Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 70 Entries. Wednesday, February 11 View Page Drifts of Mighty Mustard piled up to 6 feet in the patch this winter.   Wednesday, February 11 View Page It looks like a tasty salad, but even the gophers won’t eat it…   Wednesday, February 11 View Page The green snow has now melted with the spring rains…   Monday, March 9 View Page Don’t eat the green snow! This is the Mighty Mustard in my back patch which was planted later than the front patch. I may have planted it a bit too thickly. No weeds survived and all the gophers are just gone from my back forty…   Monday, March 9 View Page To get the full bio fumigant benefits, the mustard should be hacked down and immediately tilled into the soil. For reference, the risers in the patch are 3 feet tall.   Monday, March 9 View Page This is another view of the progress. Hacked down and then tilled in with a hand tiller. A lot of work, but it sure beats shoveling snow….   Monday, March 30 View Page California Snow – We had snow flurries this week with drifts up to 1/2”. Trouble with this snow is it doesn’t melt… you gotta sweep it up!   Monday, March 30 View Page Mighty Mustard – I left a strip of Mighty Mustard at one end of my back patch to see how big it would get. It’s now averaging 8 feet and still growing….   Monday, March 30 View Page Girls in the mustard – My little girls have growd up… but not as tall as the monster mustard.   Monday, March 30 View Page Chia Patch – I planted winter rye in the front patch after mowing down the mustard. I inoculated the seed with Wallace Organic Wonder myco. The Duck Dynasty would look clean shaven here…   Monday, March 30 View Page Gypsy Pumpkin – This swatter popped up in the middle of the front patch. I got no idea where she came from…   Sunday, April 26 View Page Gypsy in the rye - I mowed the rye around gypsy girl so she could get some sun. This plant looks like a field pumpkin to me. I must have tossed a few of our Halloween gourds in this area last winter. I don’t think she snuck into the patch from a neighbor’s yard…   Sunday, April 26 View Page The California drought is hitting home - with 25% water use reductions mandated, I decided I can’t grow giants this year. Gypsy girl looks to have hit the lottery. I think I’ll grow her out by stealing water from the lawn. So much for my big orange dreams...   Sunday, April 26 View Page Run with me – Gypsy girl is starting to run, definitely not a maxima. What ever pops on this plant will be a surprise. When the music’s over - turn out the lights, turn out the lights, turn out the lights... Hey jim, your songs are running through my head today...   Sunday, May 10 View Page Poppies in the patch - California Poppies take over the back patch… If you can’t grow pumpkins, what are you gonna do? Might as well flash a little orange.   Sunday, May 10 View Page Gypsy girl heads east – Gypsy girl is thumbing a ride toward the rising sun…   Sunday, May 10 View Page View from the Pumpkin Plucker - I’ve mounted a swing chair on my pumpkin plucker to make some use out of it. This is the view looking toward Silicon Valley. Thankfully, the trees block the view….   Sunday, May 10 View Page Dreams of orange - is there a theme here somewhere?   Thursday, May 28 View Page Gypsy Girl is all growed up. Now about 20 feet from stem to stern and 15 feet at the widest point, she’s cloaking the patch with green. Not bad for a field pumpkin…   Thursday, May 28 View Page I threw a little compost/mulch over the patch to help hold in the moisture. The red corn poppies are now crowding out the California model.   Thursday, May 28 View Page The girls are back in town! This morning a female opened up about 12’ out on the main of Gypsy Girl. Looks like several more females will open over the next few days. I think I’ll set three or four and try to hold her to that...   Thursday, May 28 View Page Baby Peach – While germinating some giant pumpkin sprouts for a neighbor, one of them was so amazingly pretty and begged me to stay so sweetly that against my better judgment - I secretly slipped her into the garden. This gorgeous sprout is from Princess Peach, the 377 Zunino. I’ll need to be very discreet about this, no one mention a word to that blowhard Brown, please...   Saturday, June 6 View Page Baby Peach at a little over two weeks – just adorable! Her royal blood lines are showing.   Saturday, June 6 View Page Gypsy Girl is starting to swell with all the flush of an expectant mother. This is no pepo pumpkin. My new guess is the gypsy is some kind of maxima variety but not a giant.   Friday, June 26 View Page Baby Peach is a toddler now and just taking her first steps…   Friday, June 26 View Page Baby Peach is a toddler now and just taking her first steps… deja vu heh heh   Friday, June 26 View Page Gypsy Girl’s young-uns are already turning orange. They look a lot like cinderella’s – only larger. This plant already covers over 800 square feet. I think I’ll let a few more pumpkins set…   Sunday, July 5 View Page Three little ladies all in a row. Who’s gonna stay. Who’s gonna go?   Sunday, July 5 View Page Gypsy Girl is spawning lots of baby gypsy’s. More are in the cooker...   Thursday, July 9 View Page Got Stem? Baby Peach likes them loooog...   Thursday, July 16 View Page Baby Peach has almost cloaked the entire patch in living green. Amazing how fast they grow…   Thursday, July 16 View Page Newbi mistake. I let the patch get too dry, so I watered it hard. Next day this long stemmed beauty on Baby Peach’s main had blown up...   Thursday, July 16 View Page Not sure whether these will grow out tall and round or long and low. I’m hoping for tall and round with very full and generous ribbing...   Saturday, July 18 View Page Reach for the sky! Daring little female on the back main of Baby Peach.   Saturday, July 18 View Page Baby Peach the 3rd at 9 days - about 15’ out on the main... Just perfect!   Tuesday, July 21 View Page Ground Control to Major Tom. Commencing countdown, engines on. Check ignition and may God's love be with you...   Friday, July 24 View Page Baby Peach at 15 days. She’s got a curious little bubble butt that I’m hoping she grows out of. Not something I want to see in the royal linage….   Friday, July 24 View Page I’m calling the high flyer on the back main Amelia AirHeart. Three farm boys from a Half Moon Bay patch did her and now she’s showing off her new hat. Amelia is a 377 Zunino sibbed and would like to go to the moon...   Monday, July 27 View Page Baby Peach on the main vine hit 67” circ. on day 20. Not bad for a small plant. The bubble butt is starting to suck in a little. She still has an awkward look about her, but I’m hoping she’s gonna lose that butt with her baby fat.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Hi flying Amelia has touched down and Houston we have a problem... That little bubble butt thing she has going will make growing her on the blossom end a bit precarious.   Saturday, August 1 View Page Gypsy girl is almost done. I stopped throwing any of that rare California water on her two weeks ago. 11 pumpkins total , good color, nice Cinderella shape, 40 to 80 pounds each.   Saturday, August 8 View Page Baby Peach on the main vine hit 98” circ. on day 30. Her bubble butt is filling out giving her a longish low shape. Still mostly white and smooth with a hint of orange beginning to express. Now I’m bothered by the big bullseye on her ass.   Saturday, August 8 View Page I’ve added a little support to Amelia’s balancing act. If we have an earthquake, I don’t want her falling on her face...   Friday, August 14 View Page Amelia is developing an interesting personality. Her bubble butt has receded and she's landed safely this time...   Sunday, August 23 View Page Road Trip – Went to visit Baby Peach’s siblings at Farmer John’s in Half Moon Bay. Farmer John is field growing 4 Princess Peach plants. (377 Zunino) With 4 or 5 fruit on each plant, size is not the objective. This 500 lb beauty in on the main vine of one plant is just starting to color up.   Sunday, August 23 View Page Plant 2 has starkly white fruit that thump real heavy. This 400 lber on the main vine is starting to show a little orange.   Sunday, August 23 View Page Plant 3 has bright orange wheel shaped fruit. This one is about 250 lbs.   Sunday, August 23 View Page Will the real Baby Peach please stand up! Plant 4 is every thing I imagined Baby Peach would be. This fruit on the main vine is around 350 pounds at day 38. A gopher has chewed 3/4ths through the main vine near the stump and she’s still growing nicely with 4 other fruit set on the same plant.   Sunday, August 23 View Page Taking on the shape of her mother, Princess Peach, this young fruit on a back secondary of plant 4 is starting to show her royal linage. Drop dead gorgeous and just turning toward the orange side...   Sunday, August 30 View Page Pumpkin Moons – Come on guys, show a little class!   Sunday, August 30 View Page Amelia is lost - yet again. A hole has opened up underneath and she stopped growing. Never name a pumpkin Amelia. You will probably lose her…   Sunday, August 30 View Page Baby Peach has also lost it – if looks could kill... She has been excommunicated from the royal family, stripped of her title Baby Peach and will probably split somewhere on her deformed body just to spite me...   Sunday, September 13 View Page The orange side of Farmer John’s patch.   Sunday, September 13 View Page Farmer John is helping his grand-daughter care for this sweetheart - the real Baby Peach. Forget that nameless imposter in my patch...   Sunday, September 13 View Page Biggest at Farmer John’s patch is this beauty at something over 500 lbs.   Sunday, September 13 View Page This shiny 250lber is the most outrageous day-glow orange that literally lights up the patch.   Tuesday, September 15 View Page Back at my patch, Gypsy Girl’s kids now all burn with a shocking red – This one weighed in at 60 lbs.   Monday, October 12 View Page Half Moon Bay Weigh Off - Farmer John pulled up with his crop of pretty orange ones. These beauties are all spawn of Princess Peach, the 377 Zunino.   Monday, October 12 View Page John Hawkley has more color than his beautiful off-white 1,447 which took 7th place.   Monday, October 12 View Page Gary Miller get cozy with one of the many pumpkin groupies that followed him around the weigh off. His pumpkin took 10th at 1,303 pounds.   Monday, October 12 View Page Jack Larue with his 1,685, good for 3rd. He hauled this monster to California from Washington with three other big ones with his ˝ ton pickup. I’m not sure he ever made it home...   Monday, October 12 View Page Steve Daletas with his 1,969. Almost twice the weight he won HMB with in 2001 - the 1,016 Daletas.   Monday, October 12 View Page Ron Root and his sister Karen with their 2nd place 1,806 grown off the 2009 Wallace. Made you smile Ron...   Monday, October 12 View Page Dean Busquaert snuck in late with this 4th place 1,635 off the 2032 Mathison.   Monday, October 12 View Page Leonardo Urena is looking pretty serious with his seriously heavy 1,617 which ended up in 5th place.   Monday, October 12 View Page Ex-world record holder Tim Mathison gives the other growers a break by bringing one of his smaller pumpkins to the weigh off. At 1,547, it chalked up 6th place.   Monday, October 12 View Page All the best photo ops were in front of the pretty orange ones on Farmer John’s trailer.   Monday, October 12 View Page The pretty ones are lifted above the crowd for the audience vote. Eric Carlson won the Howard Dill Award with his 391 in the center.   Monday, October 12 View Page The crowd reacts as Steve Daletas’s 1,969 hits the scale…   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Cartoon in the San Francisco Chronicle the day after the weigh off. Good thing Steve is from out of town...