Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 39 Entries. Saturday, January 9 View Page Weird growth on Big Zac tomato leaves (growing for the "Indoor Tomato Challenge"), petioles of new growth leaves are curling down, and leaflets curl up. What could be causing this?   Sunday, January 24 View Page Winter "Indoor Tomato Challenge" plants flanked by a sunflower and a soybean that found a home here after my kids' School science class projects. The tomatoes got off to a slow start, but have recovered from that weird growth phenomenon in my last entry.   Sunday, January 24 View Page Spotted the first blossoms this weekend as well, woo hoo!   Monday, February 15 View Page Bonnie Plants announcement on FB of my daughter Ashley winning their Giant Cabbage contest for the state of Iowa: https://www.facebook.com/GrowBonniePlants/photos/a.310030852379648.69472.115865448462857/918597274856333/?type=3   Wednesday, February 24 View Page Ashley's giant cabbage contest win made the newspaper! http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/johnston/2016/02/24/girl-gets-some-cabbage-growing-huge-cabbage/80607674/   Friday, February 26 View Page I like the looks of this!   Monday, February 29 View Page Winter tomato challenge update: two big plants and ...   Monday, February 29 View Page Lots of blooms, but despite extra effort no successful pollinations. Spring is right around the corner, so going to scrap it and try again next winter. It's been a lot of fun!   Friday, April 15 View Page Iowa Heavy!   Friday, April 15 View Page IA State Fair Champ   Saturday, April 16 View Page New Neptune's arrived today, courtesy of Green Earth Ag & Turf in CT   Monday, April 25 View Page My daughters homework assignment this evening. We've come a long way since 2002!   Wednesday, May 4 View Page Crumpled first true leaf, again . . .   Wednesday, May 4 View Page Still no idea what I am doing that makes this happen year after year   Thursday, May 5 View Page 1236 Davis is the first one in the ground. Hopefully his crumpled leaf buddies won't be too far behind :-)   Friday, May 13 View Page Temps down in the 30's overnight. Hopefully our last shot of cold weather   Friday, May 20 View Page Finally got a chance to get a few things done in the garden today: Planted Jala tall corn, Goliath Silo tall corn, tall sunflowers, and tall sorghum Inside started germination on giant tomatoes: Prokchop big Zac, Porkchop Domingo, and Wellington zaczilla   Saturday, May 28 View Page Culled 1965 Brandt and 1392 C/P - both were stunted by or whatever it was I did during germination to screw them up, and they never bounced back, so 1235 Davis is my plant for this year. Removed the mini greenhouse today and put up some wind break fabric   Monday, June 27 View Page Overhead shot of the patch, which is almost completely filled in   Monday, June 27 View Page 1235 Davis X Self. DAP 17. Unusually early high heat and lack of rain have been a factor here in central Iowa thus far this growing season   Thursday, June 30 View Page All of my maters (except this one) died from a damping off - overwatering incident. This Zaczilla has been limping along inside the last few weeks. Hopefully it will amount to something!   Friday, July 1 View Page 1235 Davis, 20 DAP. Happy 4th of July weekend everybody!   Monday, July 11 View Page 30 DAP   Tuesday, July 19 View Page Heading out on vacation this week so thought I'd snap a picture before leaving. Day 38.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page Oops, here's the pic   Wednesday, July 27 View Page Post vacation pic. She put on about 200 pounds during the week I was in Colorado, not bad!   Sunday, July 31 View Page Day 50   Thursday, August 4 View Page   Monday, August 15 View Page Had a great time last Friday at the Iowa State Fair weigh-off! Was wonderful to place 3rd and hang out with so many awesome Iowa growers!   Monday, August 15 View Page Thank you to Dave Davis for his 1235 seed that I grew this year. Very vigorous plant, free of any issues.   Monday, August 15 View Page A couple more Iowa State Fair weigh-off pictures   Monday, August 15 View Page My daughter, Ashley, being interviewed by Iowa Public Television about growing giant vegetables. She did a great job!   Monday, August 15 View Page :-)   Sunday, September 25 View Page Introducing our new patch dog Gracie Mae! She is sitting next to our tallest sorghum, 12 feet, 1 inch. Have had a bumper crop of sorghum this year which will go towards feeding pheasants on our farm this winter   Sunday, September 25 View Page Our tallest corn this year 13'0". Not our tallest ever, but sure a lot of fun to grow! Variety = Goliath silage corn. Hoping to try a couple of new varieties of tall corn next year to see what happens   Thursday, November 17 View Page 75° today, but winter weather gets here tomorrow. Getting the indoor growing area fired up, hoping to get some germination started soon for the Winter Tomato Challenge   Friday, December 23 View Page Christmas came early! Excited to try some new Tall Corn varieties next year, and set a new Iowa state record. Thx Brad!   Friday, December 23 View Page Tehua and Jalapeno   Friday, December 23 View Page Tehua and Jalapeno