Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 93 Entries. Tuesday, March 11 View Page Made my own grow lights using aluminum dryer vent, double light socket, and electric cord. Cost about ten dollars plus the bulbs. I got some 300W equivalent CFL bulbs.   Tuesday, March 11 View Page Going to experiment with flower pot heaters in my hoop houses. Will see if one or two of these will generate enough heat. Just bolt a smaller pot inside the larger. The outer pot gets so hot you can't touch it.   Tuesday, March 11 View Page 2013 Bow Buck   Saturday, March 29 View Page Got my 2013 Bow Buck back from the taxidermist   Saturday, March 29 View Page Running out of room   Saturday, March 29 View Page Trying an egg incubator this year to control germination process a little better   Saturday, March 29 View Page Also picked up this 4'x 4'x 6.5' grow tent.   Monday, April 21 View Page Tilled in 200 lbs. of 0-0-50. Than put in heater cable for one lucky pumpkin plant.   Friday, April 25 View Page Got the first one in the ground today That's 18 days ahead of last year.   Friday, April 25 View Page Maybe I will plant one or two more today. Temps will be cool after today though.   Monday, May 5 View Page Looks like I may lose three plants to disease. After being in cold damp hoop houses with minimal air circulation they look like this. Did notice small amount of white fuzz on ground around one of the plants. Looks like damping off disease per what limited research is telling me.   Thursday, May 8 View Page Running electric back to the shed near the patch. Will now have enough juice to keep them warm. Ironically today was the hottest day of the year.   Sunday, May 18 View Page New Improvements this spring. Electrical Power!   Sunday, May 18 View Page 1625 Gantner   Sunday, May 18 View Page 669 Gorichanaz (1756 Lancaster x 2009 Wallace)   Sunday, May 18 View Page 1127 Gorichanaz (2009 Wallace x 1756 Lancaster)   Sunday, May 18 View Page 1077 Gorichanaz (1789 Wallace x 2009 Wallace)   Sunday, May 18 View Page 1530 Gehweileer   Sunday, May 18 View Page 1985 Miller   Sunday, May 18 View Page This is the 1625 Gantner. Entry # 14 above is actually my 853 est. Gorichanaz (1623 Wallace x 2009 Wallace.   Sunday, May 18 View Page Ok so this one is really the 1625 Gantner. Honest   Thursday, May 22 View Page Down goes the Willow. Up goes patch sunshine!   Thursday, May 22 View Page Lovely weather we are having lately.   Tuesday, June 3 View Page Got the wind barriers in place. Ready to take the hoop houses off. 1625 and 1530 leading the pack.   Saturday, June 7 View Page 853 est. Gorichanaz started out as double vine. Amputated one. Now appears to be in normal growth pattern. Growth slowed way down post surgery. maybe 4 ft. vine   Saturday, June 7 View Page 1985 Miller at 5-6 ft and plodding along.   Saturday, June 7 View Page 1077 Gorichanaz. at about 3 ft. :-(   Saturday, June 7 View Page Oh wait. above post was the 1530 Gehweiller. This is the 1077 Gorichanaz   Saturday, June 7 View Page Here is the 1127 Gorichanaz. Tried to kill it but it lived anyway. Just now starting to grow after being on life support for two weeks.   Saturday, June 7 View Page 669 Gorichanaz. Last one in the patch. Late germination but she is coming on strong.   Saturday, June 7 View Page And heres the flagship of the pumpkin fleet. The 1625 Gantner. Applied sevin, eagle20 fish and seaweed yesterday. Safari 7 days ago. Irrigation will be by tripod overhead sprayers only this year.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page 1625 Gantner. Female on the end at about 12 feet. only plant damaged in last nights storm.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page 1530 Gehweiler with females at 8 and 10 feet.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page 1985 Miller with female at ten ft. secondaries just starting to get going.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page 669 Gorichanaz at about eight feet. Rest of fleet struggling. 1127 and 1070 like to put out secondaries that twist and turn in all directions. Foilar sprayed with safari, sevin, fish, seaweed and compost tea.   Sunday, June 22 View Page 669 @ 10'. no issues other than being behind schedule. 1st pollination later this week.   Sunday, June 22 View Page 1530 at about 11'. Two females on main @ 9 and 11.   Sunday, June 22 View Page 1985 @ 10' with female on end.   Sunday, June 22 View Page Gantner @ 12'. Females at 9 and 11'. 1st pollination should be in a few days. My 1127 is struggling at 8'. 1077 at 9' and 853est. is at 8' and looking sick. Although I am behind where I should be compared to other growers, I am way ahead of myself compared to last year. Last year on this date I had one plant over ten ft. with the rest being 5-7.   Sunday, June 22 View Page Gantner   Tuesday, June 24 View Page First pollination of the season at ten ft. on the 1625 gantner this am. The target flower is at 13 ft. and should be ready in two days or so.   Tuesday, June 24 View Page Gantner was pollinated by the 1985 Miller. Feels hotter than it is so I put a Styrofoam cooler over it with a fan and a little ice.   Thursday, June 26 View Page Pollinated 1530x self this am at ten foot out on main. Sevin/Safari 20   Friday, June 27 View Page Pollinated the 1985 x the 1625 at ten feet out on main.   Sunday, June 29 View Page 2nd pollination on the 1625 Gantner this morning at 14 ft. out on main. Three pollinations to do tomorrow.   Monday, June 30 View Page First pollination on 669 Gorichanaz at 11 ft. by 1985 Miller.   Monday, June 30 View Page Second Pollination on 1530 Gehweiller x 1625 Gantner at 13 ft.   Tuesday, July 1 View Page Took the brunt of the storm last evening. 60 MPH winds and heavy rains. Took out some leaves and one rolled vine. Not nearly as bad as I was expecting. Pollinated the 669 Gorichanaz by 1985 Miller this AM at ten ft. Four lobe.   Wednesday, July 2 View Page Culled first set on the 1530 d/t bad positioning and distance from stump. Third pollination on the 1625 at 15 ft by the 1985. 1985 having issues. Only pollination looks like an abort and growth has slowed way down before and after break in main   Thursday, July 3 View Page Pollinated five lob on the 1077 this morning at ten ft. by the 1530. 1127 was pollinated on the first at ten feet by the 1985. Skeeters are crazy bad. Thermacell really works well, did not get bit once.   Saturday, July 5 View Page Plant on Left is 1625 Gantner with kins at ten, thirteen and 17. Will have another one to pollinate in am. Back Left is 669 Gorichanaz with kin at ten and another one to pollinate in am. Foreground is the 853 est Gorichanaz which has no kins yet. Plant started out as double vine than went into slow mo following amputation. Just now starting to go.   Saturday, July 5 View Page Rear left is 1127 Gorichanaz with a kin set at 11 ft. Rear Right is 1077 Gorichanaz with kin set at ten ft. Far Right is 1530 Gehweiller with kin at 13 ft. I cut one off at ten feet, will pollinate a third at 17 ft. in am. In the foreground is the 1985. First pollination aborted. Unfortunately the main was found broke a few feet past the kin. Trying to train furthest out viable 2nds as mains. Meanwhile I will pollinate some other 2nds. Sevin/Eagle20 and compost tea on 3rd.   Sunday, July 6 View Page Fourth pollination at 19 ft. on Gantner is a three lober. First time I have seen just three, this is just a back up to the back ups. Pollinator was the 1530. Third Poll. on the Gehweiller was the Gantner at 17 ft. Second Poll on the 669 at 13 ft by the 1985. Nice five lobe that will be the chosen one if all goes well   Tuesday, July 8 View Page Cut the first kin on the Gantner this am. Something put a nice gash in it. Had to go anyway. Missed a pollination on the 127 yesterday. 14 foot on main, nice five lober. Noticed it a 1230 pm so went ahead and pollinated it anyway with 1530. Will be a pleasant surprise if it takes.   Thursday, July 10 View Page 2nd Pollination on 1077 Gorichanz. Perfect five lobe at 14 ft.   Thursday, July 10 View Page Forgot to mention that pollinator was 1625.   Saturday, July 12 View Page Pollinated 853 est. at 12 ft. on main x 1985. Also another one on the Gantner at 25 by self. Also at 19ft out on 669 main by self. Also 1985 x 2 side vines by self.   Sunday, July 13 View Page Todays featured AG is the 1625 Gantner. Pictured kin sits at 14 ft and has a CC of 42" on DAP 14. Side Vines 55% terminated. Pollinated one on the 1985 at 15 ft out on the new main x self.   Monday, July 14 View Page Heres the Kin on the Gehweiller at 14 ft out on main. DAP 14 CC is 38 Will the plant finish filling in her allotted space. Should be around 700-750 SF.   Friday, July 18 View Page Heres my little Oopsy. A nice surprise, this is one I forgot to pollinate till 1230 pm on 7/7 (by1530).   Friday, July 18 View Page Heres my little Oopsy. A nice surprise, this is one I forgot to pollinate on the 1127 till 1230 pm on 7/7 (by1530).   Monday, July 21 View Page Heres my 1077 DAP 18 CC 53". Pollinator was 1530 Gehweiller. Foilar last night with Potassium Silicate and soluble seaweed. Also seaweed drench.   Wednesday, July 23 View Page Funny how the pumpkin season parallels the baseball season. Both season run April till October with many highs and lows in-between. Ship seems to have righted itself for now. Only plant giving me trouble is the 853 which has had double vine, broken main vine and now abort after abort.   Thursday, July 24 View Page Twin Tanks guarding the Patch. On the west its the Gehweiler   Thursday, July 24 View Page And on the East it is the Gantner. Gantner is a day older but only three inches OTT separate the two.   Saturday, July 26 View Page I really enjoy watching the kins in my patch compete with each other for leader of the patch honors. Today we have a new patch leader. The 1530 has passed by "Little Gary" and is ready to go on a roll.   Thursday, July 31 View Page Wood Chuck wars continue with opposition forces sustaining heavy loses this week. Casualties include Woody x1, Squirrel x2, Chippies x 5 and one mouse. Some rodent starting to dig under the 1530 mill fabric. Chemicals and other deterrents added. Electric fence first line of defense. Part time sniper has many notches on his trusty pellet gun. 1530 did 30 lb.s day for last seven days in spite of cool temps.   Saturday, August 2 View Page 1985 Miller DAP 20 OTT 159. Got it growing on a new main after the first mysteriously broke. Had to fill in with some tertiary vines to fill out some footage. Will see how she does   Saturday, August 2 View Page Got some much needed rain here yesterday, just over 0.5 inches. While out driving this morning I was quite shocked to see this white stuff in the ditch. Folks that live here said they got five inches of hail yesterday evening! Unreal. Imagine what that would have done to my patch This was just seven miles south of me.   Wednesday, August 6 View Page 669 DAP 31 OTT is 248. Good color, healthy good sized plant. Should do fine with some warmer weather.   Wednesday, August 6 View Page 1127 DAP 30 OTT = 239   Saturday, August 9 View Page 1625 Gantner DAP 41. 7 Day gain 152   Saturday, August 9 View Page 1530 Gehweiller DAP 40. Seven day gain 240 lbs.   Tuesday, August 12 View Page 1985 Miller 30 DAP OTT 251. 30 lbs. a day not to bad considering the weather. Would be nice to have a stretch of warm days and nights to see what some of my kins are capable of.   Thursday, August 14 View Page Twisted the flowers off of these two before days before flower would of opened and they grew anyway. Confused   Friday, August 15 View Page 669 DAP 40. Now over 300 inches and heading towards the number 2 spot in the patch.   Monday, August 18 View Page Bevis DAP 49.   Monday, August 18 View Page Bevis   Monday, August 18 View Page Butthead aka The Rock DAP 50.   Monday, August 18 View Page Butthead   Wednesday, August 20 View Page "Pigpen" aka the 669 with an overnight gain of 47 lbs. cruises past Butthead into second place in the plot.   Friday, August 22 View Page Lost my 669 to a split between the ribs today. Knew he was on borrowed time, top started sinking in and averaging over 40 lbs. a day this week. Shame it was my healthiest and largest plant. Will dig for seeds tomorrow.   Thursday, August 28 View Page 853 has been had it's share of issues. First it was a double vine. Than slow developing secondaries, than I broke the main vine. Than aborts, now it has a leaky rotting stump. Not even sure of the pollination date, but it was late July on a secondary. Has done 38 lbs. a day x last ten days.   Thursday, August 28 View Page Beavis still growing, though not as fast as I'd like.   Wednesday, September 10 View Page Lost two in five days. The 853 was still doing over 30 a day. never did less than that.   Wednesday, September 10 View Page 1625 Finally succumbed to disease. Looks like it would of gone heavy.   Tuesday, September 16 View Page With close to 800 sf of mostly healthy green leaves the 1985 is not ready to shut down quite yet.   Friday, September 26 View Page Getting ready.   Friday, September 26 View Page Ready to roll on down the highway.   Saturday, October 25 View Page So patch has cover crops up. Annual Rye, Winter Wheat, and Radishes.   Saturday, October 25 View Page Here are "El Presidentes" giant radishes. Planted this section in mid august.   Saturday, October 25 View Page "Giant" Radishes not too impressive at this point. Averaging about 6 inches in length.   Saturday, October 25 View Page Go Packers!