Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 76 Entries. Tuesday, March 22 View Page WWW.GR8PUMPKIN.NET After several years, I have decided to let the past go, and update the website to what I am about now. Growing Big Pretty Pumpkins and awesome pumpkin carvings, I even have a page for seed sales. Feel free to check it out https://www.facebook.com/gr8pumpkin.net/ Check us out on facebook   Monday, March 28 View Page Still time to get seeds from these beauties. WWW.GR8PUMPKIN.NET   Sunday, April 10 View Page Broke out Angello today and tilled the patch. Laid 100lbs of 13-13-13 and a box of borax. Still a little wet from all the organic matter.   Tuesday, April 12 View Page Here is some good advice.   Sunday, April 17 View Page Started a 1912 Carter 2015, 1374 Engel 2014 and (2) 781 Engel 2015.   Thursday, April 21 View Page 1912 Carter is a no go. 1374 and 781 are up and smiling. Started back ups   Thursday, April 21 View Page We interrupt this pumpkin season for this little thing called Work...I will be in Edmonton, Alberta April 24-29, May 9-13 and Brampton, Ontario May 23rd-27th   Saturday, April 23 View Page Second 1912 Carter is a go after 48 hours   Saturday, April 30 View Page 1143 Engel 15 (359 Foss 13 x 1374 Engel 14) is planted in the south running spot, 1912 Carter 15 (1750 Martin x Self) in the north running spot. Soil temp is 76 degrees.   Sunday, May 1 View Page 24 hours later and the soil temp is 80 degrees. Without soil heating cables it would still be 54 degrees   Monday, May 2 View Page Ahhh the all to familiar glow of the hoop house at night in the beginning of may. Waiting for the DEA or the local authorities to stop in and ask about the glow.   Thursday, May 5 View Page It all cool. Q tip and Bnot this will be me accepting the Howard Dill Award in Stillwater.   Sunday, June 5 View Page The 1912 Carter is being weird. I have every other secondaries instead of two at each leaf segment.   Friday, June 10 View Page Jodi make the sacrifice like a true pumpkin wife. She knew in a time of peril. PROTECT THE PLANT.   Monday, June 20 View Page 1143 Engel. She is going to be ORANGE ORANGE ORANGE   Friday, June 24 View Page Looks like the 1912 might be orange. I am about 3 days behind my planned schedule of pollination. Good thing is the plants are huge. I have never had plants this big at pollination.   Monday, June 27 View Page Pollinated 1143 Engel x 1912 Carter   Thursday, June 30 View Page 1912 Carter ready in the morning. Self or by 1143 for that Engel Orange   Thursday, July 7 View Page 1143 9 dap   Thursday, July 7 View Page 1912 Carter 6 dap   Tuesday, July 12 View Page Sally on the 1143 Engel. 14 DAP   Tuesday, July 12 View Page FRIEDA on the 1912 Carter. Will she be orange? Let's hope so. The plant has been a really nice plant to grow so far.   Tuesday, July 12 View Page Frieda 10 DAP   Tuesday, July 12 View Page Giant Cabbage. ..starting to head   Monday, July 18 View Page Sally on the 1143 Engel is coming in huge for the Day 20 numbers. 82-53-51=0tt 186 for 152lbs est   Monday, July 18 View Page Keep your eye on Frieda on the 1912 Carter Day 17 69-46-45 est 104lbs   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Here is a Cross Pollination Chart. An Atlantic Giant is a C Maxima. A Field Pumpkin is a C Pepo. There have been cases that they have pollinated, although no viable seeds from the cross.   Saturday, July 23 View Page 1143 Engel day 25   Saturday, July 23 View Page 1912 Carter 21 days old   Saturday, July 23 View Page 1912 Carter 21 days old   Saturday, July 23 View Page 1143 with picture   Thursday, July 28 View Page Sally Day 30 on the 1143 Engel. Not sure but I think the 2009 genetics came out in this one.   Thursday, July 28 View Page Day 27 for FRIEDA on the 1912 Carter. What a box...Think I am going to have an Orange Square.   Thursday, July 28 View Page Cabbage   Tuesday, August 2 View Page https://www.facebook.com/gr8pumpkin.net/ "Sally" on the 1143 Engel is starting to show her color.   Tuesday, August 2 View Page Day 30 for FRIEDA and she is the boxy yet sassy star of the patch. Hopefully I can keep these number up. Plants are really healthy   Sunday, August 7 View Page Day 40 for the 1143 Engel. Starting to Orange up. Still gaining around 24 lbs a day.   Sunday, August 7 View Page This years star of the patch "FRIEDA" on the 1912 Carter day 36 after pollination. 32.5 lbs a day average weight gain.   Thursday, August 11 View Page 3+ inches of rain and it is game over for SALLY   Friday, August 12 View Page The 1143 Engel Split her blossom end. I hate pumpkins when they grow over there blossom end. I had to reach under and feel this split.   Friday, August 12 View Page Then there is FRIEDA on the 1912 Carter just chugging along. Hopefully she gives me a personal best and if no one else shows up in Stillwater with a big and orange a Howard Dill Award.   Tuesday, August 16 View Page Almost at 1000 and bringing on the orange....There is still hope for FRIEDA yet   Tuesday, August 23 View Page https://www.facebook.com/gr8pumpkin.net/posts/543205965875021?notif_t=story_reshare¬if_id=1472001246314244   Tuesday, August 23 View Page She would have been pretty in October   Tuesday, August 23 View Page I took a field pumpkin and tattoo'd it. I typically scarify a few, so this year I wondered what would happen if I used a Industrial Sharpie in the etch. I would say it was successful.   Friday, August 26 View Page CRAP.CRAP.CRAP FRIEDA on the 1912 Carter has a soft spot, and is dripping that means she has rot. Stupid pumpkins.....   Saturday, August 27 View Page Lost two big pumpkins in 11 days. This hobby can be rough on a person. I can not imagine the emotions involved with loosing a record size pumpkin. The lose of FRIEDA at 1200lbs and still packing on 26-30 lbs a day, has sucked some of the wind out of my sails. Time to collect my thoughts and start planning for next year. POST PUMPKIN DEPRESSION is real. It is much easier to handle when they make it to the scale. Well I guess I will just concentrate on carving these beasts this year.   Wednesday, September 7 View Page Pumpkin Carving Season has began....and I knocked the first out of the park or should I say brewery   Wednesday, September 7 View Page Lit up...This was about a 75lb field pumpkin the smallest in my little carving pumpkin patch   Monday, September 12 View Page Here is my second carving. I wish I would have been able to stick another hour, into this carving but I ran out of time. The Arms and Feet add so much to my little German Oktoberfester in his lederhosen. Drinkin a Harvest Patch Shandy.   Saturday, September 17 View Page Ohhhh look what grew on the outside of the fence. Found this guy in the yard. 100" x 57"x 57". Sure wish I knew what it weighed. Definitely a Wisconsin Record   Saturday, September 24 View Page Got a Saturday off from delivering wedding cakes, so Jodi and I went carving pumpkin shopping. First up. Where the wild things are.   Saturday, September 24 View Page Here is Jodi's. He reminds me of the guy on Mad Magazine.   Wednesday, September 28 View Page Still growing........   Thursday, October 6 View Page Here is my little bushel gourd. 177 Westfall x self. It just matured, and stopped growing.   Thursday, October 6 View Page Here is my little bushel gourd. 177 Westfall x self. It just matured, and stopped growing.   Thursday, October 6 View Page The first picture shows how deceiving pictures can be, and how depth of field is your friend   Saturday, October 8 View Page New World Record...wait I am kneeling on the scale.   Saturday, October 8 View Page 265.5 was the final weight. Went 20% light to the watermelon chart. Which according to recent weights is probably what the norm is. Still one heck of a gourd for something grown in a 6 x 8 area, where the plant snuck outside the fence. Just imagine if I would have continue to care for the plants after FRIEDA split, what this gourd could have been.   Saturday, October 8 View Page Ran out of time, to clean this pumpkin up. Needed another half hour. Still turned out as I wanted it. Thanks Scott Steil for donating it. I guarantee it was the most photographed pumpkin at Stillwater.   Saturday, October 8 View Page Meet SQUIRTS the fish. He was a very popular carving.   Saturday, October 8 View Page Here is the minion, Jodi carved. We found out the green rind on a watermelon it like a ceramic coating. Had to skin it with the dremel tool to get through it. Which makes a mess of whoever is running the tool.   Monday, October 10 View Page Check out the fate of our carvings from Stillwater Harvest Fest https://www.facebook.com/gr8pumpkin.net/   Saturday, October 15 View Page The pumpkins have been watching me a little too closely, caught this one reading a book..Note toself lock up the power tools   Saturday, October 15 View Page Here is the book it was reading..   Wednesday, October 19 View Page It is the 50th Anniversary of "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" Don't forget to watch it tonight Here is a new method of carving I am trying. It is called shading   Saturday, October 22 View Page Here is another   Sunday, October 23 View Page A 1540lb Turlumpkin   Sunday, October 23 View Page Head Shot   Sunday, October 23 View Page side shot   Thursday, October 27 View Page http://www.weau.com/content/misc/How-to-carve-a-pumpkin---Oct-27th-398855241.html   Sunday, October 30 View Page https://www.facebook.com/gr8pumpkin.net/ Set up a special option for growing clubs, so no need to send a bubble. You only have to select Club Requests Only. State what seed you want in the purchase notes.   Tuesday, November 15 View Page I created an option on my website to make it easier for the clubs. Club Requests Postage Only http://www.gr8pumpkin.net/giant_pumpkin_seeds_for_sale Just write what you want in the notes selection. Or you can do it the old way and send me a bubble. Shannon   Wednesday, November 16 View Page www.gr8pumpkin.net Seeds are now available   Saturday, December 3 View Page This selection will be available at Several Auctions this year. I call this the package   Wednesday, December 7 View Page Seeds are now available WWW.GR8PUMPKIN.NET