge. Coin in pic is a quarter.   Sunday, October 26 View Page I just got an email from a grower who grew a 763(est) from either a 912 Minor or 636 Minor(he didn't keep track of the seeds) Nice fruit for a novice.   Monday, December 1 View Page WHAT are they feeding the pumpkins down in Peru?! Is it something in the water?