Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 147 Entries. Wednesday, February 10 View Page Was a great day on sunday. Now everything is all frozen. will be at least 10 days till it warms again even down here. :(   Wednesday, February 10 View Page I even got an early start on the veggie garden. It was so nice to be out digging in the dirt last sunday. Is it even close to spring ??? Don't even mention that *&%#@ groundhog !   Sunday, March 27 View Page Testing out my light setup I started some cukes. Nice spring day so I took them out for some sun today. Wish they were melons..... ahh but soon !   Sunday, March 27 View Page 4.94 kent tomato. I did plant 1 in a pot today. I can cover it if we get frost so no worries. Trying to get one to finish before the july heat makes them ripe. Something fun !   Sunday, March 27 View Page Found in the trash, the things people throw away !   Sunday, March 27 View Page opps, here is the cukes outside.   Saturday, April 16 View Page well its time. Load of compost. Boy I wish I could just dump it on the garden !   Saturday, April 16 View Page But, the only way it gets there is one wheelbarrel at a time. At least the weather is great finally !   Saturday, April 16 View Page Seed starting now in full swing. Grafts are grafted. Will have to wait and see who makes it to know the lineup. Regular this year will include the 297 kent 13 . I never planted it before so I thought I would drop back and give it a try. Also trying something new. These 110 Bright jumbo Black diamond melons from Lloyd Bright. Hope to get something special from them and give ole Spence and Lindey a run for their black diamond money !   Saturday, April 16 View Page Also growing a bushel gourd, tomato(experimental), and a field pumpkin. Never tried a field pumpkin so I thought it would be fun ! Got the 162 McCoy and 90 Clementzzzz competeing for a spot ! Thanks Mark.   Saturday, April 23 View Page We had a hail storm yesterday, luckly it hit at work ! Missed at home. I had my plants protected anyway but it would have damaged other stuff.   Sunday, April 24 View Page planted some garlic this year for a side project. The soft neck is doing well, I don't think the hard neck likes the southern weather. Could also be that I didn't plant till feb. I found out your suppose to plant in the fall. I'll do better this fall.   Sunday, April 24 View Page 297 kent & jumbo black diamond. Enjoying some nice spring temps. They should be in the patch in about 7-10 days if I can get it ready, Running a little behind on patch prep this year.   Sunday, April 24 View Page 4.94 kent. My project tomato. Both plants have mega blooms coming on the 1st flower set. So far so good. May change and do a competition if they keep doing well.   Sunday, April 24 View Page so far so good on the graft melons. Looks like that lineup will be ... 251 kent, 242 kent, 302 kent. They are all looking good and waiting on me to get the patch done !   Friday, April 29 View Page weather gods have been good. Getting the patch ready. Looks like we will plant this weekend. Some of my best soil yet. Of course I say that every year, but if this don't grow something big, I don't know what will :)   Saturday, April 30 View Page I hate it when the tomato crown splits like this. now I got to cut one.   Saturday, April 30 View Page Melons went in the patch today. The grafts are my 302,251,& 242. The rains held off so they all got planted. I also got my non graft 297 in the ground. Still have a few more to go. The BLACK DIAMOND are next. Rainy week coming so they should all get established with no issues.   Monday, May 2 View Page got my award plaque from Mark & the WWGG. Thanks so much these are really cool !   Monday, May 2 View Page 242 kent grafted melon. Enjoying its 1st day in the patch. Trying something new this year. I planted some in the middle of their spots. I have never done that but some good growers do I maybe it will give me a few extra pounds.   Monday, May 2 View Page 90 clementz field pumpkin. I like to try something different each year. Never grown one so we shall see.   Monday, May 2 View Page 110 bright Black diamond. Looking for 200 lbs or bust with these. They will be a good comparison to the CC melons.   Monday, May 2 View Page I never get tired of the sunset after a day in the the garden ! :)   Sunday, May 8 View Page 242 graft after 1 week. Beware cuke beetles. Having problems right now ! These are ok but they got my 251's . Gonna have to go to the backups.   Sunday, May 8 View Page these are my Bushel gourd X long gourd seeds. I planted 6 and all germinated. (the 6 on the right) Andrew Vial reminded me about them. I tried them last year with no luck. Well these are the 2nd gourd i had. I kept it all summer and got the seeds out in the fall. I guess that helped them !   Sunday, May 8 View Page 4.94 kent tomato. Nice Mega bloom now opening.   Thursday, May 19 View Page Cutting the weeds and grass for The Bushel gourd site this site lay fallow last year so it needs a little extra work   Saturday, May 21 View Page 90 Clementz about too big for the picture LOL   Tuesday, May 24 View Page 110 Bright Black diamond melon.   Tuesday, May 24 View Page 297 kent Ready to run. With the heat this should really grow. plants are behind last years pace since its been cooler this year, but no worries !   Wednesday, May 25 View Page 242 kent. all plants seem about 1 week behind last year. Probally do to the cooler spring. Last year was way early so i think i am just about right. Anyway, its warm now. so i just have to try to keep up till the end. READY.. SET... GO !!   Wednesday, May 25 View Page 90 Clementz wont be long till we are setting   Friday, May 27 View Page 110 bright Black diamond. Have to cull plants to get the irrigation in. This one was easy. I kept the left plant.   Friday, May 27 View Page 4.94 kent tomato. plant is topped so I'm all in on this one. A very complex fruit. Hope it grows well   Friday, May 27 View Page 297 kent. Can't decide on this one so i'll give it a day or two more.   Friday, May 27 View Page I always wonder when I pull plants ....did I just pull out the next WR ?????? Hope not.   Friday, May 27 View Page a cherry tomato from last year. I grew a cutting in my office over the winter and had tomatoes to eat. Took another cutting this spring and planted it early. Too early and half of it froze. But its back and full of flowers. Trying to escape from its cage ! LOL   Friday, May 27 View Page Looks like the final melon lineup is.. (1) 110 Bright (Black Diamond) (1) 297 kent (2) 302 kent (1) 251 kent thanks to the cuke beetles eating 3 plants and me having only 1 backup. (3) 242 kent due to the reason above. I had lots of these.   Sunday, June 5 View Page 4.94 Kent This one is doing well.   Sunday, June 5 View Page 90 clementz field pumpkin should be ready to set by the end of the week.   Sunday, June 5 View Page 90 clementzzz side vine termination in progress   Monday, June 6 View Page 110 bright black diamond. spreading out   Monday, June 6 View Page 297 kent. looks to be a little ahead of the black diamond.   Monday, June 6 View Page double male. Hoping I get a double female ! LOL I have not seen any females yet on this plant (242 kent) but if I get a double , its set city no matter how big the plant is ! This plant keeps throwing double stuff alternated with singles. May be genetic, or it could be Marks special Tea. I think my plants like it. :)   Tuesday, June 7 View Page Female on the 90 Clementz. It is on a side near the end of the main. Going to be very hot when the main blooms at week end. So I thought I would try an early one in case.   Saturday, June 11 View Page 90 Clementz field Pumpkin day 2   Saturday, June 11 View Page 90 Clementz field Pumpkin most vines are terminated. Good thing as they don't like 90+   Saturday, June 11 View Page The heat is on. 90+ today and the next several days.‪ Got to give them extra care. Calcarb gives them that extra plus some heat protection. Just like your pet, some extra water helps too.   Saturday, June 11 View Page Got females showing everywhere. Guess I was worried for nonething. Now setting in the heat, that's another task !   Saturday, June 18 View Page 270 kent bushel gourd. finally got it on the ground and running   Saturday, June 18 View Page 90 Clementzzzzz field pumpkin. Day 10 about 12 lbs by the chart. I have culled to this one. So lets see what happens !   Saturday, June 18 View Page 302 kent plant. They all look like this more or less. Pollination madness in high swing. Some are set, the rest we hope will be set this week with the cooler temps.   Saturday, June 18 View Page landscape fabric. I always use the cheap stuff from Dollar general. Well looks like they changed this year. After 1 month its disintergrating. :( last years left overs are fine and would hold up through the season. Very sorry to anyone who did what I said and are having the same problem.   Saturday, June 18 View Page 90 clementz field pumpkin plant. 98 % is terminated.   Saturday, June 18 View Page 251 kent day 6 This is what a 350 lb melon looks like on day 6 ! Now I'm not saying this will be 350lbs, just saying this is what it would look like ifing it was to get to 350 ! LOL   Wednesday, June 29 View Page 242 Kent a Spencer melon no matter what I do from the get go! Lol   Thursday, June 30 View Page 90 clementz. day 22 already turning orange. Field pumpkins don't like 90+ days. slowing way down. est about 63 lbs. Guess i'll have a jack o lantern for July !   Thursday, June 30 View Page these are the only numbers I have so far. post/send me your OTT and i'll add you to the chart.   Thursday, June 30 View Page 242 Kent happy melon !!   Thursday, June 30 View Page another 242 kent. Not as good as the 1st one. its a great "Spencer Glasgow" melon I should tip it up on it's Blossom end. Probably grow better that way   Thursday, June 30 View Page Some garlic we grew this year   Saturday, July 2 View Page 270 Kent Bushel gourd   Sunday, July 3 View Page Very dry so doing a little overhead watering this morning.   Sunday, July 3 View Page My 302 kent from last year doing well. Why can't they all look like this!   Sunday, July 3 View Page End of the line of the Spencer Mellon. It was growing at half-speed because there's only half a melon there LOL   Sunday, July 3 View Page My first female on The Bushel gourd long gourd cross. How does the female compared to the long gourds since I've never grown them I'm not really sure.   Monday, July 4 View Page Hoop houses are up. that means the end of pollination season Madness. All plants have their chosen one. so now it's time to play Follow the Leader   Tuesday, July 5 View Page Updated black diamond chart. i have numbers from these growers.   Thursday, July 7 View Page bushel gourd, long gourd cross. Got a test to set   Thursday, July 7 View Page Major storm blew through. Okay I'm good on rain now thank you bring back the Sun.   Thursday, July 7 View Page 242 Kent. Plant B this is the replacement for the Spencer Glasgow pear melon. DAY 10   Monday, July 11 View Page Here is a bushel gourd chart if anyone is interested in them.   Monday, July 11 View Page 302 Kent. So far the best I have at it's age. This is one of 2 that I have but this is the best by a little.   Monday, July 11 View Page This is day 20 on the black diamond estimated weight 72 pounds   Monday, July 11 View Page I picked the early pollination to get ready for the late pollination. this one was just a test to see what it look like. My bushel gourd long gourd cross   Monday, July 11 View Page Black Diamond melon chart. Any one growing send me the numbers. Thanks Jeremy Lindley, Jeremy Terry, Tony Prochaska and Spencer Glasgow   Sunday, July 17 View Page 242 Kent. Plant B. Open pollination. Replacement for the pear. Doing quite well. Still long, but nice shape. Basically, it was a great plant and couldn't bring myself to pull it after 2 sets failed. hence open ! Watch it turn out great. Not planning to save any seeds due to open and also I have a black diamond plant in the patch so who knows what you would get.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 242 Kent plant C Nice ☺ Hey mark clementz, need bigger tea bottles ! LOL   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 242 Kent plant A a bit of a weird shape but it's improving. Had problems has an extremely short stem and then a bug ate on it to boot.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 297 Kent   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 302 Kent plant A   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 302 Kent plant B   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 251 Kent. someone mentioned compairing 251's... i'm in !   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 110 black diamond. We need a black diamond site with prizes like Texas. Cullman or Arkansas would be great places to hold the competition ?? Est about 100 lbs now. Bet it goes heavy with the round shape !   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 90 Clementz. Final is 76.3 lbs chart says 66 so a bit heavy. Stop growing at Day 26. So it's been sitting out there turning orange for 2 weeks, now day 40. Just too hot here. So its now the 76 kent field pumpkin. it was selfed. wonder if it will make it to halloween?   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 242 Kent. Plant B. Open pollination. Replacement for the pear. Doing quite well. Still long, but nice shape   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Black Diamond chart update. DAP 30 Jeremy Lindley And I are about half way to our 200 lb goal !   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Just got to keep after the culls. A black diamond man from culling ! LOL   Sunday, July 24 View Page Thanks to Mark's mix my hardest job is finding culls in these huge plants   Sunday, July 24 View Page hot, but should drop mid week to bearable upper 80's ! LOL   Sunday, July 31 View Page My bushel gourd X long gourd cross. Needs more bushel gourd.   Sunday, July 31 View Page 251 Kent. Knock knock knocking on the 200 door ☺ better open up or it will knock it down.   Sunday, July 31 View Page Got critters again. Luckily they preferred the culls   Sunday, July 31 View Page 242 Kent plant C. Make that 2 that are doing the 200 knock   Sunday, August 14 View Page Bushel gourd X long gourd still growing. Getting heavier too. I have set some more smaller ones crossed back to the bushel gourd. Growing in 50 sq foot bed. The plant is spreading bigger than that. We got some rain and a little cooler last week and it really took off. Didn't really like 95 heat but does good in 88-91 LOL   Sunday, August 14 View Page Black Diamond melon update. Seems to be 2 types. Half of us have the round ones and half have the long ones.   Sunday, August 14 View Page I have the round one. Every one on this plant has been round.   Sunday, August 14 View Page 242 Kent. My biggest so far. Long way to go to the end. Still anyone can win in my patch !   Sunday, August 14 View Page what can I say ! LOL   Sunday, August 14 View Page 297 kent Making a bid here in the stretch. I am hoping I got the mice problem taking care of. they were late getting started but nibble on everything including the vines the melons were on.   Sunday, August 28 View Page Black Diamond melon update Its going to be a photo finish at the wire ! What a contest !   Sunday, August 28 View Page Some more of the bg X LG cross. These are back crossed with the bushel gourd. Someone called them caveman gourds I like that.   Sunday, August 28 View Page 302 kent plant A final becomes 264 kent 16 Just 66 days old and way heavy. Measured like 229 !   Sunday, August 28 View Page Cullman results for melons 2016   Sunday, August 28 View Page 302 Kent plant b. I hope it's like it's sister :)   Monday, September 5 View Page My BG X LG cross. About 51.5 inches long. Weight about 43 lbs could be more. I had a hard time getting to off the ground on the scale. Pretty cool gourd :) I think we are calling it the Captain caveman gourd !   Monday, September 5 View Page weight   Thursday, September 8 View Page 242 Kent plant at the Tennessee State Fair. Measured 242, weighed 248 lbs 1st place, I'm very happy as it was a long one so it weighed real good. 39 inches long. This was open pollinated so I will not be saving any seeds.   Thursday, September 8 View Page Bushel gourd X long gourd cross. I took it to the fair in Knoxville. My caveman Gourd ! Weighed 46 lbs on their scale.   Wednesday, September 14 View Page Jumbo Black Diamond from the 110 Bright. Going to Ky weighoff this weekend ! Hope to beat the old record from 1935 of 195 lbs   Wednesday, September 14 View Page Here is the plant, still in good shape. Still setting culls everywhere. It tapes 178 now. I figure 5+ picking bonus(the shelf sags so when measured on flat ground i gain 2 inches+) so thats 183 and it goes 10% heavy due to being a fat melon = 201 anyway, thats what i'm hoping for. Can't wait for saturday !!! :)   Wednesday, September 14 View Page Looks a little dull in the picture, maybe I need to shine it up a little ! LOL   Wednesday, September 14 View Page here is the old record from 1935 . thanks to Lloyd Bright http://www.giantwatermelons.com/oldphotos.php   Friday, September 16 View Page Black Diamond melon and 251 Kent loaded up for KENTUCKY   Friday, September 16 View Page 251 Kent   Sunday, September 18 View Page 251 Kent is now the 288 Kent 16. It went heavy. I came in 2nd . Great weighoff. Thanks for all the hard work from the KY folks and Roberts family farm   Sunday, September 18 View Page the 110 bright becomes 205 kent 16 Jumbo Black Diamond. this is a new record for a dark green melon.   Sunday, September 18 View Page 205 kent 16 JDB melon   Thursday, September 22 View Page inside the Black diamond melon   Thursday, September 22 View Page The 264 inside. You can see why it was so heavy   Thursday, September 22 View Page 297 Kent. Going to Elkin on Saturday   Friday, September 30 View Page another caveman gourd ! :)   Friday, September 30 View Page 242 kent plant A ready to be picked   Friday, September 30 View Page 242 kent plant A loaded and ready for Allardt weighoff   Saturday, October 1 View Page 242 kent becomes the 290 kent 163 Had a great time in Allardt. Always a fun weighoff. Was good to see all the growers.   Saturday, October 1 View Page Here it is on the scale. Even went heavy !   Saturday, October 1 View Page My bushel gourd did not do as well this year. only 125 lbs Getting more popular. There were 4 at the weigh off today.   Wednesday, October 5 View Page here is my 290 from allardt weighoff. Not too bad of a hole. Nice thick rind.   Wednesday, October 5 View Page one nice thing with the landscape fabric. It makes cleanup a breeze.   Wednesday, October 5 View Page Plants still look great. hate to pull them out .   Wednesday, October 5 View Page 242 kent plant C . Headed to Hamilton, OH. on Saturday. Can't wait. Its been a great season so far ! :)   Wednesday, October 5 View Page 302 kent plant B this one will go to NC state fair on Tuesday. Hoping she is heavy like her sister was.   Friday, October 7 View Page another use for duct tape. Had to make sure it didn't roll off when we wheeled it to the car. 242 kent plant C   Friday, October 7 View Page 242 kent plant C loaded for Hamilton in the morning !   Monday, October 10 View Page 298.5 kent 16 Operation Pumpkin winner. Was a beautiful day and a great weighoff. So much fun. as always I love talking with everyone. Spencer even brought me my own yellow duckie ! :) My heart went out to Jeremy Terry who got DQ with a nice melon that had a hole on the bottom.   Monday, October 10 View Page The 302 Kent plant B loaded for NC state fair. Hope its heavy !! looks heavy. seemed heavy putting it in the car. LOL   Thursday, October 13 View Page my 302 kent plant B ended up at 318.50 Unreal ! What a great finish to the year. Couldn't have asked for a better year, great weather to boot ! Had a great time at the NC state fair. Many good entrys. Jeremy Terry had a super melon at 290 lbs. Now when does spring start ??? LOL. Wish I had a house in australia   Sunday, October 16 View Page looks like a honeycomb.   Sunday, October 16 View Page this is the way I get the seeds out. I just push all the seeds out of the honey comb onto a sifter made with hardware cloth(mesh screen) The holes let the pulp go through but not the seeds. Then just scoop up the seeds, rinse , dry and your done. Very easy. Don't put all the flesh on the screen.   Sunday, October 16 View Page OMG, I bought a scale I could grow a melon on and watch the weight change. I had a small melon still growing on my 302 kent plant A as an experiment. So I put it on the scale. Well its been 3 days and what I have learned is I don't know anything about how a melon actually grows. If any growers out there (pumpkin or melon) has ever grown on a scale, please contact me. I would love to compare notes to confirm or refute what I'm seeing ! Thanks   Saturday, October 29 View Page I completed my melon growing this year with these. they are my 302 X the jumbo black diamond. The one on the left is from the plant that grew the 318, the one on the right is from the 264 plant. should give an interesting melon.   Saturday, October 29 View Page Went and did the early voting. Was quite busy. This hay semi pulled up parked in the median and got in line to vote ! That's dedication !   Saturday, October 29 View Page I took vine tips from the 318 plant and grafted them. If I can keep them alive all winter I may plant one in the spring. Looks like they all took ! That would be cool to get a large melon from a plant over a year old ! Anyone got 250 sq ft of unused greenhouse for the winter ??? Wonder if I could ship one down under ? Probally regs against it. I could put a few in a carryon bag and fly them down if that was allowed and someone wants to send me a round trip ticket ! LOL   Saturday, November 12 View Page my xmas cactus is blooming early this year. I left it outside this summer and when the days got short, it bloomed. Marks Mix Bloom probally helped !   Saturday, November 12 View Page shipping the 318 clones to a good home. Wonder where they will end up !   Saturday, November 12 View Page I transplanted clones today. good roots   Saturday, November 12 View Page 318 clones. Once they get some room to grow they take off. The one on the left was planted last week, on the right today. Same age otherwise.