Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 31 Entries. Wednesday, February 24 View Page Taken a few days back when it was 75 degrees on a favorite Ozark, Smallmouth wading stream. Subtle hints of Spring looks like it is ready to pop especially with the Winter ending signature crystal flows, but fluctuating temps tell me we still have a few weeks. This particular stream is heavily spring fed so the fish are very active all year.   Saturday, March 12 View Page Shrubs, bushes and understory starting to sprout leaves. This is probably my favorite time of the year just ahead of Fall. My soil test doesn't look so good with calcium over 7k throwing everything off balance. Gonna still give it a shot and have some fun.   Saturday, March 12 View Page Pic for the above.   Friday, March 18 View Page 85 earlier this week with Redbuds and Magnolias in full bloom. The aggressive Bass are in full prespawn mode and hitting topwater if timed right. Going to start turning the patch by hand this week and am trying no till this year, but my lower back isn't looking forward to it.   Saturday, March 19 View Page Here's a phone pic of the vetch on the patch this evening. The bare spots are where my kids have dug through out the winter. The far back brown side is an additional 175 square feet that I added on and turned over the grass 10 inches down today. The yellow bush in the background is Forsythia which typically blooms when the Spring Peepers and Chorus Frogs are calling here. It's funny, I was on the Arkansas border all last week and they are much greener than us already. Then, my mom in Chicago told me today she hasn't see any green yet. Growing season is around the corner for all even if the weather is trying to say otherwise.   Saturday, March 26 View Page More digging today. Going to put some rye down in place of this vetch I'm turning. Someone asked about organic pesticides the other day, here's another natural remedy I use for insects.... smoke. I figure if I smoke them out every couple days it might make less of them hang around. Who knows. Man I like spring.   Saturday, April 2 View Page I finished turning by hand over 900 square feet 10-12 inches down and chopped up fine enough to grade with a rake. No tiller required (busted motor), but lost half my back in the process. Start day is next Sunday.   Sunday, April 10 View Page Life is good. Fished one of my favorite spring fed rivers for Trout and Smallmouth Friday. Had the 1921 Weston Germinate today and the 1533 Haist looks to be following suit.   Friday, April 29 View Page 1533 Haist on right and 1921 Weston on left growing fast early. Heavy shade after 2pm daily seems to bring disease and splits during wet and humid summers. Morning sun starts around 9am due to big trees on the front side. I'm still thinking 1K is possible with 5 direct hours of light. On side areas I also have a Steil FP, Engel porcelain pkn, Swaintech gourd, corn and a few tall sunflowers. Thanks to my buddy Andy H from Nova Scotia for those.   Saturday, April 30 View Page Here's to my mini cold frames. First small hail storm of the year. I don't care how warm you think it is, if you're in the Midwest you need to protect the plants. I have lost a couple plants and some main vines over the years to hail and this isn't a good sign, lol. Oh and those Colorado boys too.   Friday, May 6 View Page Linus, I will comply and this is the 1533 Haist. I know you are interested in this. Don't base final weight on me at end of season due to minimal light, but it should give an indication of the color (359 Fos x self). My 1921 Weston is about 4 days behind this plant because the first one (1921) was doubling up. I didn't want to chance it and went with my backup I germinated 5 days after the first 1921. Thanks for 2 seeds Cntryboy Weston.   Friday, May 6 View Page 359 "Foss". Sorry Bill   Saturday, May 21 View Page A bit behind compared to previous years, but up front is the 1533 Haist. All secondaries are just popping and plant is about 5 feet long. Background is the 1921 Weston which has been the most difficult plant to laydown, but is about one inch away from ground now and 2 feet long. It should take off once down and starting to root. The 1921 also has the thickest vine I have had on a plant while the 1533 is slender but very aggressive. Should be a great cross (tall-n-orange x massive)   Saturday, May 21 View Page Note for self later on, but delay in plant size is due to an abnormally cold May. Temps finally broke and in 80s. I think everyone in the Midwest and NE felt this long cold front.   Thursday, June 2 View Page First female about 10 feet out on the 1921 Weston. I like the tall shape. The plant has really exploded in growth, and then there is a 2nd female again 2 nodes down. I will keep anything that takes after past experience of waiting for the better one and end up pollinating on a secondary 50 feet out. The 1533 on the other hand shot out with a 14 foot skinny main with only 1 secondary and barely rooting. I cut the main back 10 feet and retrained the secondary as the new main. I was almost out of room and that was my only option to "reset" the plant.   Thursday, June 16 View Page A true champ surviving multiple days of around 100 degree temps on the 1533 Haist (359 x self). I thought this plant was a goner since I had to terminate the main and reset the plant with a secondary a foot off the base. It's now 18 feet long and vining all direction. The 1921 Weston plant is bigger and will have another female open in a week. Two of the last 3 were hit with high heat\rapid growth phase combo so they didn't make it. The 3rd had a seed in the blossom so did not pollinate. Side note, it is 9pm and still 91 degrees.   Monday, June 20 View Page 1921 Weston this evening and almost out of room. The plant itself thrives in the high humidity and 95+ temps we have had daily. It's main has been terminated, but has 2 females on the end. I'll be pollinating 2 on secondaries in the morning that are by far the biggest pre-pollinated females I have seen. That doesn't mean much, but still maybe a good sign... The 1533 Haist in the previous post did not take, maybe heat? Don't know. I have a canopy over half the plant since it is having a harder time with the heat after I had to retrain a secondary to be the main.   Tuesday, June 21 View Page Nice temps today, and pollinated this 5 lobe on a secondary this morning, already looks like it took (1921 Weston). Supposed to be 102 tomorrow and have another to pollinate in morning on secondary in the background marked with orange tape. I have all canopies I own set up over areas with potential pumpkins. One of these two will be my chosen one if the last one on the terminated main vine does not open.   Saturday, June 25 View Page All is good, I have 4 pollinated on the 1921 Weston seen in the pic. My hopeful keeper is bottom right and at the end of the terminated main. I selfed it this morning and it was a symmetrical 4 lobe. The other 3 are on secondaries.   Monday, June 27 View Page Random main vine split and rot. I have one on the main past this and 3 on secondaries before it. Now I need to decide which to choose. I've had stem splits, but never a main vine split\rot for no reason.   Friday, July 1 View Page 1921... beast of a plant. I have had 8 pollinations take on it and all before June 30th. We had a very warm June which is also why the plant got so big fast. Up front is a 6DAP and the only one on the terminated main. Really having problems getting them to lay down. I have 2 going on the 1533 Haist. Leaving to Colorado for a short fishing trip and while I am gone we are supposed to get 5-6 inches of rain. Hoping the plants are okay solo and the vines hold up.   Saturday, July 9 View Page 1533 Haist plant out of nowhere - aka the Darkhorse I had given up on at 10 DAP. Looks to be orange. This plant just survived 6 days of on and off rain, high winds, and zero attention while out of town. All the 1921 have aborted while out of town. Vines were rolled from winds, and I wasn't there to correct so rot set in at many nodes. I almost pulled the plant, but one of those rare secondaries that never popped early started showing, so I will try setting one on that in a couple days.   Tuesday, July 12 View Page Went to use this male for a pollination today and realized it was a 1 lobed Caitlyn Jenner. What a brave and inspirational flower, it deserves an award.   Wednesday, July 13 View Page Power is still out and cannot post pic from phone, but my patch was destroyed today in a season ending fashion during 10 minutes of a storm. I still feel sick, weather here in Mo is always one extreme or the other. There's a reason we only average 200-500 at our weighoffs.   Wednesday, July 13 View Page I guess the pic did post. People around me had lots of damage and I only had a few limbs so thankful about that. Best of luck to all. Might try again in '17   Saturday, July 16 View Page After the terrible storm (last pic) you can see the 1921 was destroyed. It was much bigger and took sail and lost too many vines including the main. That plant was pulled. I managed to salvage 70% of the 1533 Haist and have over 80 total leaves staked. That was a $$itty job, but the below keeps growing and now 18 DAP. It's on a secondary that got cracked and won't set a record, but looks good. It's tall and looks to be orange. 1533 Haist = 359 Foss x self   Saturday, July 16 View Page Another view, same shape as the mom (tall)   Saturday, August 13 View Page 1533 Haist grown on the back main goes down to blossom end split 2 days ago. I am very okay with this, makes time for bigger things to come in October. Best of luck to all at weighoffs.   Wednesday, August 17 View Page Here’s the blossom end split form last Thursday. I’m having second thoughts and would like to get this badboy to the weighoff in just 45 days. Now that she’s cut from the vine, I plugged the split, propped her up on some boards to stay dry and she looks to be holding up really well. I’ll check back on it in 5 weeks, recaulk the split, fabricate a lifting tripod and look to claim that Howard Dill award.   Saturday, August 20 View Page Only 40 more days to the weigh off and the blossom end continues to hold strong after I plugged it and treated with calcium wipes. If I don't at a minimum win the Howard Dill award, she will be a beaut of a porch carver for the kids come Halloween.   Saturday, November 19 View Page For the "what is it again" post