Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 41 Entries. Tuesday, April 22 View Page I've decided to give the diary another try this season. I'm going to grow only three plants this year. I plan to use the other quarter of the garden to actually grow something I can eat. The greenhouses are in place, plants were started on 4/13, they should be ready to go outside this weekend. Good luck to everyone this season- let's hope for some great weather here in the Northeast!   Wednesday, April 23 View Page Drenched inside the greenhouses last night with Banrot. I'll hit the rest of the patch around the time the greenhouses come down and maybe a repeat application mid summer. I'm taking an aggressive approach this year after loosing everything to Rhizoctonia last year.   Monday, April 28 View Page Plants went in the greenhouses Saturday. I started 7 plants, I double planted each greenhouse and have one backup. I started the practice of double planting. It's nice to have another option if you get a double vine or something goes wrong with one. Otherwise one gets cut when they are about 3 feet long and start running. Now we just need some warm, sunny weather!   Monday, May 19 View Page 1245 Berard.   Monday, May 19 View Page 1756 Lancaster   Monday, May 19 View Page 1411 Geddes & 1451.5 Geddes. I need to decide which one to keep in the next couple days.   Tuesday, May 20 View Page And the winner is...............the 1411 Geddes. I removed the 1451 plant last night.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page 1756 Lancaster - out about 7-8 feet. I have a female showing already on this one and the 1451.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page 1451 Geddes- side vines just starting to run. Main is out about 7 feet.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page female on the 1756   Tuesday, May 27 View Page 1245 Berard- I had a little bad luck on this one already. I lost the tip of the main vine. Will need to train a new main from a secondary.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page I did add a back-up opposite of the 1245 in case the new main doesn't take off. This is a 1407 Geddes that was still in a 2 gallon pot until this weekend. The vine is out about 2-3 feet. It's nice to keep a spare on hand just in case.   Thursday, May 29 View Page 37 degrees in the patch this morning- the heaters had all been removed at this point. Not good   Friday, May 30 View Page Correction to one of my previous posts- I'm growing the 1411 Geddes, I culled the 1451 Geddes   Tuesday, June 3 View Page 1756   Tuesday, June 3 View Page A Female opened this morning on the 1756. It's not far enough out on the main and I don't have any males opening yet.   Tuesday, June 3 View Page 1407   Tuesday, June 3 View Page correction to the previous - It's the 1411 Geddes   Tuesday, June 3 View Page 1245.   Tuesday, June 3 View Page 1407 Geddes still growing as a backup opposite to the 1245   Wednesday, June 4 View Page This is the 1411.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1756 Lancaster. The second female on the main will open in a couple days. It's only at about 9 1/2 feet, so I'll remove it. I'm hoping for one around 12-14 feet about 10 days from now.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1411 Geddes. The side vines are just starting to run. This one has a female at 10 feet that will open in a couple days. I think I'll remove that one also and go for one a little further out in the next 10 days or so.   Tuesday, June 10 View Page 1245 Berard. This plant is a little behind the others due to loosing the main a couple weeks ago. The Secondary that has become the new main is starting to grow nicely.   Wednesday, June 18 View Page 1756 Lancaster - Pollinated one at 12 feet this morning.   Wednesday, June 18 View Page 1411 Geddes. Female will open tomorrow at 12 feet. Keeping it covered from the hot sun today. Temps expected near 90.   Wednesday, June 18 View Page 1245 Berard. Still lagging a bit behind the others.   Wednesday, June 18 View Page I put a table over the 1756 pollination this morning for shade along with a frozen water bottle next to it to keep it from getting too hot today.   Thursday, June 19 View Page View of the patch. Started installing the drip lines yesterday.   Thursday, June 19 View Page Another view. You can see my SVB trap in the back corner.   Friday, June 20 View Page Pollinated a perfect five lobe female about 13 feet out on the Geddes 1411 this morning. Hopefully that will be the keeper.   Monday, July 7 View Page 1756 Lancaster. The pumpkin was pollinated on 6/23 at 14 feet.   Monday, July 7 View Page 1411 Geddes. The pumpkin was pollinated on 6/25 at 15 feet.   Monday, July 7 View Page 1245 Berard. This plant is really growing nicely now. Just pollinated one at 14 feet on 7/4.   Monday, July 7 View Page Two day old pumpkin on the Berard plant   Monday, July 7 View Page All my drip lines are installed and ready to go-   Monday, July 7 View Page View of the patch-   Wednesday, July 23 View Page Here we go again this year.......... The pumpkin on my 1756 stopped growing a few days ago at about 275 pounds. Three days at 30 pounds /day growth, then it slowed to a stop. I came home from work yesterday to find the leaves collapsed on a few of the side vines. It looks like despite all my efforts, disease is going to get me again this year. My 1411 is growing, but very slow. The 1245 is my only hope for a decent pumpkin this year. I have a late pollination on that one (currently 13 DAP) that is growing nicely and the plant looks great. Time will tell if I can keep that plant healthy. I'll be looking for a new patch to grow in next year.   Wednesday, August 20 View Page I've had some issues with my computer and have not been able to post for a while. This is the 1411 Geddes. Currently around 600 pounds. Growing slow , but steady.   Wednesday, August 20 View Page 1245 Berard. Also growing slow, but steady. Currently around 650 pounds. This pumpkin is 14 days younger than my other one.   Friday, November 7 View Page I will have a brand new patch in 2015. I moved to my new house last month. The soil has been tested and amended and 45 yards of leaf compost was added and tilled in last weekend to my new 4000 square foot patch. Some trees will come down over the winter to maximize sunlight to the patch. Looking forward to the 2015 growing season.