Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 60 Entries. Wednesday, June 22 View Page 2145 in front and 2230 in back. Both cross pollinated. hoping for something big this year. 2145 got the best spot in the patch. My best plant ever to date. Finally got the soil balanced and leaves are normal size and not elephant ears this year. Svb punks are under control so far also.   Saturday, July 23 View Page 2145x2230 Growing and growing. Still only a few small starters on the 2230.   Saturday, July 23 View Page The sunflowers are amazing this season. Planted next to the sidewalk to free up more space for pumpkins   Thursday, July 28 View Page Pumpkin tape says 750 today. 30 lb average past 4 days. Almost 2.5 inches of rain today. Used all 5 rain Barells mixed with fertilizer yesterday.   Saturday, August 6 View Page 2145x2230getting close to the 1000 mark   Saturday, August 6 View Page My shazmatter. It's looking big and still growing   Saturday, August 6 View Page You know the season is coming to an end when this starts to happen   Saturday, August 6 View Page Close up. Bees still like it. The male split 3 ways around the female inside the flower   Monday, August 8 View Page I had a better results this year with SVB damage. They still chewed holes in A bunch but they died promptly.   Monday, August 8 View Page Close up of damage. No signs of maggots inside. Most spots have scared over and kept stalks from collapsing   Saturday, August 13 View Page 2145x2230. Did the first team pumpkin chart measurement of the year. Puts me at a new pb at 385 ott. 1222 pounds and still growing.   Saturday, August 13 View Page 2145x2230. Patch shot   Saturday, August 13 View Page One more sunflower pick. Most are around 14 feet tall. About 40 plants still standing. Days are numbered before they start thinking out.   Tuesday, August 16 View Page First pictures of my Wallace, non identical twins on the 2230. Also the last.   Tuesday, August 16 View Page After taking the pictures I noticed this one had a soft spot on its side.   Tuesday, August 16 View Page It was still growing even with a sloppy bottom. 220 pounds when I cut it off. Has signature smell of WTF   Tuesday, August 16 View Page It was nice and thick. Had to carve it   Tuesday, August 16 View Page Last chance for my 2230x2145. It's a pear shape with a big dill ring. Will make a great display pumpkin if it makes it   Friday, August 19 View Page Inside the 2230. Looks like a mouse or vole took this one out   Friday, August 19 View Page This sad plant is the 2145 in the 2nd patch. My kids grow pumpkins here normally but my oldest is now far too cool to spend time on it. So I had very little time to work with this plant. Very old school. About a pound of mycos and a few buckets of compost. Lost a buch of vines from wind damage. The three pumpkins are all around 250 to 300.   Friday, August 19 View Page My 11 year old still working on a new PB. This patch hasn't produced a solid pumpkin in years. She took the 1998 jutras seed from me and has been doing an awesome job this year. She has 3 pumpkins going now and one that looks really nice. It would be great if she could take a pumpkin to the weigh off this year. She may get excited enough to grow again next season.   Saturday, August 20 View Page The 2230 stump rotted from SVB damage   Saturday, August 20 View Page The stump was the only place that I could find any damage on the plant.   Saturday, August 20 View Page 2145x2230   Monday, August 22 View Page Lost the stump on the 2230 to SVB damage.   Monday, August 22 View Page Found a few dead larger SVB maggots a couple live mini size after digging inn.   Wednesday, August 31 View Page Found this "tooth" growing in the patch   Wednesday, August 31 View Page One more weirdo growing   Wednesday, August 31 View Page 2230 now about 400 pounds. This could be a good one to carve   Monday, September 12 View Page 2145 basking in the late afternoon rays.   Tuesday, September 13 View Page I just spotted this one growing today. Good practice size. So much easier to carve than a field pumpkin. They are almost completely solid up to 50 pounds   Wednesday, September 14 View Page Funny shape but beautiful orange. 2230 x open. Just over 450 pounds. Stopped growing a week ago. It will get plucked and shipped to a fall fest this weekend   Saturday, September 17 View Page 2230 at the fall fest 2016   Thursday, September 22 View Page The local news was here this morning to see my daughters new PB. She is soooo excited for the weigh off. The past 2 years she didn't get any due to disease. Her biggest a few years ago was 355 pounds. This one will be double that. Beautiful 1998 jutras. Looks like a Jack o lantern   Sunday, September 25 View Page Got both of our pumpkins loaded. No thanks to U haul. We were lucky to get a truck elsewhere thanks to our friends at the local mulch company who also used a loader to get the pumpkins in the truck. Just amazing neighbors here in Wheaton   Sunday, September 25 View Page My daughter and I both thrilled with her first 1000 pounder. 11th place. No ribbon but she got an awesome trophy thanks to Henry and his generosity.   Sunday, September 25 View Page Completely stunned at the weight of that pumpkin. I was sure I would get 5th place at best.   Sunday, September 25 View Page My daughter with me and my new personal best 1861. What an amazing day. A Once in a lifetime experience!   Sunday, October 2 View Page Got the display done today. My daughters 1072 in front and the 3- 2145 kind from my second seed. The 3 total about the same weight as the 1861.   Sunday, October 2 View Page The 2145 never stops growing. Hardly any leaves and still big growing splits all over.   Monday, October 10 View Page Weekend carvings   Monday, October 10 View Page This was the third pumpkin grown from my daughters 1998 jutras she got $100 bucks for it. Weighed 200 pounds. Made it all the way to the hay when it was sat down to hard and split half way up the pumpkin. Lucky it was still good to carve   Monday, October 10 View Page One more   Tuesday, October 11 View Page First carving at the pumpkin house 2016. Est 650 lbs 2145xself.   Sunday, October 16 View Page The 1861. Carved today. Took 4 hours. Didn't want to stand it up and chance splitting it.   Monday, October 17 View Page I have had a couple questions about what tools to use and how to surface carve pumpkins. These are my pumpkin tools. They are clay sculpting and pairing knifes. Also get this DVD. It's amazing Ray is an incredible sculptor and instructor. He has easy to difficult levels on this 2 disc set. It will make your pumpkins look great with some practice   Monday, October 17 View Page 80 degrees today. Had to make time for a carving   Tuesday, October 18 View Page Today's carving   Sunday, October 23 View Page My daughters 1072. She carved it today. Took her 2 hours but she had a lot of fun doing it   Tuesday, October 25 View Page Front yard today. Down to 3 pumpkins   Friday, October 28 View Page Only a few days left   Friday, October 28 View Page This one is hatching   Friday, October 28 View Page Carved this 275 pounder for a friend that grew it from a seed I gave him last year. It will be on display downtown Wheaton for trick or treat day tomorrow   Tuesday, November 1 View Page Halloween display. We hollowed out the 2 big pumpkins on each side and lit them up with flood lights. Looks cool at night   Tuesday, November 1 View Page Halloween highlights. I took the day off and carved a bunch o pumpkins.   Tuesday, November 1 View Page Cyclops   Tuesday, November 1 View Page Squirrels love them more than any trick or treater   Tuesday, November 1 View Page This one is next to a piece of the 1861 I brought home as a souvenir before it was dropped from a crane   Tuesday, November 1 View Page Sleepkin   Saturday, November 5 View Page Old man winter on the back of my daughters 1072. Last one of the year. This brings an end to an incredible season I will never forget. Take care all of my big pumpkins friends. Until next time. That's a wrap for the pumpkin house