Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 90 Entries. Monday, March 31 View Page Nothing like a good history book to take your mind off springtime.   Wednesday, April 2 View Page My biggest from 2013. 954.5 lbs. Good luck to all in 2014.   Wednesday, April 2 View Page Still thinking about the uniform thickness of the walls on the 954.5. 16% heavy. This was grown from my own 952 Keenan which was a 1674 Connolly x 1495 Stelts. Maybe the influence of the 1495?   Thursday, April 3 View Page My HD winner from 2013. 745 lbs. Great time at the MePGO weighoff.   Friday, April 4 View Page In 2013 I grew a 1753 Bryson in a small 150 SF patch. Really ended up liking this plant and would like to grow it again. It was estimated at 504 lbs. Very nice shape probably comes from the 1647 Wallace and pretty cream colored. Nicely ribbed. I want to try this one again.   Thursday, April 24 View Page I will let this 1770 Jarvis seedling kick off my diary for 2014. Out to hoop house this morning. 75 degree balmy soil. 48 degrees and 28 MPH winds outside. I decided this gal was tired of the basement and needed some real sunshine.   Thursday, April 24 View Page Of the six seeds that I started, this 2009 Wallace is the smallest and ugliest. Germinated normally but slow to impress. But it has the right stuff and I can forgive everything else. Seems to be coming around.   Friday, April 25 View Page A nice looking seedling with some potential I think. This is the 1530.5 Breznick. At the Topsfield fair in 2012, I saw a great looking pumpkin grown by Armand Michaud. It was grown off the 1582.5 Werner, placed #4 at 1543.5 lbs and was 12% over. I spoke to Armand and he said one of his specialties is growing pumpkins with no seeds :-}, so I was out of luck. So in 2013, again at Topsfield, Mark Breznick placed #3 with a great looking fruit grown off the 1582.5 Werner at 1530.5 lbs and 14% over. Thanks to the Breznicks for the seeds.   Saturday, April 26 View Page Struggling to get my 220 to pop. This is a check at day 13.   Saturday, April 26 View Page Forecast is another New England day in the 40's with no sun. We are hunkered down for a cool weekend. I know I'm doing the right thing because the lights in the house dim when I plug all this stuff in.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page Today is day 5 in the patch for the 1770. Lime green is not my favorite color. One day of partial sunshine in 5. Cold temps outside in the 40's again today. Inside the hoop is mid 60"s today with heaters running. Soil temp in the high 70's. I think sunshine will help. But not today.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. Day 3 in the wild.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page The Wallace Sisters. Makes me think of Lawrence Welk. OK, sorry. The ugly sister is on the right. Both 2009's and both being spoiled indoors in my office. Baby,it's cold outside.   Saturday, May 3 View Page Nice progress I think. 9 days in the patch. 8 cool cloudless days. Today thinks started looked like spring. Bring on the sunshine.   Saturday, May 3 View Page 7 days outside. This is the 1530.5 Breznick.   Sunday, May 11 View Page Sunshine! The 1530.5 Breznick has greened up nicely. Getting ready to run I hope. Nice plant. No complaints.   Sunday, May 11 View Page 2009 Wallace coming around after a slow start.   Monday, May 12 View Page Autopilot lets me sleep an extra half hour.   Friday, May 16 View Page TGIF Images. Happy with the progress of the 1530.5 Breznick this week. Starting to fill out the frame. Vine still not on the ground. Plant looks happy. Still cool and cloudy a lot of the time. Looking for hot and sunny.   Friday, May 16 View Page TGIF Images. 2009 developing nicely.   Friday, May 16 View Page Just went in the small patch this evening. This is my contribution to a great shaped orange pumpkin. Last year I grew a 1753 Bryson in a 150 SF patch. It ended up at 500 lbs est. and was a very pretty cream colored nicely shaped pumpkin. I used the 1753 to pollinate my 1059 V/M which I also grew in a small side patch last year. This is the resulting cross 1059 V/M x 1753 Bryson. Let's see.   Monday, May 19 View Page Cover crop mowed today. Mixture of winter rye and triticale.   Monday, May 19 View Page Trying to stay a few weeks ahead of the plants. Today focused on a 150 SF strip on 3 sides of the coldframes. Tilled in cover and added a second round of spring amendments. 0-46-0, 0-0-50, Kmag, MnSo4, Borax, liquid kelp, Mykos, Rootshield and a little Chickety do-do for the olefactory goodness.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page 1530.5 Breznick making nice progress. Hoop is 7 feet long for perspective. Main nodes buried with Myco and Rootshield. Secondaries starting. This plant has been in the hoop since April 26. I assumed yesterday that is was hardened so I left the top down all day yesterday to let the plant soak up some rays. But since we have been without real sunshine for several days, there is some sun scorch on the edges of the 2 younger "big" leaves if you look closely.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page 2009 Wallace. Been in the hoop since May 8. Main vine pointing straight up and to the left so this should be fun. Plant looks nice. Soaking up some morning sunshine here while we can.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page This is a backup 2009 growing in a smaller patch with none of the first class amenities of the others. No hoop. No cables. Coming along. As a reminder, this was the ugliest seedling of the lot and I have inset a photo. Scarred, curled up cots with holes. Would help if the weather would heat up.   Tuesday, May 27 View Page A side patch project. This is my 1059 V/M x 1753 Bryson cross. Good start.   Sunday, June 1 View Page First female of the season on the 1530.5 About 7.5 feet out.   Thursday, June 5 View Page 1530.5 Breznick making nice progress. Tonight I removed the coldframe after 1 inch of rain today in anticipation of a couple of nice growing days ahead. Sprayed Daconil/Talstar this evening after the storm passed through. I kept the plant in the hoop a bit longer than it liked and I think it will take a day or two to spread out a bit after being in tight quarters. I'm feeling like we're right on the edge with nitrogen. After a few warm days, I am seeing some symptoms of excess nitrogen and hopefully we can water through it. I added a lot of organic material in the fall and spring. I also removed the female at 7.5 feet today.   Thursday, June 5 View Page 2009 Wallace finally down and running. Although not exactly in the direction I planned. OK so this plant has a mind of it's own. You see a pile of sulfur at the stump because the base of the vine has a longitudinal split. I hope it will heal normally. This hoophouse is home to tomatoes and marigolds while I wait for the 2009 to start the engines.   Friday, June 6 View Page Tilled cover crop in a 5 foot strip ahead of the plant. Added SOP, 0-46-0, Bayer granules and a little lime. Will water in Mg-Mn-Boron in a few days.   Thursday, June 12 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. Stump area all cleaned out and placed under plexiglass. Drip lines tested today. Plant is favoring the south side slightly which is the right side as you look at the image. Had to remove about 6 of the oldest leaves a few days ago. Too much N I think when the weather turned warm. Or maybe sun scald. Or maybe a little fungus after staying in the hoop a little too long. Whatever, it seems to have calmed down. Plant has received one dose of Merit, One dose of Spinosad, Two doses of Talstar, Two doses of Daconil and one dose of Heritage over the last three weeks. I saw what appeared to be the first SVB today flying in and out of the leaves of this plant. We're ready as the last dose of Talstar was last night. I have 2 SVB traps up and set and they are both empty. Females this morning on the main vine at roughly 8, 10 and 12 feet. Sounds like I'm making this up but this plant must have read the manual. I removed the one at 8 feet this morning after seeing the one at 12 feet.   Saturday, June 14 View Page This is the 1530.5 Breznick. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I think I am dealing with a surge in N after the weather warmed up. The plant is developing nicely and the leaves are doing fine actually. I have added no nutrients since June 2 and have watered daily trying to flush out any excess N that I can. Since I am learning something new every day, I thought I would share the tissue test from this week with a leave that is one of the newer leaves 4-5 leaves back from the growing tip. You can see an area of puckering in the center but it does not get any worse. So maybe I'm right on the critical edge with N.   Monday, June 16 View Page 2009 Wallace. Does not appear to be in any rush.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page 1530.5. Just what we want to see on pollination morning. Nice colorful symmetrical female at 10 ft. open before I have to go to work. But the males weren't up for the challenge. Two sorry looking males, one from yesterday and a deformed one from today. Selfed. But I will be surprised if this one takes.   Thursday, June 19 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. This is my largest plant. Spent a good part of the day burying vines, weeding and adjusting drip lines. Everything is now final tilled and amended. This plant has filled out nicely. There is a female under the white table that now sits at 13 feet. Will work hard to get that one set.   Thursday, June 19 View Page 2009. Unconventional is the best way to describe. The plant doesn't look like a Christmas tree pattern because it grows in whatever direction it wants. I finally think I have it pointed in the direction of the drip lines. A nice plant. First female in that growth tip about 8 feet or so.   Thursday, June 19 View Page This is my 1059 VM x 1753 Bryson cross growing in a small patch. Coming along now that the weather has turned. Was planted outdoors without the benefit of cables or hoophouse. Anxious to see what this plant produces.   Saturday, June 21 View Page Pretty six lober on the 1530.5 open this morning. 1 hearty 2009 male available. Weather is nice to pollinate today. Should be 70's all day.   Saturday, June 21 View Page 1530.5 x 2009 @ 11.5 ft.   Tuesday, June 24 View Page Got up early. Had a female to open this morning right at 14 ft. on the main vine on the 1530.5 Breznick. It's the spot I wanted. Ugly but pollinated with 2 x 2009 males.   Wednesday, June 25 View Page 1530.5 Breznick x 2009 Wallace. 4 DAP. Baseball size and shiny. Starting to lay down. 11.5 feet out on main vine. Symmetrical 6 lober. Got to consider this summer solstice pollination.   Wednesday, June 25 View Page Family is wondering what happened to all the little white tables. 1530.5 Breznick growing nicely in this nice weather and starting to hit the boundary of its 700 sf patch. Nice happy plant at the moment. Lots of females popping up on the main vine. 2009 males doing a good job so far.   Wednesday, June 25 View Page 2009 Wallace in a growth spurt now. Moving quickly after a sluggish beginning. You can see the first female on the main vine at 8 feet which will open tomorrow morning.   Saturday, June 28 View Page So ya wanna be a contender for a WR? Here is some data I have accumulated over the past couple of years. These are estimated pumpkin weights of pumpkins you will recognize all converted using the 2012 weight chart for consistency and placed on a graph. The horizontal axis is DAP and the vertical is estimated weight. So as the season gets rolling, convert your OTT to pounds using the 2012 chart and plot your pumpkin on this chart. Keep in mind these are estimated weights based on OTT. (So the 1872 appears to weigh more than the 2009.) If you pass through all three orange rectangles, you're a contender!! Good Luck!   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1530x2009 at 11.5ft 7DAP. Nice long stem.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Fortunate to have 3 potentials currently on the 1530. Pollinated this 4 lober at 17 feet this morning. 1530x2009. So one at 11.5 feet, 14 feet and this one.   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1530x2009 @14ft. 3DAP. I just learned the circumference of a regulation baseball. 9 inches.   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1530x2009 @ 17ft. Pollinated this morning.   Tuesday, July 1 View Page This is the 1530.5 x 2009 pumpkin at 11.5 ft. 10DAP this morning and it measures 28" CC. Shape looks tall. 2 more options further down the vine at 17ft (3DAP) and 18.5ft pollinated this morning. I removed one at 14ft that had an asymmetric blossom.   Thursday, July 3 View Page Happy to see this nice blossom at 12 feet out on the 2009. Pollinated this morning with the 1530.5. I had a male from another 2009 plant but decided to mix up the gene pool a bit. Temps should be good. Remnants of hurricane Arthur due tomorrow.   Thursday, July 3 View Page 13 DAP. 1530.5 x 2009 at 11.5ft.   Thursday, July 3 View Page Tomato Row. They get whatever the pumpkins get. Drip lines under the weedblock. So far I like the setup. Started late. Timed for fall weighoffs.   Thursday, July 3 View Page 2009 Wallace. Great plant. Every weed pulled. Every node buried with Rootshield and Mykos. And watered in with Neptunes Garden Ketchup. Every vine staked in anticipation of hurricane Andrew. This mornings pollination at 12 feet under the table. You can see the 14 foot female in the vine tip.   Saturday, July 5 View Page Andrew left 2.5 inches in 24 hours. Thankfully all the liquid variety.   Friday, July 11 View Page 20 DAP checkin. This is the 1530.5 Breznick x 2009 Wallace. It is at 11.5 feet on the main and is the only pumpkin that remains on the plant. 78 CC this morning and 193 OTT. So 168ish pounds.   Friday, July 11 View Page Would like this one to work. 2009 x 2009sib about 16 feet out on the main vine. As you can see the main is already trained to make a 90 degree turn. I am hoping that moderate New England temps today and tomorrow help to make this one set. Big massive plant behind this one. I realize it is July 11 and getting late. This was a July 10 pollination.   Sunday, July 13 View Page An observation to share. I was poking around in the soil with my fingers trying to evaluate the moisture level a few inches down. I found this healthy root (bottom center) about 1/8 in. in diameter traveling horizontally through the soil about 4-5 inches down. This is three feet ahead of the plant! I know this has been discussed before but a reminder to me to use the walkboards to minimize compaction and make sure the drip lines are running way ahead of the vines.   Sunday, July 20 View Page This is the 2009 x sib pumpkin at 16 feet. Looking good. Slow start. 10 days 20 in. CC. Cool nights. Will give it some time. Massive plant behind. Blossom looking off to the left.   Monday, July 21 View Page 30 DAP checkin. This is the 1530.5 x 2009. 263 OTT for 408 lbs.   Tuesday, July 22 View Page "So from my personal point of view, get an ugly girl to marry you" - Jimmy Soul. In an April 29 post, I showed 2 2009 seedlings that I started. The ugly seedling on the right was so gnarly and beat up that I didn't think it would make it. So I planted it at the edge of the big patch in about 100SF. No hoop. No heating cables. No protection on the cold nights. Nothing. This 2009bX1530.5 fruit is at 8.5-9ft out on the main and measures 25in CC at 12 DAP. The pretty seedling is a massive plant today, got the 750SF patch plus all the amenities. It also has a 12 DAP at 25in CC this morning. This will be interesting to watch. One looks orange and ribbed. The other is cream and smooth.   Tuesday, July 22 View Page One load of pollen. This morning I enjoyed my coffee watching this busy bee. The bee landed on this leaf and starting dropping yellow pollen. It gives me a better understanding of how much these bees transport at one sitting. Have I got this right? Is that what is going on here?   Friday, July 25 View Page Early morning visits to the garden are surely made more pleasant when I see these guys. I enjoy watching these sunflowers develop almost as much as the pumpkins. This "bicolor" is part of a "wall" of sunflowers I planted to diffuse the south wind.   Friday, July 25 View Page Everybody loves chocolate.   Friday, July 25 View Page One of my goals this year is to spray less and keep my leaves longer into the season. So I am using sunflowers and a number of edge plantings to attract insects.   Sunday, July 27 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. 36DAP. 288OTT. 536 lbs.   Sunday, July 27 View Page 2009 plant growing in main patch. Shiny, nicely shaped, lightly ribbed fruit with a hint of orange. Just in no big hurry. 17DAP. 48"CC.   Thursday, July 31 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. Growing tall. Getting lumpy.   Wednesday, August 6 View Page 2009 in the main patch. After a sluggish start, starting to bulge in at least a couple of directions. 226 OTT on DAP 27.   Wednesday, August 6 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. 720lbs at 46 DAP. Fruit covered day and night to try and slow the cantalouping.   Wednesday, August 6 View Page This is the 2009 growing in a 100SF side patch. It is the pollinator to the 2009 in the main patch. It is a very pretty shaped 160 lbs at 27DAP. It has that Zenith 1950's TV picture tube shape.   Saturday, August 23 View Page 2009 Wallace. Vigorous once it gets going. Today is 44 DAP and it sits at 798 lbs. Would really like to see the overnight temps warm up. It is August after all! The skin on this pumpkins looks like it has some more growin' left in it.   Saturday, August 23 View Page 2009 Wallace blossom end. Looks more and more like a 1960's VW bug every day.   Saturday, August 23 View Page This is the 2009 that I have growing in a small 100 SF at the edge of the main patch. I am pleased that this is the pollinator to the 2009 in the main patch. It is a very nice long symmetrical shape and has managed 370 lbs at DAP 44 with no attention and a very small plant. I should have grown this plant in a big patch.   Saturday, August 23 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. 944 lbs this morning at DAP 63. We need heat baby. Heat. I want to keep this beauty going. A little shot of MKP this morning. Pumpkin is wide and tall with lots of ribbing and netting. Has that "heavy" look to me.   Wednesday, September 17 View Page 2009 Day 69. Growth has slowed but we are working hard for single digits. Just a bit over 1300 lbs. this (cool) morning.   Wednesday, September 17 View Page 1530.5 Breznick Day 88. Looks rough and tough. A little over 1150 lbs. this morning.   Thursday, October 2 View Page Final view of backyard patch for 2014. Nice season. Made lots of progress. 2 pumpkins in the foreground are 2009. In the background is the 1530.5 Breznick. Leaves look pretty beat up but still more green than brown on Oct 2. So I consider that a minor victory. With any luck, there is a PB somewhere here.   Thursday, October 2 View Page 2009 loaded for Topsfield Fair.   Sunday, October 5 View Page 1530.5 Breznick. Celebrated 106 days old today with a refreshing Zerotol shower. Stopped growing a while ago at 1100 or so. Would like to make it to Freirich Farm next weekend.   Monday, October 6 View Page This is the 2009 after arrival at Topsfield on Friday afternoon. The time stamp on the image is 2:50PM. Looking great. A number of growers came by with congratulations so I was feeling relieved that we made it safely and in one piece. So I left the arena in search of a sausage sandwich with peppers and onions followed by fried dough.   Monday, October 6 View Page The time stamp on this image is 6:30PM and the team is putting the harness on the pumpkin and they notice a series of cracks that had formed on the top surface of the pumpkin. The cracks were growing in real time like windshield cracks grow. So in the 3½ hours comfortably sitting waiting, the pumpkin decided to split.   Monday, October 6 View Page So in the end, here is the 1465 Keenan dmg (2009 Wallace x sib)sitting back in the patch. You can see the cracks. Biggest one ever for me.   Monday, October 6 View Page Pumpkin looks healthy. Walls pretty uniform at 9 inches or so in the areas of the cracks.   Monday, October 6 View Page If I touched the surface of the pumpkin with a sharp object, a crack would immediately form and start running like a windshield crack. So the cracks were primarily running on the surface and not very deep.   Monday, October 6 View Page Searched the entire pumpkin inside and out. Found this crack which goes all the way through to the cavity and probably started all the trouble. Oh well.   Monday, October 13 View Page I'll be honest. I couldn't resist the orange Home Depot Trailer for the trip down the highway to Freirich's Farm on Sunday.   Monday, October 13 View Page 1530.5 is now the 1216.5 Keenan. Went 11% heavy.   Monday, October 13 View Page I thank Mark Breznick for the seed. He also grew the 1530.5 and here is the Breznick 1651 on the scale. His is 434.5 pounds bigger than mine. Oh well. This will give me something to think about for the winter.   Monday, October 13 View Page An impressive win at Frerich's Farm for Charlie Lieber. This is the 1870 Lieber. 5% heavy. First at Frerich and second largest in New England this year.