Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 82 Entries. Thursday, January 9 View Page happy new year from my family to all of you!!!!!!   Thursday, January 9 View Page I have been getting asked a lot about the 351 so here is a picture of her on the vine... isn't she purty..   Thursday, January 9 View Page as you can see by the date I am a little bit behind the new year.. better late than never.. should we take a look back into 2013.... bahhhh... 2014 is were its at..   Thursday, January 9 View Page After having a great 2013 and being humbled by the overwhelming demand for my 1625.5 seed this winter it saddens me to say that I am down to my personal stash of seeds and will not be able to fill any more bubbles :(   Friday, January 10 View Page ok so...... this is one of those inside jokes that us Wisconsin / Minnesota growers have... nice rooster   Tuesday, March 11 View Page patch is clearing itself of snow and looks to be draining well... frost is said to be down 6 feet or so... spring may take a while to thaw the soil.....   Friday, March 21 View Page been a little slow to post... but I needed to get it out there... I placed out plastics last weekend.. I may have been the first in Wisconsin to do so... fyi.. lol   Tuesday, March 25 View Page wow had an inch of new snow this morning... haven't seen this for a while   Tuesday, March 25 View Page ahh winter...   Friday, April 11 View Page it seems as if spring has sprung around these parts.... soil sample is going out today... I haven't sent out a sample in a few years so I figured this year I should. I also expanded my plant sizes this year and made my home patch even smaller however I will have aprox. 700 sq ft per plant instead of 600 last year so I hope the extra room is extra weight..   Monday, April 21 View Page Went to start seeds and forgot that I took everything over to my storage unit.. rookie mistake... the up side is I took a soil sample and received the results already.. soil needs lots of work to get ready... so I guess the missing trays and pots is a blessing... makes me think more about my soil than what seed I plan on growing..... oh ya soil should be up to snuff once we get some rain to help melt down those nuggets of goodness....   Monday, April 21 View Page rain has come and gone.. lol...Nuggets seem to be breaking down very nicely now... also the pots, trays and such have also arrived.... man what a new day can bring...   Tuesday, April 22 View Page And there off..... 2014 has now officially started... let the games begin.....   Friday, April 25 View Page The ducks have landed.... the geese fly at night... Duck, Duck, Goose............................................   Friday, May 2 View Page well after a few days my 1625.5 seems to be pulling away from the pack.... has second leaf up and open and only like 6 days old.... plus she has roots that would make anybody excited... my line up is looking like .. 1495 stelts, 1625.5 Gantner for at the house patch.. the bar plants well I keep wasting seeds so who knows what will see dirt over there...   Tuesday, May 6 View Page a non patch update.... this is my little monster.. she is now 16 months old.... wow how time flies   Tuesday, May 6 View Page a real plant update... well I have been a real slacker this year... I only have 4 plants going were normally I have several hundred going.... patch is in good shape, soil is nice... very nice to be exact. hoops out, heater running full bore... soil is very warm plants will hit dirt very soon...I spent more time on my patch this year than I have any other year... I have added a few extra measures to ensure a better start even though I am way behind.. time will tell if it was worth the extra effort..   Thursday, May 15 View Page a picture of my 1625.5 Gantner..5/15/14..   Thursday, May 15 View Page a picture of my 1734.5 steil..... 5/15/14   Thursday, May 15 View Page patch update... pictures to follow.. the pictures are current... no extra sand on it... oh ya starting line up has changed... I had to switch out one for another.. ill let pictures tell the story... 1495 got bumped to bar patch..   Monday, May 19 View Page update....   Monday, June 2 View Page patch update....may 31 planted last ag.. about time..lol.. took down hoops at home.. the 1625 is by far the leader of the group of 10 plants... I rolled the main on the 1734 which made it split open.... might be a season ender for that plant.. however I have done this before time will tell if she makes it.. all patches amended and tilled.. soils look very good..   Monday, June 2 View Page starting line up... 1625.5 Gantner, 1734 steil, 1495 stelts, 1325 sperry, 1625.5 Gantner B, 1779 werner,351 Gantner, 724 Gantner, 888 martin, 987 dmg uow Gantner.... a lot of my seeds this year.. only the strongest will make the cut.... I have 8 spots so 2 will go..... no long gourds or any other veggys in dirt.. been a slow start to the season   Tuesday, July 1 View Page been really busy at work and at home..... I have been cutting off seconds for a week or so already.. have multiple fruit set and even more to go... this season has been slow to start but quick to catch up...lol... been lots of storm damage this year.. 3 plants got balled up a few weeks ago and i think they will be ok.. cracks splits and kinks are very common in my patch.. i will get some pictures up soon...   Saturday, July 5 View Page yup no pictures yet... nothing to see here.... opps forgot to say I have 8 kins 2 toms 3 field kins 2 squash 2 long gourds and i planted some melons and nothing has popped yet... will it be to late for a melon if she germinates ...   Friday, July 11 View Page mid july report.... burnt off main on a nice sunny day on the 1734 this plant does not like hot sunny days by me might be the blacktop and concrete in the city? seen some svb but they wont be bothering me anymore...   Wednesday, July 23 View Page well we all know what this is..... so she will be yanked out.... and the area will be retired, soil will be graded off this fall and new grass seed put in its place and made back into lawn.   Wednesday, July 23 View Page here is a few day old picture of my 1625 at home.. she is a slow mover just like mama.. she is about day 20 in picture or so haven't been keeping track real good just like to see it growing..   Saturday, July 26 View Page so its that time of year when I have time to add odd and interesting posts on my diary.....lol... I know you are saying ya ya all sand no truths.....I say unsure I forgot...but any how here is some fun and over due posts that im sure will help all who read this..lol or at the least laugh after all we have made it this far....   Saturday, July 26 View Page so im sure you all are wondering what kin split open on me... I say ha ha... wont say yet... I can say with out a doubt it wasn't a watering issue or I sprayed some stuff which might help such a thing... it truly was the plant I do believe... funny thing is I have been so busy I have only folliared 2 times and it sure wasn't anytime resent.   Saturday, July 26 View Page the crazy funny thing is the morning before I sliced the stump and about 3 feet of main in half and cut a big drainage hole in the bottom of the stump not to mention... the weekend before I was wondering when she would foam on me...due to the ever enlarging split on the stump and the rapid growth at which a stump shouldn't grow I actually dug away all the soil around the stump and 4 feet of main in prep for a season long battle with a foamer..... and also cut all tap roots along the main in this area... in prep for .... THE FOAMER......   Saturday, July 26 View Page well all I got was this big jelly mungus funk coming from stump..... so I busted out the fish knife which I have to say my awsome wife did an amazing job cleaning and making it very very sanitary...... oh ya .... she rocks.....all this by 7 am.... how crazy eh.....lol   Saturday, July 26 View Page so now this is just 7/22/14... like day 21 on a very young baby kin which has just begun its punishment in my home patch...... what a day..   Saturday, July 26 View Page 7/23/14... 6:30am.... now what a week..... ya.. I know... so now its 7/25/14.... what can 2 more days bring...   Saturday, July 26 View Page opps I mean now its 7/26/14 like 2.5 days..   Saturday, July 26 View Page so I started thinking how this year sucks.. I starting talking to growers.. texting emails phone calls... and I said hey what was last year like I mean I know all of you who are reading this are saying man you said you would finally post those OTTs we all have been wanting to see and then it hit me... last year I thought was going to suck tooooo.......   Saturday, July 26 View Page but before I do I figured lets all take a step back and see what I see or have seen .. now these next picture might seem like a brushed up picture but im not that good.... and I have seen other pictures of my 1625.5 Gantner 2013 and also have 2 of them in the soil this year my self...   Saturday, July 26 View Page ok... so here in this picture is last year..2013.. my 1495 stelts x self.... day 27...... some of you might have seen this but I figured before I get down to the goods I would make us all take a second and see this .. I think it straight up nutzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz   Saturday, July 26 View Page I know the angle is not the exact same but wow... I mean she sure looks like mama....   Saturday, July 26 View Page have you noticed I haven't said what kin blew up yet....   Saturday, July 26 View Page ok ok enough is enough... first off I would like to say ... thank you all who are growing 1625.5 Gantner 13.. I hope she grows you all big heavy freak nasty pumpkins and it scares little kids..... also is anybody growing my 351... she is the real one to watch out for.. oh ya I also have one of those going..... lets say orange growers you are missing out... fast growing and very very deeeeeppppp yellow colored... I know I like to drag it out..   Saturday, July 26 View Page ok 1495 x self pollenated on 6/26/13 she was a 5 lobe female.. I used multiple males off of the main.. this plant had a lot of secondary vines before the fruit... like 30... was about 16 ft set on the main.. had short leafs small pencil like vines.... but liked to grow a plant....   Saturday, July 26 View Page day 20 168 inches OTT day 30 262 inches OTT day 40 312 inches OTT day 49 341.5 inches OTT day 54 355 inches OTT day 61 372.5 inches OTT day 70 385.5 inches OTT day 74 390 inches OTT day 80 395 inches OTT day 85 400 inches OTT.....this was my personal goal day 91 402.5 inches OTT.. I couldn't believe my eyes day 95 404 inches OTT day 100 407 inches OTT day 105 407.5 inches ott... i think i cut her off day 106 in the am for Stillwater, mn. on Saturday... or som tin like dat........ my goal was 400 inches and 1400 pounds... i never gave up.. hence her name of Sherman..... like a tank.. this year i am unsure on what to name her.. i have lifted and taped her and she sure seems to be like mama to me.. even in the same spot.. about 16 ft out with about 25-30 seconds before the fruit and almost the same plant pattern   Tuesday, August 19 View Page well that is all she wrote... 1625 Gantner went down a couple of weeks ago   Tuesday, August 19 View Page another angle... no more kins at home... so I guess ill have to do it with one of the six kins I have at my other spot..   Thursday, August 21 View Page I actually did some OTT's at bar patch.... looks like great 20-30 day averages.... I mean they are so small why bother to measure on a regular basis.... lol   Thursday, August 21 View Page so far my biggest kin is on the 1779 J.Werner....at bar patch...   Friday, August 29 View Page ok.. so its time for an update... house only thing left is an open set way way way out on main .... I kept her so I had a kin at home not very high hopes for her...   Friday, August 29 View Page ok so now lets talk about the bar patch... ya I know have not said really a word... is that the inner sandbagger talking or just.... maybe nothing really to discuss... well I will let you choose.. nice crosses decent growth rates.. well I will say this is the best the bar has ever done by far...   Friday, August 29 View Page the 351 Gantner 2013...... nice color eh... she is purty fo sho   Friday, August 29 View Page and the 1325 sperry.... this plant was one of 3 that took wind damage early on and has never fully recovered   Friday, August 29 View Page the 888 martin 2013... this is the baby of the patch...last one planted last one to set fruit on... age doesn't mean she is the smallest....   Friday, August 29 View Page so this is my other 1625.5 Gantner.... she is second youngest... again age doesn't mean a thing with this one either......   Friday, August 29 View Page ok so how many has that been...   Friday, August 29 View Page the 1495 stelts.... oh ya I selfed this one tooo...   Friday, August 29 View Page and then there is one left.... you say ha... well maybe I saved the best for last...... hard to fit her all into a picture.... lol   Friday, August 29 View Page the 1779 J. Werner 2013... I like this plant... very much... and I really like the cross....   Friday, August 29 View Page oh ya .. because im sure this will pop up.. yes those are fresh pictures.. had off today .. on a down side I have been fighting pm bad... sprayed 3 nights in a row to catch up and to stay on top of.. blew threw a lot of material... worst I ever had.. looks way better now   Thursday, September 4 View Page here is a funny one... I was driving in my truck today and out of the blue a song came over my radio..... ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST....... how fitting....   Monday, September 8 View Page opps I see I forgot the picture on my last diary entry... i have a pin hole in my 1779 werner... was my largest kin. deep ribs and a dill ring don't mix well.... oh well.. the good news is some how i managed to keep 6 kins alive so far and 2 squash.... so this year so far... i have only lost 2 kins... so far.... that's the key word   Saturday, September 20 View Page wow what a day... 3 state records fall in a very short time...go Wisconsin grow.... our top 10 should be very impressive from last year....   Saturday, September 20 View Page more info and pictures to come soon.. well soon by my way of going about it.. lol   Saturday, September 20 View Page TEAM GANTNER / BIRD.... win howard dill.... oh ya baby.. and a lil heavy to boot.....   Monday, September 22 View Page a picture of the winner.. congrats gene.... what a rock   Wednesday, September 24 View Page a real world patch update... this is the 888 martin   Wednesday, September 24 View Page my 1495 stelts.............this pumpkin has the largest cir. I have ever had....;)   Wednesday, September 24 View Page and last but not least... the one everyone keeps asking me about.... the 1625.5 Gantner.... she is purty.... and getting uglier every day.... ott well lets just say smaller than a lot bigger than a few... lol   Monday, October 6 View Page wow another weekend in da books.. lets do a lil recap   Monday, October 6 View Page my aunt deb posted a new personal best pumpkin.. 1626... how funny my pb is 1625.5.... the holidays should be interesting.....   Monday, October 6 View Page chads 1644.5 pounder   Monday, October 6 View Page team Gantner/ Bird..... 1481# ... 1495 stelts x self.. 17% heavy   Monday, October 6 View Page as she was being loaded on the scale....   Monday, October 6 View Page the 351 gantner... will be now know as the 1037 team Gantner/ Bird 2014... howard dill winner .. weighted a few weeks ago.. she was pollenated by the 1779 werner that rib split on me.. I also weighted that fruit.. 1220s dmg..   Monday, October 6 View Page and then there were two..... lol... i do have 2 left both seem to be doing just fine..... one for Stillwater.. one for mishicott.... i hope they go to chart....   Monday, October 6 View Page the 888 martin... she is my largest kin i have ever grown.. and its not in my front yard.... i feel like i have dialed in the soil over at the bar patch so next year should be better   Monday, October 6 View Page and last but not least my 1625.5 Gantner 2013..... i also hope she just goes to chart.... my goal for the year was to grow 1000 pounds from the bar patch and it seems like 5/6 have grown over 1000 pounds.... so now i am going for the 4000 pound club....grow baby grow....   Tuesday, October 14 View Page well the 888 went a lil light.. but any how team gantner/bird does have one more to weigh.... so far .. we have a 1481, 1328.5, 1037.. doesn't really add up to 4000 pounds... however the one we have left I just don't see going light.... we need 1190.5 pounds to reach our goal...... she was taping 1150 ish a few weeks ago.... Mishicot here we come....   Tuesday, October 14 View Page patch update... home patch cleared.. half has a super nice cover crop going... bar patch most has been tilled and most has a cover crop.. only about 784 sq ft left to tend to... lol... kinda exactly the size of one plant... MARK.... eva lackof longgourdia will be at Mishicot this weekend.... lol   Thursday, October 23 View Page wow what a year..... so we grew 4000 pounds but when we picked up our last one.. we found a soft spot..... so a dmg doesn't count.... now you ask how did that happen.. oh boy it sucks... the only thing that I can really do is kick myself... why you say.... well we did pick her up a week before the weigh off and I feel we must have bruised her while picking up then we had a week of cold and wet weather.... so I guess there is always next year... so ill show some pictures now...   Thursday, October 23 View Page the 1284.5 Team Gantner/ Bird 2014 cross 1625.5 gantner x 1779 werner she has a soft spot that appears to go all the way in... or she is so thick the probe didn't hit the inside .. time will tell.. lol... well at least ill know when I get out the seeds... I don't want to confuse anybody when I say im sure I made her go dmg... it wasn't the seeds fault... oh well   Thursday, October 23 View Page so this is a picture of our 4000 dmg..lol... we have the 1328, 1481,1284, and a lil 500 pounder.... robin, wade, my lil bean and myself.... they sure do look nice all lined up   Monday, October 27 View Page 1481 had a very very low seed count.. the 1284.5 had a low seed count.... I will open up the 1037 and the 1328 this weekend.... I have plans to make my lil kins disappear.... got to love tannerite....