Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 36 Entries. Sunday, February 1 View Page My personal best. 1465 Keenan.   Sunday, February 8 View Page First post of 2015. Good luck to all in 2015. Patch is under a couple feet of snow. We are expecting another foot and a half by tomorrow night. Watch.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDoEO6kSVEk   Friday, March 20 View Page Welcome spring!   Friday, March 20 View Page Good thing I left stakes where I amended last fall.   Sunday, April 5 View Page No Kidding. Still another 6 inches or so to melt.   Wednesday, April 15 View Page Coldframe areas amended and tilled. Cables in place. I redesigned the houses this year. It seems I always want to leave the frame in place a little longer than the plant allows. So I rebuilt with no horizontal support on the bottom. That way I can remove the plastic at the bottom and the plant can grow all it wants. I will lift the coldframe up whenever I want without harming the plant. Miracle Grow soil was $1.88 at Home Depot so it surrounds the coldframe, provides a little insulation and holds the plastic to the ground. Even the Miracle Grow haters must admit this is a good use for it   Tuesday, April 21 View Page Drenched cover crop with calcium nitrate today. Also a little bayer insecticide and mefenoxam to the coldframes as a pre-plant. My hungry kids want to know who is this Ron Wallace and why is there a picture of him in the refrigerator. And what happened to all the food?   Wednesday, April 22 View Page I have a nice crop of seedlings underway. The 1719.5 Daletas was quick to germinate and bust through the soil....and grow 3 cots. What to do?   Monday, April 27 View Page This is one of my own 1465 seedlings (2009 x sib) in the ground. The weather is lousy but we took the plunge anyway. Soil temp monitored and never goes below 75. I am attempting to control the micro-climate using Styrofoam coolers at night and Quonset hut like structures to retain heat in the day (RW video). As you can see there is growth but we could use some sunshine.   Monday, April 27 View Page A second 1465 in the North patch. May bring in lights if we don't see sun soon.   Sunday, May 3 View Page This is my 1465 in the South patch. I started 8 seeds and this turns out to be the nicest of the bunch so far. This is day 9 in the outdoors. 8 of those 9 days have been cool to down right cold and sunless so I consider this nice progress for the week.   Sunday, May 24 View Page This 1465 was planted outdoors in the south patch one month ago today and despite my constant attention, the plant is doing great. Plant is responding nicely to more sunshine and warmer temps. Very pleased. Busting out of the 6x8 cold frame.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page We are at the tail end of a couple of days of strong wind gusts and an inch a day rain. We are a little battered but things look nice. This is my 1465 in the south patch. It is 11 feet long and there is a first female near the tip. Also one male came alive this afternoon.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page Picture taken at the end of our recent storm. This is my 1465 in the north patch. 8 feet in length with first female near the tip.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Plants doing nicely. Nice normal looking 5 lober at 11 feet on the south plant this morning.   Wednesday, June 24 View Page Here is the 1465 going nicely in the south patch. You can see a 5 day old female on the left at 14 feet. (1465 x self).   Wednesday, June 24 View Page Adult supervision required. I used the "Weed Dragon" to torch weeds in the patch today. This thing kills weeds instantly. A great tool for the right situation. You need to keep it away from the plants, the barn, your feet, the dog and the drip lines but what instant satisfaction!! Look at the before and after.   Wednesday, June 24 View Page The Weed Dragon.   Wednesday, June 24 View Page This is prime time for attacks from the nasty borers and cucumber beetles. I have 2 SVB traps and 1 cucumber beetle lure deployed. Everything is empty. I guess that's good.   Saturday, June 27 View Page 1465 south x self at 14 feet. 8 DAP. I nicked the skin with my fingernail while spreading the sand under the fruit.   Saturday, June 27 View Page Based on previous years notes, I added Cyonara to the last Wednesday evening spray. Right on cue, these two showed up on my trap check this morning. First 2 SVB of the season that I have seen.   Saturday, June 27 View Page Entomology 101. This cucumber beetle lure/trap was placed in the patch 3 days ago. So far no cucumber beetles.   Sunday, June 28 View Page Strong wind and 1½ inches of rain so far this morning. This is the 1465 in the north patch last night after vine burying and some extra bamboo support. Have not pollinated anything yet on this plant. First attempt will be the female at 15 feet under the table in a couple of days.   Thursday, July 2 View Page Got another inch of rain yesterday. Beautiful weather this morning. Selfed this female on the 1465 in the north patch this morning. Nice looking blossom and shape. Nice spot (15ft) on the main vine. Would be nice to see this work.   Thursday, October 1 View Page Thursday night turned out to been a great night for a pumpkin weigh off. Pumpkins lined up at Deerfield Fair waiting to be weighed.   Thursday, October 1 View Page This is my 791.5 dmg. Nice orange grown in my North patch from my own 1465 Keenan seed. Split on the ride up to NH. Oh well..   Thursday, October 1 View Page Thursday night at Deerfield Fair. Top Squash.   Thursday, October 1 View Page Joe Post at 1359 pounds for second place at Deerfield.   Thursday, October 1 View Page Ron Wallace is the Deerfield winner at 1790.5 pounds. Nice. Great night all around.   Friday, October 2 View Page Topsfield Fair Friday night. This is now the 1315.5 Keenan. Grown from my own 1465 seed in the south patch. Good enough for 10th place.   Friday, October 2 View Page Topsfield Fair. A happy Woody with family. And 13% over! WOW.   Friday, October 2 View Page Congratulations to George and Mary Ann Hoomis on a 1538.5 beauty. Thanks for a great time Friday night!!   Saturday, October 3 View Page Deerfield third place. LeBlanc 1287. Congrats!   Saturday, October 3 View Page A beauty from Matt DeBacco at Topsfield. 19% heavy and grown on that beautiful 1676 seed. Nice work!   Saturday, October 3 View Page Joe Post with his family at Topsfield   Saturday, October 3 View Page Congratulations to Gary Vincent for the Topsfield win! A monster at 1992.5 pounds.