Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 75 Entries. Wednesday, April 27 View Page 1707 Bogie looking nice for the Iowa State Fair.   Wednesday, April 27 View Page Oh ya been selling tomatoes for 2 1/2 weeks now. Used some Liquid Mykos, Azos and Pumpkin Pro along with my fertilizer program. Plants are looking great. 1,020 plants going now and 240 more to transplant May 15.   Wednesday, April 27 View Page Fall line up.   Wednesday, April 27 View Page Day 90 on my tomatoes.   Sunday, May 15 View Page 1707 Bogie looking good.   Monday, June 6 View Page Upcoming Temps. A little early and a bit much!   Thursday, June 16 View Page Plants are looking good but that's because I'm watering like crazy. I started plants late because I was worried about above normal Temps expected this year. Might need a place to stay when my wife sees the water bill. Can't buy a rain in Southern Iowa and mid to upper 90's is a bit much for June. Total opposite from last year when we were downing around here.   Monday, June 20 View Page Getting a wind fence up on the patch. Hoping it will rain soon. It is a drought around here   Thursday, June 23 View Page From what I seen on Don Youngs post a while back I might as well give up. Pumpkin at the top of my patch isn't anywhere close to what he has under the sheet!   Thursday, June 23 View Page It's pretty bad when you feel like it's a cool day at 86 degrees!   Monday, June 27 View Page 1450 Steil.   Monday, June 27 View Page 1707 Bogie.   Monday, June 27 View Page 1450 Steil.   Tuesday, June 28 View Page Pollinated a nice 5 lobe on a 1756 Lancaster this morning. 1756 x 1622 Young. Hope to get a nice heavy cross. Only 10 foot out, but if it took I might just go with it. It was freezing around here today. 82 degrees!   Saturday, July 2 View Page Finally getting some rain.   Monday, July 4 View Page Growing!! Happy 4th of July everyone.   Monday, July 4 View Page I don't believe the 1st 5 lobe took on the 1756 Lancaster, but then I get a perfect 5 lobe to pollinate again with the 1622 Young this morning. Hope this one takes.   Thursday, July 7 View Page Finally might get a decent rain this morning. I hope we get 3"   Tuesday, July 12 View Page Well my first pollination on my 1756 Lancaster actually did take. It is growing awfully slow though. 2nd pollination is aborting. Just pollinated this nice 5 lobe on the 1756 with my 1450 Steil. 3 -5 lobers in a row on the 1756. Actually getting some rain. 9 tenths on Sunday and 1 inch this morning with more coming.   Sunday, July 17 View Page 20 DAP 975.5 Gansert x 1374 Engel. 66 cc - 42 ss - 45 ee - 153 Ott. Wife and I are hoping to grow a couple big orange this year. This is a nice long pumpkin and will definitely be orange.   Monday, July 18 View Page 20 DAP 1756 Lancaster x 1622 Young. 65 CC - 46.5 SS - 45 EE- 156.5 OTT. Started very slow and it's taking off now. 13.5" gain for day 20. Great shape on this pumpkin.   Monday, July 18 View Page And you wonder why we have a heck of a time growing big pumpkins in Iowa. Good grief.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page Day 20 1235 Davis x 1756 Lancaster 83.5 CC - 51 SS - 52 EE - 186.5 OTT. Est 154 lbs on GPC chart. Pretty excited that my own seed is leading the patch for now. Worried about the crazy heat coming here for the rest of the week. Talking 105 to 115 heat index.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page I guess you should be careful on what you wish for. Got a little over 3" of rain in 45 minutes with high winds. Some plant damage. Hope this doesn't blow my pumpkins up.   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Mass killing of cucumber Beatles in my Jack-o-lantern pumpkin patch tonight. Sprayed 1/2 acre patch with Warrior.   Wednesday, July 27 View Page Day 30 on my 975.5 Gansert. 106 CC - 63 SS - 67 EE OTT 236. Norm has his growing better than I do. Same age. I've got some sub standard soil I'm growing in. Nice orange pumpkin though. Can't say it's the weather now. All my pumpkins have slowed now for the last 3 days and we are having highs in the 80's instead of heat index in the 110 degree range. Go figure.   Wednesday, July 27 View Page 975.5 Gansert day 30 side view.   Thursday, July 28 View Page 30 DAP 1756 Lancaster x 1622 Young. Pumpkin has a great shape. 107.5 CC - 74.5 SS - 70.5 EE - OTT 253 - 364 lbs. Not great numbers on day 30, but it is when the pumpkin was barely the size of a baseball on day 12. Didn't think it had took then it took off. Only 10 feet out on main. 2nd and 3rd set aborted behind this one.   Friday, July 29 View Page Day 30 on my 1235 Davis. She's flat ugly, sorry Bubba lol. 117 CC - 71 SS - 69 EE / 257 OTT / 380 lbs. Fun growing your own seed.   Sunday, July 31 View Page Day 20 was yesterday on 1622 Young x 1756 Lancaster. 78.5 CC - 53 SS - 52.5 EE / 184 OTT / 148 lbs. Couple weeks behind the other pumpkins. Never had a female available until 18 foot. Growing nicely.   Monday, August 1 View Page 1756 Lancaster is oozing all over the front. Is this going to be OK untreated ? Should I use some peroxide and sulfur fungicide powder on these areas? Could someone email me on this please.   Monday, August 1 View Page Another 1756 Lancaster pic on the front.   Tuesday, August 2 View Page 3.5" of rain this morning and still raining. Hope this doesn't blow my pumpkins up. Triple digit heat index starting again for about 3 days. Went from drought to flash flooding. More rain coming this week.   Saturday, August 6 View Page Day 40 on my 975.5 Gansert. 130.5.CC - 73.5 SS - 77.5 EE / OTT- 281.5 / 501 lbs. Great long and beautiful pumpkin. Really like this pumpkin.   Saturday, August 6 View Page 975.5 Gansert side view.   Saturday, August 6 View Page 975.5 Gansert side view.   Sunday, August 7 View Page Day 40 on 1756 Lancaster. 128 CC - 86.5 SS - 82 EE / 296.5 OTT / 584 lbs. Not getting good gains, but by far the nicest shaped pumpkin I've ever grown. Cracks on the front of the pumpkin are healing.   Monday, August 8 View Page 1235 Davis day 40. 135 CC - 81 SS - 78.5 EE / 293.5 OTT / 567 lbs. I can grow em ugly Bubba.   Thursday, August 11 View Page Loaded and ready for the Iowa State Fair.   Saturday, August 13 View Page My wife and I were lucky enough to get a 2nd place finish at the Iowa State Fair yesterday. 902 lbs on a 1450 Steil seed. Again as last year no plant or pumpkin problems with this seed. A big thank you to Scott Steil. Its been a tough year with growing in this weather this year.   Tuesday, August 16 View Page Day 50 on 975.5 Gansert. 134.5 CC - 79 SS - 82 EE / 295.5. She's a beauty.   Wednesday, August 17 View Page 1756 Lancaster day 50.   Thursday, August 18 View Page 1235 Davis on day 50.   Friday, August 26 View Page 975.5 Gansert Day 50. Wow!   Friday, August 26 View Page My bad. Last post is Day 60 on the 975.5 Gansert.   Saturday, August 27 View Page Day 60 on the 1756 Lancaster x 1622 Young. Fantastic shape and seems to be extra solid. Hoping for a way heavy pumpkin!   Saturday, August 27 View Page Harvested seeds out of my 902 lb pumpkin from the State Fair today. Nice thick walls.   Sunday, August 28 View Page Day 60 on the "Blob". 1235 Davis x 1756 Lancaster. Not pretty, but still growing.   Monday, September 5 View Page Day 70 on my 975.5 Gansert seed. I don't think I will ever be able to grow another pumpkin as pretty as this one. This is the first time I have ever tried to grow a big orange.   Monday, September 5 View Page My Jack-o-lantern pumpkins are starting to come on with all the heat we have had. I might add 1st time I've grown a patch and they are nice sized and quality is great. Guess I got lucky.   Tuesday, September 6 View Page 1756 Lancaster day 70. Still chugging along.   Thursday, September 15 View Page Day 80 on my 975.5 Gansert seed. Beautiful pumpkin. Still growing.   Friday, September 16 View Page Day 80 on my 1756 Lancaster seed. Still growing!   Saturday, September 17 View Page Day 80 on the Blob. 1235 Davis seed. Still growing.   Tuesday, September 20 View Page Well here's my youngest grandson who loves pumpkins. Sporting my gardening hat and probably a future pumpkin grower. Might need to get a couple more years under his belt since he isn't even 2 years old yet. Can't wait to get him going.   Wednesday, September 21 View Page Sold 200 really nice Jack-o-lantern pumpkins at our local Amish produce auction yesterday. There was only 12,000 pumpkins there for sale yesterday for the buyers to bid on. It was a sea of orange. Mine were great quality and size and sold high. They went to Illinois.   Saturday, September 24 View Page Won the 1st annual Bloomfield weigh off. Pleasantly suprised. My 1235 Davis 2015 seed went 10% heavy. Taped 963 lbs and official weight was 1,070.5 lbs.   Saturday, September 24 View Page Grew the 1622 Young x 1756 Lancaster with my daughter. Shes hooked. Younger pumpkin and we got a 2nd place with it at the 1st annual weigh off in Bloomfield. It went heavy. Official weight was 741.5 lbs   Saturday, September 24 View Page Took an exhibition pumpkin since we had a couple others at our Bloomfield weigh off. Really young pumpkin. It is from a 1374 Engel seed. 3 other pumpkins on the same plant. It went heavy at 342 lbs. It's a looker.   Sunday, September 25 View Page Day 90 on my 975.5 Gansert seed.   Monday, September 26 View Page Day 90 on my 1756 Lancaster. I'm calling her "The Rock". Still growing.   Thursday, September 29 View Page Trying to figure out which hunting trip I really want to win. Found this gold can in my box tonight! Never Elk hunted before. That would be nice.   Friday, September 30 View Page 975.5 Gansert is by far the prettiest pumpkin I've ever grown. Great shape with a flat bottom. Everything was sound. Went to pick it up and got a stress crack from its own weight. Was going to Anamosa hoping to maybe get a Howard Dill award. The Crack isn't that deep, but a 3 hour drive would surely blow her wide open. Estimated 760 lbs. Grandkids have one heck of a Jack-o-lantern.   Friday, September 30 View Page More pics of my 975.5 Gansert.   Friday, September 30 View Page Stress crack on my 975.5 Gansert after picking it up to load for Anamosa. Sickening.   Friday, October 7 View Page 1756 Lancaster loaded and ready to go. 101 days old. Proud of this pumpkin. Just wished I would have had my soil amended in the fall. Thank you Ron Wallace for your products that I used this year. I might not know what I'm talking about, but I predict this pumpkin to go really nice and heavy. Nice thumper.   Saturday, October 8 View Page 1756 Lancaster x 1622 Young is now the 1042.5 Davis 2016. 2nd place at Pawnee City Nebraska's Harvest Bash. 5% heavy.   Sunday, October 9 View Page Just harvested 11 pumpkins off the 189.5 Steil pumpkin plant. 331 lbs of pumpkin. Biggest one was 48 lbs. No care to this enormous and I mean enormous plant. Gave up on pollinating because everything aborted on the main. I'm sure I had too much nitrogen in the soil at that time. 5 nice shaped pumpkins for the grandkids. I have picked at least 15 others off in the past and threw away.   Sunday, October 16 View Page Picking 1000 plus pound pumpkins up is a heck of a lot easier than this!   Sunday, November 6 View Page Harvested seeds out of my 760 lbs estimated pumpkin that I grew on the 975.5 Gansert seed today. Had a really good seed count. Perfect inside even after a month off the vine. Walls were thicker than I thought they would be. Should have taken it to Anamosa. I'm sure it wouldn't have opened clear up on the Crack that it had. Oh well live and learn.   Sunday, November 6 View Page Walls on the 760 est.   Sunday, November 6 View Page Walls on my 760 est.   Thursday, November 10 View Page Too many peace officers being killed in the line of duty these days.   Sunday, November 27 View Page Finally got around to putting some composted horse manure on a couple patches. Plowed it in today right before some much needed rain.   Saturday, December 24 View Page Merry Christmas to all growers and your families across the world. Best of luck to all of you in 2017!