Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 143 Entries. Sunday, July 27 View Page 1874.5 Mathison   Sunday, July 27 View Page BUSY 2014 season so far.. Real late start to the journal this year .. Here is a shot of the veg garden with the giant tomates in the top left corner   Sunday, July 27 View Page BUSY 2014 season so far.. Real late start to the journal this year .. Here is a shot of the veg garden with the giant tomates in the top left corner   Sunday, July 27 View Page recent patch shot   Sunday, July 27 View Page despite the many vine splits, they have healed and the plant seems healthy..   Sunday, July 27 View Page here's the maters   Sunday, July 27 View Page nice one on the hook, the lyons plant grows very nicely   Sunday, July 27 View Page the wahl plant grows different than I'm used to.. Very easy to maintain, there are a couple decent ones.   Sunday, July 27 View Page Here's one from the wahl plant, 14-ish days (I don't keep track)..   Sunday, July 27 View Page Last but not least.. this plant has grown beautifully, much stronger plant than last years..   Tuesday, July 29 View Page tissue test   Wednesday, July 30 View Page A friend brought his drone over to take some overhead pics of the patch..   Wednesday, July 30 View Page aerial photo of 1874.5 Mathison x 1766.5 DeBacco   Wednesday, July 30 View Page 1874.5 x 1766.5 Day 20, 61"CC...Ho hum...We've had the last 6 nights in the upper 40s, warmer night temps on the way   Wednesday, July 30 View Page mater   Wednesday, July 30 View Page maters..   Wednesday, July 30 View Page marley mater   Saturday, August 2 View Page looking out at the patch...finally a warm night   Saturday, August 2 View Page got some free cedar wood for helping a friend move and was able to build a chicken coop for some friends of mine...they gave me dibs on the poop   Saturday, August 2 View Page we love this time of year...these are our pickling cucs, a first for us...anyone have a good recipe for dill pickles??   Saturday, August 2 View Page good year for maters   Saturday, August 2 View Page day 21, long pumpkin compared to last year   Saturday, August 2 View Page here's the wifey buring vines, day 22   Saturday, August 2 View Page day 23, things are really shaping up around here...the plant is beautiful   Saturday, August 2 View Page day 23, today...front row seats...   Sunday, August 3 View Page napping spot by the giant sunflowers   Sunday, August 3 View Page work in the patch is mostly caught up, except for some minor weed pulling...this is another one of our ongoing projects - a pompeii brick oven !! PIZZA FOR EVERYONE !! (if we're ever on a patch tour...)   Sunday, August 3 View Page Mmmmmmmm......... piiiiiiizzzzzzaaaa   Sunday, August 3 View Page oh, if 'grandma phillips' could see us now...lol...thanks for the recipe John!!   Sunday, August 3 View Page after losing our early sunflowers to squirrels, we "gently transplanted" 3 foot plants that needed thinning. By "gently" I mean, we scooped out a softball sized root ball, we can't believe how well they are doing considering...   Sunday, August 3 View Page 5.20 Lyons...stem is almost an inch wide...i really like this plant   Sunday, August 3 View Page the 4.55 Wahl continues to throw off megas...might try to grow this one up high   Sunday, August 3 View Page nice roots this year...i'm sure the mightgocrazies are working..   Sunday, August 3 View Page the roots on this plant don't care that they are out of room...   Sunday, August 3 View Page a big huge thanks to bubba pressley from world wide giant growers....bubba, the medicine arrived today...we are gonna feed her with a big spoon...thank you very much!! .......day 24   Monday, August 4 View Page 2" of rain last night...   Monday, August 4 View Page 1874.5 Mathison x 1766.5 DeBacco...day 25...86" CC.....   Tuesday, August 5 View Page water water water...   Tuesday, August 5 View Page mater update...   Tuesday, August 5 View Page I really like this one on the 4.55 Wahl plant...   Tuesday, August 5 View Page decision time on the other 4.55 Wahl plant...   Tuesday, August 5 View Page I've been pinching small blossoms off this 5.20 Lyons plant all season...decided to let it go a couple weeks ago...I think somebody played a trick on me...will replace with a clone from the 3.96 Marley plant...   Wednesday, August 6 View Page day 27...she's been gradually picking up steam :)   Wednesday, August 6 View Page we had our first 40+ pound gain ever! had to measure twice to be sure... put down more sand...   Saturday, August 9 View Page this is my buddy Clint, with the 1766.5 DeBacco...despite run ins with the neighborhood woodchucks (fed by the neighbors) he's having good luck...especially for a first time ever gardener... I tilled up his lawn on May 3rd...this was our pollinator plant...I think he's 115 lbs day 20 on a secondary...woodchuck at his kin, then his main at 16 feet...   Saturday, August 9 View Page here she is...Ol' Bessie...day 30...OTT 238" 150 lbs more than last years day 30 :)   Saturday, August 9 View Page Ol' Bessie still looks like a big fat baby pumpkin...   Saturday, August 9 View Page We've had unusually cool nights for August...we are using an extra blanket for warmth...we have 3 warm nights ahead of us.....COME ON OL' BESSIE!!!!!   Wednesday, August 13 View Page we got an inch n 1/2 of rain last night when some parts of the state got 10+"!! here's some mater pics...   Wednesday, August 13 View Page 5.20 Lyons plant...the bottom mater started out as a giant mega-blossom...I think it's gonna turn out to be 2 tomatoes...I can see the vine separating...   Wednesday, August 13 View Page 3.96 Marley is the healthiest plant in the garden...the mater ain't too shabby either...   Wednesday, August 13 View Page day 34...OL' Bessie needs a bigger sheet...   Thursday, August 14 View Page mater pics...still haven't made a decision on the Wahl plant...the smaller mater is on the top of the vine I terminated...might just let it go...   Thursday, August 14 View Page OL' Bessie on day 35... OTT 275.5...CC 125.5... steadily increasing gains...average last 5 days 33.7ish lbs/day...   Thursday, August 14 View Page she's groooowwwwinnnggg... :)   Thursday, August 14 View Page 36 lb gain in the last 24 hours... highs in the upper 60's ... brrr...   Thursday, August 14 View Page day 35, we are seeing consistent gains in the 30's which is uncharted territory for us..... at this rate we should surpass our personal best in a few days... !!   Thursday, August 21 View Page I was quite certain this mater would be a new personal best for me... it was going to be either my biggest or the closest to eachother tomatoes of all time...   Thursday, August 21 View Page it was attached enough for me... like a wreath... 3.89 lbs... tomato was split... bigger ones to come..   Thursday, August 21 View Page OL'Bessie on day 42... the ol' gal is pushin forward and putting stress on the vine... we'll have to move her...   Thursday, August 21 View Page we were able to get away for a couple of days to the St. Lawrence river... it is amazing to see the growth after 2 days when you're not looking at it every other second... the biggest pumpkin we have seen in our patch... we are happy...nearing 700 lbs :)   Saturday, August 23 View Page Ol' Bessie day 44...forecast for highs in the mid-80s, lows in the mid-60s...   Saturday, August 23 View Page this is fun...   Monday, August 25 View Page this is my 2nd mater off the lyons plant... 3.70 lbs... this is a scale from my fathers farm shop, the certification is out of date...not too worried about being official because there are other, bigger mates on the way..   Monday, August 25 View Page I'm hoping this Marley mater will be my first over 4 lbs...I think it's just a single blossom, it should turn any day now as this was one of my first sets this year...my fingers are crossed...I kinda wish I gave this one a name, but I didn't think it was special enough...   Monday, August 25 View Page ...this one here on the other hand snuck up on me out of nowhere... this is the 4.55 Wahl plant that I was busy dicking around with trying to make a decision between 2 decent mega-blossoms... this is the one I think I've been waiting for these last 2 years of growing these things...it has caught up to my biggest ...yup...this one deserves a name...ladies and gentlemen..."The Real McCoy"...lol.... vine terminated   Monday, August 25 View Page lol...still laughing about that last post... here's OL' Bessie on day 46, the blossom end still feels smooth, like a babys bottom ... did we really grow 190 lbs this week??   Monday, August 25 View Page I can't believe I almost gave up on this plant when at 6 feet the plant split in half... I remember that day... I just threw a shovel full of dirt over the crack and shouted to my wife, that's it, our seasons over... lesson learned (again), never give up... It's a big scar now... just goes to show the resiliency of these plants... very glad I didn't pull the plant...   Monday, August 25 View Page darn..... forgot to attach the pic.... probably would have been funnier... anywho0... here he is... "The Real MacCoy"!   Thursday, August 28 View Page mater off the 3.96 Marley plant... whah whah whaaahhhh..... 3.85 lbs, no 4 lber yet... fruit on the Lyons plant is on deck...   Thursday, August 28 View Page the 5.20 Lyons plant... hoping this one will go 4... I think I'm going to start using the tape measure on the tomatoes to track growth a little more closely... I'm just not going to let anyone catch me measuring them... my friends already think I'm crazy...   Thursday, August 28 View Page here's me with the "Real MacCoy" about to measure a tomato lol... 24 inches in circumference, pretty solid tomato... he's the king of my mater patch... not sure how many days left... I think I like not knowing for sure when they'll ripen... maybe that will change as I chase a state record next year...   Thursday, August 28 View Page OL' Bessie continues to put on weight... still on a 27 lb-ish average... :) every day is a new personal best, we are tickled pink!!   Thursday, August 28 View Page almost day 50... warm nights ahead...   Friday, August 29 View Page light dawns on the "Real MacCoy"... Master P's plants and growing techniques have me excited ... I think I may use this whole space for the giant maters next year ...   Friday, August 29 View Page summer is finally here!! at least for the next week... highs in the mid 80s, lows in the upper 60s ...   Friday, August 29 View Page OL' Bessie on day 50 ... 335" OTT ... very steady growth, no signs of slow down ... 28.6 lb per day average, last 4 days ... :)   Friday, August 29 View Page could 1000 lbs really be possible?? ... this is some serious bucket list shit that might be about to go down in this patch ...   Sunday, August 31 View Page I saw a flash of color on the 4.55 Wahl plant ... as discussed on the message boards, I will let my maters ripen before weighing, but I didn't want this one to steal any more goodies from the "Real MacCoy" about a foot higher on the plant ... feels heavy ...   Sunday, August 31 View Page stem surgery was a little dicey on this one ...   Sunday, August 31 View Page the fused bottom ...   Sunday, August 31 View Page a close-up of the fused end ... let's go weigh it ...   Sunday, August 31 View Page Woooohoooooooo! 4.59 lbs! A new personal best and 1st over 4 lbs!   Sunday, August 31 View Page another view ... off to the grocery store ... let's see what their scale says ...   Sunday, August 31 View Page 4.59 lbs!!   Sunday, August 31 View Page super stoked to hit that 4 lb mark ... especially excited about the next one on the plant ...   Wednesday, September 3 View Page Day 55 ... ol' bessie has slowed a bit ... there is forward pressure again on the vine, dusting a couple of small cracks that we noticed on the vine in front of the stem ... we will need to move her again tomorrow ... 159" CC   Wednesday, September 3 View Page blossom end looks good, starting to sink just a bit ... just finished pinching tertiaries, pap says 'let the plant go', so that's what we'll do ...   Wednesday, September 3 View Page sideview day 55 ... starting to show a bit of color, I think she's gonna look like her momma ...   Wednesday, September 3 View Page yeah!!! sunflowers are blooming!!!! boooooo! back to school!!!!   Wednesday, September 3 View Page here is the 4.55 Wahl (Domingo) ... this plant has produced mainly mega-blossoms ... super easy to maintain ... the first 2 maters went 3.27 and 4.59 ... pretty sure this one here is the "Real MacCoy" in my patch ... SOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo ....   Wednesday, September 3 View Page Guess the weight!!!! ... I'm not sure when he'll turn, could be a week?...As Bubba would say, still green as a bean!!....hoping this is the new state record   Friday, September 5 View Page we had to move OL' Bessie again today ... the vine was getting kinked tightly right before the stem ... pressure relieved ...   Friday, September 5 View Page so far we have been relatively problem free on this end ... used sulfer and captan as a preventative on the stem ... starting to get some greenish colors, hope that means heavy :)   Friday, September 5 View Page day 57 .... :)   Friday, September 5 View Page Come on OL' Bessie, don't slow down now!! Today was one of the hottest days of the year, lows in the 70s tonight ... we are hoping for a little boost   Friday, September 5 View Page looking over the shoulder of the "Real MacCoy" is the next mater to ripen on the 5.20 Lyons plant ... should be any day now??   Friday, September 5 View Page this mater on the 5.20 Lyons plant is no slouch either ... pretty sure it's over 4 lbs!   Friday, September 5 View Page the "Real MacCoy" ... quarter for reference ... I was looking through some old photos, I think pollination on this one was around the 27th of July ... it's been warm and muggy here the last few days but the mater plants themselves seem to appreciate the heat ...   Friday, September 5 View Page this is the second mater off the Marley 3.96 ... it went 3.79 ... the next one on this plant could be a grower. It seems the 3rd set tomato on my plants this year are the tomatoes that have the most size to them ... still pruning suckers ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page garden update ... we've had a few cold nights that seem to have slowed Bessie down ... looks like more cold weather ahead ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page We've been using a sleeping bag to keep her warm at night ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page The days this week have been in the 70s, tomorrow will be 80 ... then low 60s for a week ... I think fall is coming ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page :)   Tuesday, September 9 View Page my 2 favorite ladies ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page day 60 ... 1000 lbs!!!! ... :)   Tuesday, September 9 View Page I think I'm gonna pick the 5.20 Lyons plant tomorrow ... I can see a small crack at the bottom and the next one on the plant is off to a decent start ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page 5.20 Lyons ... for posterity ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page on the left is the other Wahl plant, hoping I've got twin plants ... there is a decent one about the same height ... vine terminated ...   Tuesday, September 9 View Page all systems grow on the "Real MacCoy" ... he's still growing ... the blossom end still looks great ... I'll try to let this go 60-75% ripe ...   Thursday, September 11 View Page 5.20 Lyons ... holy bananas!!   Thursday, September 11 View Page blossom end .... let's go weigh it ...   Thursday, September 11 View Page Holy crap! ... A new personal best and my first over 5 lbs (also a state record, I think) ... the 5.67 Porkchop (Big Zac) ...   Thursday, September 11 View Page blossom end ... there is one more young one on the plant ... will terminate vine ... the "Real MacCoy" might need another day or 2 .. :)   Thursday, September 11 View Page :)   Monday, September 15 View Page blossom end of the "Real MacCoy" ... as soon as I picked it my one thought was .. it's light .. I must admit, I did fall for seamsfasters junk science and was hoping it would go over 6 ... lol ...   Monday, September 15 View Page the 5.75 Porkchop (Domingo) ... didn't hit the 6 lbs but still a personal best, and a new state record ... ! Only a few maters left but it's starting to get cold ... winter is here..   Monday, September 15 View Page :)   Wednesday, September 17 View Page I believe these advanced nutrients were a huge part of our success this year ...   Thursday, September 18 View Page sun flowers are thumpin, they are calling for frost tonight ...   Thursday, September 18 View Page come on OL'Bessie! Only a few more weeks to go!   Thursday, September 18 View Page We cut some of the leaves away from OL'Bessie today to get more sun on the stem ... so far no issues ... Come on OLD GIRL!! Keep pushin! lol   Thursday, September 18 View Page Snug as a bug in a rug (or at least as snug as we could make her until the weed fabric ran out) ... warmer days ahead ,,,   Saturday, September 27 View Page the sun sets on day 79 .. we got through the frost with minimal damage and OL' Bessie is enjoying the nicer weather ...   Monday, September 29 View Page OL' Bessie (1874.5 Mathison x 1766.5 DeBacco) day 81 ... still slowly gaining ... this plant sure has been a pain in the ass, but this pumpkin has been great to watch ... we are pretty sure we're over 1000 ... holy shit!   Monday, September 29 View Page she's got some mean green runnin through her veins ... we are sure hoping that means heavy :)!   Monday, September 29 View Page she's turning a real pretty orange ..   Monday, September 29 View Page We finally found a cute kid to sit on our pumpkin :) this is our niece Lila, she's been wanting to sit on the pumpkin all season long ...   Monday, September 29 View Page I think I can, I think I can, I think I can ...   Friday, October 3 View Page Time to cut her loose! It's pickin day ...   Friday, October 3 View Page Loading couldn't have gone any easier ... lifted with a rope around the bottom and two 20 foot tow straps ...   Friday, October 3 View Page ... and also the help of 5 or 6 friends ... we are so happy to have made it to the end!!   Friday, October 3 View Page What an absolutely beautiful day ...   Friday, October 3 View Page Come on OL' Bessie ... it's time to go get your fat ass weighed ... off to Oswego in the morning!   Wednesday, November 19 View Page Testing from big pumpkin app... Happy belated Halloween!!!   Thursday, November 20 View Page Ol Bessie looked great out front for Halloween   Thursday, November 20 View Page Man this big pumpkin app is great!!.anyhoo... Big plans for the MATER garden next year... Holes are dug and ready for chicken poop..not sure if I'll ever top this years maters but next year could be an all -star line up !!   Saturday, November 22 View Page We got 5" snow here in central NY...nothing like south of buffalo ... I will never bitch about snow again..feelin for u guys...   Tuesday, November 25 View Page The weather has been cooperating... Had a chance to get some of the nastiest chicken poop on the planet...you can smell this a few hundred yds downwind... I threw up in my mouth a few times while loading it but I think it was really helpful for the maters this year so I'll do it again ....I will put two shovels in each hole...I will also mix in some dunkels...   Friday, November 28 View Page Hmm...go figure...lily likes chicken poop also... At least to play in....is that turkey I smell?....happy holidays to all!!...   Sunday, December 7 View Page Making some wooden ornaments in santas workshop for the tree....maybe there's been some nice BP peeps out there this year...   Wednesday, December 10 View Page This is a photo of my grandfather from the fiftys I think..Big BILL Marley ...lived and gardened til he was 92...he past a few years back but I know he is getting the biggest kick out of watching over us ,as we grow these things...I wish I had the chance to grow with him...   Wednesday, December 31 View Page Dec 26.... Dug the rest of our red potatoes for New Years dinner....we've been eating from our garden for nearly 8 months...spring can't come early enough...happy new year pumpkinland...!!!