Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 88 Entries. Friday, March 14 View Page My first attempt at growing an AG this year. I managed today to clear the patch measuring 15 x 12 feet, narrowing to 9', approx. 175 sq ft; hopefully I've managed to finally upload this picture.. I still need to level, double dig and add in the amendments. With thanks to Dandytown for his patience and his offer of seed. No doubt I shall be making lots of rookie mistakes. My family all think I'm a bit mad, especially as giant pumpkin growing in the UK isn't as big as in the USA.   Sunday, March 16 View Page I'm so glad that we invested in a Mattock last year...after digging up the first 3 tree stumps (by hand), I then found another 2 levelled off 2" below the surface. I then added fish, blood, bone and some lime. Fabulous weather here today (35 miles North of London), which means I may have caught the sun a little.   Sunday, March 16 View Page Sorry, I really don't know how I managed to post that picture on it's side...   Monday, March 17 View Page The post man came....with many thanks to Dandytown. Now the question is, how many to try and germinate and which to plant?   Saturday, April 5 View Page Today I finished the first entire dig (by hand) of my small patch. It has taken me about 4 sessions. Blood, Fish, Bone and Lime has been added all over. It's been a slow dig with trying to remove the tree roots, and also the noodle like roots of bindweed with my fingertips. The next part of my plan is to add some Mg Sulph (Epsom salts) and some chicken manure pellets, as well as a small amount of home made compost concentrating around the planting site.   Thursday, April 10 View Page Spent a couple of hours this afternoon emptying my Dalek compost bin into piles of usable compost, and 'throw it back in for another year' compost. I ended up with a WHOLE wheelbarrow full, which didn't go very far, but I used it (all)on my planting site.   Thursday, April 10 View Page Added Sulphate of Potash, and the compost; and covered it to start trying to warm the soil. NB It's now MUCH easier to add these photos since using the small digi camera instead of the Canon SLR, which takes photos with a minimum memory of 5 mb...   Monday, April 14 View Page My first attempt today at constructing a (small) polytunnel. Of course, half way through my efforts, the husband came out into the garden to see what I was doing, and helpfully pointed out (in his opinion) how I might have tackled the task in a better way.... I think he was more worried about me using his tools....but this is my project, and I wanted to do this myself...I can only learn for next time.   Monday, April 14 View Page ..and here is the finished article...My plant will be an outdoor grown plant, and no doubt it will outgrow this very quickly... We have a forecast of an overnight frost later this week, so I'm still holding off trying to germinate for another day or 2.   Wednesday, April 23 View Page So today is the day. I have deliberately waited an extra few days as 2 days last week we had over night frosts(resulting in me having to scrape my car to go to work at before 06:00, in April). Hopefully I will not have lost too much time. I'm starting with the 874.8 Geyelin ~ 2013...with many thanks to Dandytown. I've filed the edges of 3 seeds. I've never filed seeds before so this has been done very lightly with a small emery board, I'm hoping I was thorough enough.   Wednesday, April 23 View Page Next step is to soak them....in plain cooled boiled water.   Wednesday, April 23 View Page ...so after 2 hours soaking, seeds placed in a (not too) wet cotton wool pad. Then placed into a nappy sack. Time to spend the next few hours/days in the airing cupboard, with regular checking (every 10 hours or so) as I can never remember how long the germination actually takes.   Friday, April 25 View Page All 3 seeds were starting to 'pop' at the 36 hour mark. Here they are at 48 hours...unfortunately the seed at the top left of the pic has a broken root tip. I've planted all 3 into pots, and I quite like the look of the seed at the bottom right...so that one got the largest pot.   Friday, April 25 View Page All 3 pots are now in the airing cupboard to try and warm them through a little for the rest of today. So at bedtime tonight they will make it out onto the bedroom windowsill.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page All 3 seedlings are now up, and getting their vitamin D on the windowsill...although the one on the left I'm not too sure about. So I started some backups.   Tuesday, April 29 View Page So the 2 backups are in soak after filing. 766 est. Geyelin (2013)   Wednesday, April 30 View Page Third day up for the 874.8 seedlings. I don't think the third one is going to make it. The first true leaves can just be seen...I shall give them a few hours outside tomorrow.   Thursday, May 1 View Page Here are the two 874.8 seedlings enjoying the British sunshine on the front lawn. They also enjoyed a consistent foliar spray of water...it's been grey and mizzling all day.   Thursday, May 1 View Page I then decided to pot them up into 10" pots.   Monday, May 5 View Page With no sign of Germination after a week from the 766 Geyelins, I decided to start 2 more back ups. Sat on the back lawn explaining the need to the Father in law of filing and soaking seeds. A gentle May Bank Holiday Monday afternoon.   Tuesday, May 6 View Page Meanwhile the two 874.8 Geyelins enjoying the late morning sun. Their true leaves beginning to grow. I think plant 2 (on the right) has the edge now. The best peony in the garden is now flowering. A shame they finish flowering so quickly. The good thing about having a few of them around the garden.   Tuesday, May 6 View Page 8PM (BST) and the plants spend their first night inside the polytunnel. The hanging thermometer in there has recorded a low of 2 deg Centigrade, which considering we had a frost last week isn't too bad. I've reset it to see how they get on overnight. The forecast overnight lows for the coming week are between 7 and 9 Centigrade. So keeping an eye on the forecast overnight temps I shall hopefully plant them into the ground within the week.   Wednesday, May 7 View Page Here are the 427 Geyelins at the 42 hour mark. My two backups. They are now in 4" pots at the bottom of my airing cupboard.   Wednesday, May 7 View Page So my two 874.8 Geyelins are now in the ground. If I've done this correctly the first true leaf is nearer me in this picture...and I want them to grow towards the watering can, which is keeping them company in order to warm it's contents.   Friday, May 9 View Page A picture of my back garden with the mini tunnel venting.   Friday, May 9 View Page Unfortunately the thermometer dropped onto; and split the cot leaf of the right hand plant, thankfully not a major disaster. After working late yesterday I didn't get a chance to check them, so I'm pleased they seem to have settled into their new home so well, and appear to me a little larger.   Saturday, May 10 View Page One of the 427 Geyelin backups is up. It broke through the soil at 22:00 last night, and was placed on the windowsill at 06:00 this morning.   Tuesday, May 13 View Page The 427 Geyelin back ups. The cot leaves don't look too happy.   Tuesday, May 13 View Page I opened up the mini tunnel this morning to try and get some sun onto the 874.8s. It rarely comes out, so we have to catch it when we can. They have new leaves today. I think plant 2 on the left has the edge. Hopefully next year there will be more irises in flower in the garden.   Saturday, May 17 View Page 874.8 Geyelin. The right hand plant is developing yellow spots, although I'm not sure why. It came from a fruit of a 1770 Lieber (f) x 1290 Poirier (m). What didn't help today was me loosening the soil around the plants prior to watering today....and finding fresh roots in the forkful. Ooops. Note to self; Strict use of walking board from now on.   Saturday, May 17 View Page 427 Geyelin. This is the better of my 2 back ups...   Saturday, May 17 View Page 427 Geyelin. Unfortunately this poor plant is looking very odd. The cot leaves are waxy feeling, much thicker than they should be...the stem seems quite narrow and flat...it's throwing up 2 true leaves at once...I'm not sure if it will grow out of these problems.   Saturday, May 24 View Page The two 874.8s are growing...the polythene tunnel is acting more of a wind shield at the moment.   Sunday, June 1 View Page The 874.8 Geyelin looks like it's beginning to vine.   Friday, June 6 View Page As today is the 70th Anniversary of the D Day landings, I was photographing the poppies in my garden, when a bumble bee flew in to do his thing. We will remember them.   Monday, June 16 View Page So I got a little too vigorous in trying to get the vine to lay down....and then I saw the split...I'm not sure how much this will affect the main vine long term. The weather in the UK at the moment is the occasional glorious sunny and warm day surrounded by wet days!   Monday, June 16 View Page I finally got around today to taking the polythene off the tunnel. My main 874.8 plant is looking good (apart from today's split!!)...but I still have the sibling plant in the ground as a back up, it appears to have a more yellow stem...and the odd yellow spotted leaf. It looks as though space may become an issue soon and I shall then have to cull one.   Friday, June 20 View Page This was taken Friday evening. It's the first time in 3 days I've made it down the garden (too tired form work) to see how the split has affected the plant.   Friday, June 20 View Page The split is definitely on the main vine, and looks to me to be getting bigger. I'm gutted as this was my best plant (874.8 Geyelin) and up until this point was looking very healthy.   Friday, June 20 View Page So the question is, do I terminate this main vine and go with a secondary vine? Or pull the plant up and continue with the second 874.8 Geyelin that had a slower start?   Friday, June 20 View Page Here is today's picture of the second 874.8 Geyelin. It appears to have a more yellow vine. The plant started more slowly and it's first few true leaves appeared to have yellow spots... the most recent leaves look healthy though.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Here is the 874.8 after the termination of the main vine. I'm quite pleased with the way the secondary vine is growing so well.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Unfortunately I then noticed that the secondary vine has also got a split. I'm leaving the whole plant for now, but I feel it's days are numbered.   Saturday, June 28 View Page This is what the second 874.8 looks like. It still has the odd yellow spotted leaf, and the stem is more yellow on this plant.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Here are the two 274s still in pots...I'm not sure how much longer I shall be able to contain them.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Here is a picture of one of the 274s which seems to have an odd double looking vine...similar to what Womble was describing.   Tuesday, July 8 View Page Not updated for a few days...it's getting away from me...anyway here's the 'patch overview'. NOT very impressive when I compare with so many on here.   Tuesday, July 8 View Page Here is the main vine on the (yellow vined) 874...there are 3 small females on the main vine, with another on secondary. I was surprised to see a full male open...absolutely full of bugs today.   Tuesday, July 8 View Page This is the adopted secondary vine on the (green vined) 874, it has a small female on the end...but with a split still apparent much closer to the stump...I may just use this for it's males and then pull it. I could let the fruit grow, so long as I'm not expecting any huge records....maybe one for the children to carve.   Tuesday, July 8 View Page This is a pot kept/grown 427 backup...doing surprisingly well...it may end up being planted into the ground yet (without the requisite ground prep!)....plus it has a small female at the end of it's main vine.   Tuesday, July 8 View Page This is a pic of another 427 that had the odd looking vine...it seems to be growing normally...shame I have it in such a small pot so I'm really not doing it any favours.....who knows this time next week I might have set a fruit! With some luck it won't be an open pollination :)   Sunday, July 13 View Page Here's my best looking candidate on the main vine of the(yellow vined) 874 Geyelin. I haven't measured exactly how far down but it's about 8ft down. There is a another candidate at the next joint too. I shall try to pollinate both and see what happens.   Sunday, July 13 View Page I got busy yesterday and planted out the (back up) 427 Geyelin. Unfortunately it's under a tree in totally unprepared ground so I'm not sure how well it's going to do. It can do what it likes just so long as I don't let it wander onto the lawn ... as there would be the risk of the husband 'accidentally' hitting the vines with the lawn mower. He is certainly containing his enthusiasm so far this year. :)   Sunday, July 13 View Page After spreading it out onto it's new ground I noticed how 'ripe' this flower looked on the 427, so I tied it up last night.   Sunday, July 13 View Page ...and here is what it looked like inside today, I couldn't see any seeds....I used the (only!!) male flower from the (green vined) 874 Geyelin. My first AG pollination, however there didn't seem to be too much pollen in the male, so I doubt it will take. :(   Monday, July 14 View Page This is what I found inside my best placed female on the yellow vined 874. I didn't bother trying to pollinate it.   Monday, July 14 View Page Luckily one joint down is this one, hopefully ready to open tomorrow. Let's hope I have some males for her.   Tuesday, July 15 View Page The second flower on the yellow vined 874, a few seeds noted inside though....pollinated with the 274.   Sunday, July 20 View Page The 2 previous attempts at pollination on the yellow vined 874 Geyelin both seem to have taken as they are now both the size of tennis balls. Unfortunately they both had seeds in the female flower....so this morning I pollinated this 874 Geyelin on the yellow vined (bigger) plant...it's about 13 feet out and I managed (oops!) to break the main vine off about 8" beyond this flower...so it will be the last on the main vine if I can get it to take....fingers crossed. The flower had one single seed showing under her carpels and I had to protect her from a bee buzzing around as I was trying to pollinate....although it is nice to see plenty of bees this week in the garden.   Sunday, July 20 View Page ...and here are 3 healthy male volunteers ready to do their thing with the 874 female. They are also 874 Geyelins, but from (the green vined) sibling plant ...I was hoping to be able to get a sibling cross on both plants to compare how well they do...   Monday, July 21 View Page Ooops...Missed this one opening on the yellow vined 874.8 this morning.....so that's another open pollination, with one or two seeds noted inside.   Monday, July 21 View Page The far pumpkin is the DAP 6 sibling cross 874.8 geyelin. The near pumpkin is an open pollination DAP 7...so it WILL be the first to go if the others take. They are both on the main vine...all my attempts (x4) at pollinations on this plant have all been on the main vine so far.   Monday, July 21 View Page Today's patch overview.   Friday, July 25 View Page So the nearer fruit is a 5DAP 874.8 Geyelin pollinated by the sibling plant. The one behind is 4DAP open. I'm liking the look of this 5DAP, it's the last fruit before where the main vine broke so I don't need to worry too much about an S curve...and she's near the edge of my patch, so that means easy access...and she appears to have the best length stalk I've seen on this plant so far. Let's hope she takes.   Sunday, August 3 View Page 14 DAP. Feeling very happy with this one. :)   Friday, August 8 View Page DAP 20, a picture of the stem. I still haven't measured her, but (to my eye) she appears to be growing.   Saturday, August 9 View Page Correction...today is DAP 20 and not yesterday.   Saturday, August 9 View Page Measured the 874.8 with my niece today and the Circumference is 39"....she's still not big enough to be on any charts!   Sunday, August 10 View Page The 427 plant is the smallest in my garden, it was restricted initially being pot bound, and then got planted into totally unprepared ground. I pollinated this flower this morning (at 05.45) with 3 males for the 874.   Tuesday, August 12 View Page This morning's picture at 23 DAP. She's nearly outgrown her shade. I asked the niece to name her, and she came up with Isola! Apparently a character in the book she is currently reading! I looked it up and Isola Bella is the name of a Sicilian Island.   Tuesday, August 12 View Page Introducing Hazel. She's 7 DAP so I think she's taken. She is on the other 874.8 Geyelin plant. She is a sibling cross. Positioned very neatly on the path under the shade of my beautiful Twisted Hazel shrub; hence the name.   Friday, August 15 View Page A patch overview from the house. "Hazel" can be seen at the end of the path, unfortunately she already has marks on her skin, but they will just have to grow with her. "Isola" at the back can barely be seen under her shade...I shall have to rig up proper sheet shade for her this week end. She measured 116" in total today at DAP 25, which according to the chart makes her 38lbs. I'm happy.   Sunday, August 17 View Page "Isola" at 28DAP. I made her 43lb this morning. Which is a gain of 5lb over 2 days...not great. Shame the sun isn't shining. Maybe my realistic target should be 100lb; if I'm lucky.   Friday, August 22 View Page Isola is 33Dap = 52 pounds....really not growing in this cold weather. On a good note it WILL be a PB for me (being my first attempt) and I do think she is a rather attractive shape and colour.   Monday, September 1 View Page Isola (my 874 Geyelin sibling cross) is now 43 DAP. She seems to be growing a little uneven now...and growth is crawling along at(a not very impressive) 69lbs now.   Monday, September 1 View Page "Hazel" is a totally different shape, esp considering she is also an 874 Geyelin sibling cross...(from my other plant.) I placed a sheet over her at an earlier stage so it seems to be keeping her skin soft. At 27 DAP she now measures 40 lbs.   Thursday, September 25 View Page Measuring 93 lb on DAP 51. Hazel pumpkin catching up on the older pumpkin in the patch as they both measure the same now.   Thursday, September 25 View Page Isola pumpkin on DAP67....measuring 93lb. Totally different shape but from the same mother plant (874 Geyelin) as my other pumpkin.   Wednesday, October 8 View Page Here's one for Dandytown. The RHS show in London where he came first place. Well done.   Saturday, October 11 View Page With all these pictures of ingenuous ways of transporting pumpkins...mine was small enough (!!!!!) to be strapped into the back seat of my small car for the 2 hour drive to Southampton for the GPC weigh off.   Saturday, October 11 View Page A picture of a line up of pumpkins waiting to be weighed. My 2 are in the foreground of this pic. Lining up with the big boys :)   Saturday, October 11 View Page It was decided to leave Ian and Stuart Paton's pumpkin on it's trailer until weighing began.   Saturday, October 11 View Page Dan Young took first place with his squash; weighing in at 350 pounds.   Saturday, October 11 View Page Mark Baggs going into the lead with his 1582 pounds, breaking his British record from 2013. He doesn't need to lean on it to add extra weight.   Saturday, October 11 View Page A great shot of Ian and Stuart Paton waiting to hear if their pumpkin is bigger.   Saturday, October 11 View Page Another new British Record, weighing in at 1884 pounds.   Friday, October 31 View Page The end result of the niece and nephews carving the 102 pounder. Apologies for the quality of the pic...a bit grainy...but all the other houses in their street had serious 'pumpkin envy'.   Sunday, December 28 View Page The 108 pounder went to the Hallowe'en cub scout camp with my Godson. A lot of the boys didn't quite believe it was real so there was a lot of touching, climbing, (kicking!!!) and sitting on it! I only got one group shot of the final carving.