Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 35 Entries. Wednesday, March 30 View Page Anybody else growing an 859 Mombert this year?   Wednesday, March 30 View Page This 713 Kurkowski seed is just starting to pop.   Saturday, April 2 View Page This 682 Mettler seed from 1998 just popped today. Pretty cool cross- 676 LaRue x 620 Black.   Saturday, April 2 View Page Going to try some 2015 seeds this year as well.   Saturday, April 2 View Page My brother, Charlie, gives me a hand in the patch from time to time. Here he is helping me spread some mushroom soil. We also added some worm castings, humic acid, and sulfate of potassium magnesia.   Monday, April 4 View Page 859 Mombert on 4/4/16   Monday, April 4 View Page 713 Kurkowski on 4/4/16   Thursday, April 7 View Page More antiques.... 881 Dill (810McInnis x 892 Hebb), 960 Rose (723 Bobier x 801 Stelts), and 1,186 Whittier (582 Hester x 723 Bobier).   Thursday, April 14 View Page Here's an 881 Dill from 1998. The cross is 810 McInnis x 892 Hebb. It's going to be very difficult deciding which one of my antique plants to grow- crossing this one with a 2000lber would be a fitting tribute to Howard Dill   Monday, May 2 View Page Transplanted the 881 Dill '98 today. Notice that the cotyledon leaves are fully formed- almost all other 13+yr-old seeds that I've sprouted have had dead spots in the cotyledons. So far the only other exception was the 259.5* Welty '97 that I grew back in 2010.   Monday, May 2 View Page The 713 Kurkowski '01 was transplanted today as well. This one has been on my list to grow for about 14yrs. It grew a few 1000lbers back when 1000lbs was a big deal. :)   Tuesday, May 3 View Page 2230.5 Wallace plant growing nicely.   Friday, May 27 View Page Good news- I've decided who to vote for this year   Friday, May 27 View Page The plants seem to be enjoying the warmer weather that we've had here for the last few days. Here's an update on what's growing..... Competition pumpkins: 2230.5 Wallace (2009 Wallace x 1916 Barron) 2145.5 McMullen (1756 Howell-Jolivette x 1625 Gantner) Genetics pumpkin: 881 Dill 1998 (810 McInnis x 892 Hebb) 859 Mombert 1999 (866 Mombert x 946 Geerts) 492 Handy 2000 (664 Eaton x 730 Stellpflug) 713 Kurkowski 2001 (846 Calai x 668 Kurkowski) 141 Morgan 2006 (1230 Daletas x 801 Black) Squash: 546* Welty 2002 (744* Welty x 703* Smith)   Friday, May 27 View Page I'm a little behind the top-tier competitors, but that's ok. It has been 5 years since I've grown any pumpkins, so I will run around like an excited muppet if I weigh anything over 1000lbs this year. What I'm most excited about right now is the opportunity to preserve some old genetics.... also hoping to cross the 2230 with the 2145 and then grow some nice winter rye after the weigh-offs   Sunday, May 29 View Page Here's a shot of my 141ber from 2006- 1230 Daletas x 801 Black. I have a nice plant growing from this seed right now- it didn't get a prime location, but I'm confident that it can grow an orange pumpkin that weighs a few hundred pounds.   Sunday, June 5 View Page It's been a rough couple of days for my 2145 McMullen plant. First, some minor chlorosis after being treated with Sevin dust. Then today I found the tip of the main vine was bitten off. Fortunately, there are some very strong looking secondary vines starting to grow. The 2230 Wallace plant has really taken off over the past couple of weeks and hopefully I will have enough male flowers on the 2145 when it's time to pollinate the 2230. I'm starting to see female flowers on my 881 Dill plant. This plant is doing great and I'm considering giving it more space due to the situation with the McMullen plant.   Tuesday, June 21 View Page 881 Dill x 2230 Wallace cross has been done this morning. There is another female flower a couple of feet down on the main vine of the 881 that I would prefer to keep and I will try to make the same cross.   Wednesday, June 22 View Page 2 more pollinations scheduled for tomorrow- 881 Dill x 2230 Wallace and 546* Welty x 2145 McMullen   Thursday, June 30 View Page 2230 Wallace x 2145 McMullen done on the main vine this morning. Looks like I will get one more shot to pollinated on the main vine. Another 881 Dill x 2230 Wallace done on the main vine this morning. I have 4 pollinated on the main vine- all crossed with the 2230- and one more flower before the end of the main vine. The first set will be culled today because I would prefer to grow a fruit farther out on the main vine and it looks like I have a few options. Will post some pics later on today   Thursday, June 30 View Page Twin females on the 713 Kurkowski, both crossed with the 2230. Pollinated 6/29. I had hoped to cross this plant with the 492 Handy (664 Eaton x 730 Stellpflug), but the timing hasn't worked out. Not sure about growing a secondary vine fruit on this plant- it is a flag pattern plant.   Thursday, June 30 View Page 2 culls from today- an 881 Dill and a 546* Welty. There are other options farther out on the main vine of both plants.   Thursday, June 30 View Page 546* Welty x 2230 Wallace. Might be the keeper, but I will have another pollination on the main vine in a couple of days that could give me a better chance at a 1st place giant squash.   Friday, July 1 View Page Jimi the pitbull and Hobo the bichon have a disagreement over the ownership of the purple tennis ball   Wednesday, July 6 View Page another 881 Dill cull- this is a self pollinated fruit from a side vine. These 881 Dill fruit look like they might turn a nice orange- they actually have a deeper yellow color than my 713 Kurkowski fruit and those are known for their orange color. I'm still considering keeping a self-pollinated fruit on this plant, but will wait and see how the main vine fruit develops and decide in a couple of weeks.   Wednesday, July 6 View Page The 2145 McMullen plant has come back strong from a really bad week of multiple simultaneous setbacks. Unfortunately, it is a little too late to consider the plant as an option for competition. I started the process of removing the plant today- the only vines remaining are for the sake of pollinating another flower on the 2230 Wallace plant. The 2145 has a great pedigree and I think it will grow some nice pumpkins this year, so I picked up a couple of extras at auction and will try it again next year. My 2230x2145 cross could be pretty good too and I'm hoping to grow it next year as well.   Monday, July 11 View Page 881 Dill x 2230 Wallace- 18 DAP Lots of grass and weeds creeping into my patch.... switching to night shift has been detrimental to my efforts.... consumption of hazardous amounts of caffeine has proven essential   Monday, July 11 View Page 713 Kurkowski x 2230 Wallace- 15 DAP- grown on a flag pattern plant   Tuesday, July 12 View Page After a long day of getting caught up on work in the patch, I like to kick back and watch my favorite show on the History Channel   Wednesday, July 13 View Page Going to take another shot at a 2230 x 2145 on the main vine in a couple of hours. The first pollination was successful, but the fruit has grown at a snail's pace- probably because the plant really exploded with secondary vine growth at the same time. I have another 2230 x 2145 on a side vine that was pollinated yesterday and will have a couple more chances to do the 2230 x 2145 on side vines within the next week. I'm more concerned about getting seeds with this cross than setting a fruit with a specific pollination date.   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Good news and bad news here. My 546* Welty squash is looking good- I haven't measured anything but it looks like it has hit a nice stride. The first place squash at Altoona last year was under 600lbs, so I definitely have a shot at growing a winner. It's crossed with the 2230 Wallace, so it will add some more diversity to the giant squash gene pool. The 546* is a 744* Welty x 703* Smith. The 703* is a 3rd generation selfed 935 Lloyd. The 744* is 1/4 900 Lyons, 1/4 539 Stellpflug, and 1/2 699 Harbord. I'm excited to plant this line and see what kind of squash I get a few years out. I also have a 1469 Checkon x 259.5* Welty from 2010 (211 est.) that I might cross into the 546/2230 line. More good news- the 713 Kurkowski is growing respectably and developing a tall round shape with a slight taper toward the stem end. I couldn't ask for better growth from a flag-pattern plant- wish I would have gotten into that 150sf contest. The bad news- very bad news- my main vine fruit on the 881 Dill appears to be aborting. All other main vine fruit were culled. On the bright side, every flower that was pollinated on this plant resulted in a growing fruit, so maybe I can still get something set and get some seed out of it. It's still a shame though- the main vine fruit was exceeding my expectations up to day 20. Temperatures have been around 90 degrees with high humidity for a couple of weeks and we have had a couple of thunderstorms- no hail though and it looks like the cuke beetles have finally been 100% eradicated. Gotta take the bad with the good I guess. Maybe I'll get a picture of that Welty squash today.....   Wednesday, August 3 View Page My 492 Handy plant is turning into a bit of a surprise. I grew a couple of vines out over a corner of the lawn behind the garage with the intention of using it as a pollinator, but I have ended up with a small, but nice looking open pollinated pumpkin on the main vine. It was the only female flower that developed on the plant while it was still >100 square feet. I've gotten some more secondary growth out of it and had another chance to pollinate it yesterday, so I crossed it with the 2230. The 492 is the same cross as the 545 Handy- 664 Eaton x 730 Stellpflug- very old school   Thursday, August 4 View Page 546* Welty x 2230 Wallace   Thursday, August 4 View Page 713 Kurkowski x 2230 Wallace. Not much growth from this one for about a week and the rind is looking like it's starting to mature. It was the 5th hottest July on record in PA and the heat hit my patch like a freight train.   Thursday, August 4 View Page Here are some peppers from my garden. This is a variety called Ancient Sweet Orange from Puckerbutt Pepper Co. I'm going to go eat them now.