Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 75 Entries. Thursday, January 29 View Page 61 days to go....feels like spring even though it's cold....bright sunshine,no wind....   Friday, January 30 View Page New fert.   Thursday, February 12 View Page The closer it gets(41 days) to seed starting and soil heating cable installation for this backyard plot,the sunnier and snowier it gets....going with my 333 seed,mostly 1495 Stelts rock solid background....for the Champlain Valley Fair,VT,Sept.28th....   Thursday, February 12 View Page Warmer days in this plot...   Tuesday, March 17 View Page Think Ill stick to the beer today and hope for some luck of the Irish in the 150 plot...   Monday, March 23 View Page -16c,3F this morning....but it was like this on March 31 last year,cold and snow pile...and I planted on April 20,soil at 60 -70F with cables.....Substitution,lineup change in this plot though...August 27 weighoff,Champlain Valley Fair....   Monday, March 23 View Page Sub off the bench(more likely the new player before trading deadline)....lucky raffle winner GPC convention...   Monday, March 23 View Page ooops lets try that again,lol   Monday, March 23 View Page I'm the lucky coach of Bryanna....#1 Canada 13 year old at 1.61m..   Tuesday, March 24 View Page Oh well,no shame in bragging a bit....another athlete I coach,Deondra...14 yrs old,averaging 7.65 in her races(pb-7.59)for 60m...at the New Balance indoor US National Scolastic HS meet,NYC,the winning freshman time was 7.69 this year.....Bryanna averages 1.55m in her competitions.That would have been the third best freshsman.We didn't go this year.Last time we went,the coach's driving wasn't very good,receiving a nice ticket in the mail...   Friday, March 27 View Page Nothing happening here anytime soon,lol....   Tuesday, March 31 View Page Time get get going...150 contest plot...one of two possible spots for my Champlain Valley Fair entry fruit....August 27 weighoff.....Can't tell yet how deep is the frozen soil...need an ice fishing drill,lol.....I am ahead of last year though,lol...I hope...3 ft of snow on plot and cold this day last year....Above freezing today,big time sun....   Wednesday, April 1 View Page Soil frozen only to 1 ft...Should be planted by April 20....   Friday, April 3 View Page Down to 3 inches of frozen soil....Another warm day today....well 6C....will cover with styroform sheets tonight as a snowfall and below freezing temps for a few days,lol   Friday, April 3 View Page Clear skies,lol....Should be fully thawed later....My stored hoop house frame isn't stuck in snow either....damn...I should buy a lottery ticket...   Friday, April 3 View Page What weather at 55F....will tuck in this spot later...4 inches of snow tonight..cold for a few days...   Saturday, April 4 View Page last night   Saturday, April 4 View Page lol   Tuesday, April 7 View Page Game on again...sunny,around freezing mark,as good as it gets for now... Geez,did I put in styroform or cement....   Tuesday, April 7 View Page for your seed LL   Tuesday, April 7 View Page Later today,all three...   Tuesday, April 7 View Page Geez the geese were flying yesterday....two deliveries today....damn!!   Wednesday, April 8 View Page Next week....actually a real restaurant on the bottle label.We hiked 30 minutes to get there from village....   Tuesday, April 14 View Page 1781 at 7 days from seed start....Started a 1420 Zywiec and a 2096 yesterday.   Tuesday, April 14 View Page Heating cables.   Tuesday, April 14 View Page 2 lbs of granular bone meal.Some added with each layer of soil.I get lots of blooms.   Tuesday, April 14 View Page covered up,plugged in...   Wednesday, April 15 View Page Soil is warm 10 in.deep,just above cables.A few more days and we'll see...   Thursday, April 16 View Page Root damage minimal when peeling away pot,if peat pot material soft(wet),soil packed tightly into pot.   Thursday, April 16 View Page ....   Saturday, April 18 View Page 1420 Zywiec is up..Started a 1245 Berard and a 1431 Wuersching.....2009 selfed and sibbed.   Sunday, April 19 View Page 2096 is up after 6 days.   Tuesday, April 21 View Page 1431 Wuersching up yesterday,1245 Berard today....   Thursday, April 23 View Page 1420 Zywiec,10 days from seed start   Thursday, April 23 View Page 1783 Stevens x 2328 Meier   Thursday, April 23 View Page 2096 Meier, 1245 Berard(2009 selfed),1431 Wuersching(2009 sibbed)   Thursday, April 30 View Page These all germinated between April 18-21....The 2096 is planted and may get moved if things don t pick up....Top row...1420 Zywiec,1255 Berard,1431 Weursching(aggressive roots)   Thursday, April 30 View Page 12 days from seed start...1431 Weursching(2009 sibbed)   Saturday, May 2 View Page 150 contest plot with 1781 Zywiec planted   Saturday, May 2 View Page 1781   Tuesday, May 5 View Page 1431 Weursching has replaced 2096....we went from winter to summer...this girl wants to go....   Tuesday, May 5 View Page Started 2x 486 Otnes(391 Otnes x 2032M) ...and 2x 451 Weibel(1317C x 1985M)...Dag increased the weight of his line by 25%...maybe a big junp next generation........and a Clementz- Miller combo!   Tuesday, May 5 View Page Can't say I've started seeds this way...move inside later to constant temp.on heating pad, pots covered with a cloth....but right now...70F,hot in sun....yey summer....   Wednesday, May 6 View Page A second 1431 and a 555 Aten(2009 selfed)up after 3 days...   Sunday, May 17 View Page 1781 Zywiec in the 150 contest plot   Wednesday, May 27 View Page Left to right....Otnes,Strange,Gantner,Weibel,Otnes,Aten,Bond,Horton,Northrup   Wednesday, May 27 View Page 1245 Berard   Wednesday, May 27 View Page 1431 Weursching   Wednesday, May 27 View Page 1781 at 5ft main.....150 contest...   Wednesday, May 27 View Page last planned germinations....612 Amner,more of my 333,an orange John Young...   Sunday, May 31 View Page June rains are beginning.Keeping the 150 contest plot and the 1781 Zyweic a little drier.   Sunday, May 31 View Page Im liking a change of germination technique...3L of boiling water in a 45L cooler every 6 hrs....5x333,5x612 germinated in 2-3 days...   Sunday, June 14 View Page 1781,females on all secondaries,one on main at 13 ft.   Tuesday, June 16 View Page 1431 Weursching   Friday, June 19 View Page First pollination of the season...1431 Weursching x 1781 Zywiec....55F....5 lobes   Tuesday, June 23 View Page Main vine trained somewhat backwards on the 1781..Running out of plot space in the 150 contest plot....Little Z(1) selfed,Little Z(2) on June 25....   Sunday, June 28 View Page Beteen 3 growing partners,planted....153,486Otnes ..351Gantner..817Bond...451Weibel...555Aten...1420,1781 Zywiec..613Amner...1431 Weursching...1245 Berard...1352 Northrup..1133 Horton..a few of my 333's..pic-333,1245(back)   Sunday, June 28 View Page 1431 Weursching plant   Sunday, June 28 View Page 150 contest 1781....1431 Weursching right side   Sunday, June 28 View Page Partner Pete's backyard....20 mins north of Vermont   Sunday, June 28 View Page Fishing yesterday...perfect weather-no rain 3 days in a row...geez....This guy hard to keep up to in the bush...easier to hold spinner&worm between thumb,pointer,rod hand   Sunday, June 28 View Page Stream changes characteristic   Sunday, June 28 View Page ....and then some...   Sunday, June 28 View Page All brook trout stream,lots of small ones we carefully put back....   Tuesday, July 14 View Page Fruit on the 1781 Zywiec,75in.cc.,19 days...My 150 sq ft contest plant....   Tuesday, July 14 View Page Fruit on the 1431 Weursching,25 days,87in cc....   Thursday, July 30 View Page 150 contest entry.... to be weighed at the Champlain Valley Fair,Aug 27....on the 1781 Zywiec...   Thursday, July 30 View Page 1431 Weursching offspring...   Saturday, August 15 View Page 1245 Berard   Thursday, August 20 View Page PB for me on the 1431 Weursching seed,250 sq ft plot....298 OTT,solid fruit,60 days,growing a few lbs a day now with leaf issues...too much rain this summer....like 20 inches total...or 200in snow if it was cold...geez we only get 100 in in the winter....   Thursday, August 20 View Page Looking forward to plant seed from previous fruit...pollinated with the 1781 Zywiec,great seed,plant,but leaf issues all but wiped out growth after day 30....was growing fast on 150 sq ft...thickess vine I have ever grown....cross will be 1623x2328 into 2009 sibbed....   Thursday, August 20 View Page 1781   Friday, September 4 View Page My 150 contest pumpkin..at the Champlain Valley Fair this week...347 lbs...on the 1781 Zywiec....I'm really happy with the pumpkin....hardly any growth after day 40...wiped out with leaf disease....3 inch wide main vine.....if I remember correctly there were some 18 lb days of growth.   Friday, September 4 View Page 1781 main   Monday, December 14 View Page Thought I would finish up diary....the 1431 Weursching went light for me...553 lbs....the 1245 Berard was smaller than I wanted...but rock solid at 330 lbs...All the counry pumpkins at my cousin's aborted...very wet season leading to leaf disease...Pete had some 800-900 lb PBs on the 1420 Zywiec and 1431 Weursching...and a nice 600 lbs on the 555 Aten...