Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 42 Entries. Tuesday, May 5 View Page 2013 was my first year ever trying to grow a giant Tomato. I grew a 3.25 and a 3.53 both were BZ. This year I am out for blood! I have been growing Giant Pumpkins in Missouri since 2003. 2013 was my best year with 1st and 2nd place in Pumpkins, Squash and Cantaloupe. I also had 2nd and 3rd place tomato! I am hoping to achieve Master Gardner status before I retire from competition. Last year my wife and I were host to the Exotic Seed Exchange and will be again in 2015!   Tuesday, May 5 View Page I live on a 113 acre farm 5 miles north of Cole Camp, Missouri. Everyone calls me Pumpkin-Man because the newspaper did. I have had my picture in both the Sedalia, Mo. and the Cole Camp, Mo. newspapers. I also have been on TV KY3 News. I enjoy the fellowship and the friends you make when you grow Giant Vegetables. This year I have three contests to enter. The State Fair Aug. 5th, the county Fair September 5th. and The GPC weigh-off October 5th in Republic, Mo. I will be growing Giant Pumpkins, Giant Squash, Giant Watermelon, Giant Bushel Gourds and Giant Long Gourds. Wish me LUCK!   Friday, June 5 View Page This is me being unhappy about 7" of rain in May and now 4" of rain through today June 5th.   Friday, June 5 View Page This is me being unhappy about 7" of rain in May and now 4" of rain through today June 5th.   Sunday, June 7 View Page It is field pumpkin time. I already have a few in the ground but have three that took longer to getminate.   Tuesday, June 16 View Page Most everything is 8-10 feet long. We have had so much rain and yet the pumpkins are pollinating by whatever means but me. I will be removing pumpkins as they are not far enough out on the main vine. I have culled two plants that were not aggressive and I needed the room. Because of excessive rain I have applied urea to entire pumpkin garden.   Tuesday, June 23 View Page This is my 816 RADOCH which is doing well and has good color. I am excited about lower Temps this week which will help with pollination . It is growing two feet a day.   Tuesday, June 23 View Page We have had so much rain and I find it hard to believe that it has been a good thing.....but I have had very aggressive growth and great color. I am hoping that the cooler Temps will help with pollination.   Wednesday, June 24 View Page Is this centered dangerous to my pumpkins and tomato. It is brown with yellow legs.   Friday, June 26 View Page Another 2" of rain last night. I had determined that I must be starving my pumpkins of water as I never water more than 20 minutes a day. This year I have not been able to shut off the rain. I watered for 45 minutes on days when it did not rain. I have balanced my garden and used fertilizers as well. I now have plants 16'-21' long and leafs that are 3' across. The plants look excellent and I am confident that I will have great pumpkins and squash this year. I pollinated two 5 lobe blossoms yesterday. Besides the five I am growing for competition I have another 12 I planted for Holla ween give aways.   Wednesday, July 1 View Page We have had a lot of rain. I nay we had 9 inches in June we had 15 1/2 inches and it is raining today July 1st. Last night we had 2 1/2 inches which is .6 gallons of water per square foot pet inch of rain. That means my 1000 square feet of garden received 1500 gallons of water overnight. How many nutrients are lost from that much rain?   Monday, July 6 View Page This is the 1246 VINCENT which was pollinated 5 days ago.In honor of Bubba I have named it. I call it the Vicente Magnifico!   Monday, July 6 View Page This is the 377 B (2009 WALLACE Selfed) 3 days since pollination.   Monday, July 6 View Page I planted another 26 tomatoes today and 15 tomatoes 3 days ago.   Monday, July 6 View Page Some of my blooms are mega but we have had so much rain with beastly hot temperatures. Tonight is for cast 5 more inches rain.   Wednesday, July 8 View Page Day 7 since pollinization. I am excited about this one the 1246 VINCENT   Thursday, July 9 View Page This is my beautiful green 1246.2 VINCENT pollinated on July 1 making this SQUASH 7 days old today. Last night I foliar feed the patch and earlier in the day we had 1 1/2 to 2" of rain! It is a Lucio us green plant with huge leafs and the SQUASH is 21 feet out on the main vine.   Saturday, July 11 View Page The 1247.2 VINCENT has reached day 10. Bigger than a basketball and developing wall thickness I am feeding it daily and giving the plant 50 gallons of water daily.   Wednesday, July 15 View Page Day 15 since pollination. It is the 1246.2 VINCENT Squash and measures 4' 8" circumference and 4'side to side. I also have a 905 VINCENT which is doing about the same.   Sunday, July 19 View Page This is the 1246.2 VINCENT on day 18. It b is 172". :The circumference is growing 4-5" a day.   Tuesday, July 21 View Page Nobody cares as much as you do. I hired a guy to help put sand under the pumpkin and asked him to exercise caution. He carelessly hit the pumpkin with a pail.   Tuesday, July 21 View Page Had to find out on my own. I put Lyme stone with 30 percent Calcium on it to heal it and dry it up.   Tuesday, July 21 View Page Alas dear Orick, this to shall past.   Sunday, July 26 View Page 25 Days VINCENT IS 7' in circumference and 5' end to end and 56" side to side. That is 200" and by 3pm today I will bet he is bigger. 3pm is the normal measurement time.   Thursday, July 30 View Page The pumpkin was 199 OTT on day 24.   Thursday, July 30 View Page My squash was 216 OTT Which is 233 pounds for day 29.   Thursday, July 30 View Page I think I am getting the hang of this measuring the pumpkin.   Tuesday, August 4 View Page Getting greener all the time. Grew 9 inches today. It is 230 OTT which is 279 pounds. My goal is 316 inches which is a new Missouri State record.   Tuesday, August 4 View Page Difficult to get to I can not measure it often for fear of damaging leaves and vines. It is close to 260 pounds I guess at day 27.   Tuesday, August 4 View Page Why are my pictures upside down?   Wednesday, August 5 View Page 1 1/2" of rain today on 1000 square feet pumpkin gatden. That is 900 gallons on 5 plants or 180 gallons per pumpkin perimiter. I applied 3 times the fertilizer for the 3 times the water.   Sunday, August 23 View Page My long gourds are only 13" long and pencil thin so far. But they are growing every day.   Sunday, August 23 View Page Dark green and abundant I think the long gourds are going to be great this year.   Wednesday, August 26 View Page PCH SAYS I am going to win $5000 a week for life plus bonus $5000 so I searched but bigpumpkins.com   Monday, August 31 View Page 58" today. A week ago I had three long gourd 13" long they have all shriveled up. Today something banked me on the head. It was a long gourd six feet from the ground and 58" long. Where it came from I don't know.   Friday, September 4 View Page Today my long gourd is 80plus inches. It is a great grower. Every day it grows 5-7" and the end straightens out. I am going to dig a hole to accomade additional growth.   Saturday, September 5 View Page 80" yesterday and 85" today.   Saturday, September 5 View Page 360 pounds so far. I was hoping for a new Missouri state record but it will be my new personal best   Monday, September 7 View Page I do not know how this happens but I have a 51 inch long gourd that was not there on Saturday. It is directly in front of the entrance I took pictures of my 137.5 Anse ms that was 58 inches when discovered and is now 91 inches.   Monday, September 7 View Page 91 inches today. I was not here Sunday but was Saturday and now I have a new 51 inch long gourd.   Thursday, September 10 View Page 97" long on day 15 and growing 5" a day   Thursday, September 17 View Page My long gourd is 107.5" long. It was supported at the top but waving in the breeze 3-4" back and forth. I still have four others that are still growing and protected from the wind.