Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 70 Entries. Sunday, March 27 View Page Back to growing in the ground this year. I have decided to double dig the entire 20' x 20' hoop house. 1 foot of soil is first put to the side. I then used a broadfork to break up the sub-soil 14" down. Completed first row today.   Friday, April 8 View Page 2nd row completed today   Monday, April 11 View Page Soil test results.   Sunday, April 17 View Page These are the three seeds I am starting: 1756.5 Howell/Jolivette 2014, 1781 Zywiec 2014, and 1374 Engel 2014   Monday, April 18 View Page Seeds were soaked for 8 hours in distilled water. Cups were placed on a heat mat to keep the water warm. The seed edges were not filed.   Monday, April 18 View Page Seeds were then placed into 4" air pots and placed on the heat mat under fluorescent lights.   Sunday, April 24 View Page The 1781 (right) and 1374 (center) were the first to come up. Time to place into larger pots, roots were seen coming out the bottom.   Sunday, April 24 View Page 1781 and 1374 potted up. Added azos and mycorrhizae to the soil mix.   Sunday, April 24 View Page 3rd row done, time to pick up the pace!   Wednesday, April 27 View Page Rough start for the 1756.5   Friday, April 29 View Page Getting some sun for the first time   Tuesday, May 3 View Page Left the plants outside in dappled shade for 4 hours. The 1781 flopped backwards either from wind or a bird sitting on it. Added more soil to prop it up. The 2nd leaf on the 1374 appears to have been scorched.   Tuesday, May 3 View Page 1374 2nd leaf, sun scorch?   Sunday, May 8 View Page The 1781 is the best looking plant, so it went into the hoop house today.   Sunday, May 8 View Page 1781 in the ground   Monday, May 9 View Page Hmm I think the fertilizer in the Miracle Gro potting soil was too much for the 1374.   Sunday, May 15 View Page The 1781 is starting out as double vine, note the wide base.   Sunday, May 22 View Page I fear the 1781 double vine will split in the future.   Sunday, May 22 View Page But it does appear a single vine has started to grow.   Thursday, May 26 View Page I mounded some dirt under the main to help it down.   Thursday, May 26 View Page Double tendril, then the main vine appears normal afterwards.   Saturday, May 28 View Page Root   Saturday, May 28 View Page The 1781 has been in the ground for almost 3 weeks now, main is down and running.   Wednesday, June 1 View Page The main on the 1781 is close to 5 feet today. Secondaries are starting to move.   Tuesday, June 7 View Page Main is now 7 ft on the 1781. Also tested the irrigation system.   Wednesday, June 8 View Page Started burying vines with a mixture of azos, mycos, and a compost/soil blend   Saturday, June 11 View Page Going to try a 30% white shade cloth over the hoop house   Sunday, June 12 View Page And here is the shade cloth installed   Sunday, June 12 View Page The 1781 has been in the ground for 5 weeks now. The main vine is 10 feet long. Added some elevated walking boards to each side of the plant.   Sunday, June 12 View Page And we have our first pumpkin showing up on the main vine.   Monday, June 13 View Page First male flowers opened today   Sunday, June 19 View Page Temps have been hot outside, near 90. Trying to prevent the new leaves on the secondaries from burning up.   Wednesday, June 22 View Page Pollination day is tomorrow for the first pumpkin on the main vine of the 1781. Its close to 15 ft from the stump.   Thursday, June 23 View Page Ready for pollination   Thursday, June 23 View Page 5 lobes, good symmetry   Thursday, June 23 View Page The pumpkin was selfed, only had two males to work with   Thursday, June 23 View Page Patch view panaorama   Saturday, June 25 View Page Anthesis applied two days after pollination   Saturday, June 25 View Page The main vine is about 20 ft long and curving to the left after the pumpkin, no more room in the hoop house.   Sunday, July 3 View Page 10 DAP   Friday, July 8 View Page 15 DAP basketball   Wednesday, July 13 View Page 1781 Zywiec 20 DAP, 118 OTT (34-35-49), estimated 40 pounds   Wednesday, July 13 View Page Patch panorama from stump   Wednesday, July 13 View Page 1781 stump, 1/2 PVC below for scale   Wednesday, July 13 View Page Patch panorama from pumpkin. Hoop house is full and nearly all secondaries are terminated.   Saturday, July 16 View Page Terminated the main vine on the 1781 today, somewhere between 25-30 ft.   Monday, July 18 View Page 1781 Zywiec 25 DAP, 165 OTT (47-47-71), estimated 105 pounds. A kid got into the patch and touched the pumpkin at 20 DAP. Lesson learned, lock the gate!   Monday, July 18 View Page Keeping the main off the kin using a bungee and pool noodle section.   Saturday, July 23 View Page 1781 Zywiec 30 DAP, 209 OTT (57.5-56-95.5), estimated 208 pounds.   Thursday, July 28 View Page 35 DAP, 241 OTT (64-63-114), estimated 315 pounds, averaging 21 pounds per day.   Sunday, August 7 View Page 45 DAP, 280 OTT (72-71-137), estimated 486 pounds. Its been really hot the past few weeks, averaging 15 lbs per day now.   Wednesday, August 17 View Page 55 DAP, 296 OTT (75-75-146), estimated 571 pounds   Sunday, August 21 View Page Day 59, close to 600 lbs   Monday, August 22 View Page 60 DAP, 301 OTT (76-76-149), estimated 599 pounds   Friday, September 2 View Page 71 DAP, 309 OTT (77-78-154), estimated 647 pounds. Growth is way down, only a few pounds a day.   Friday, September 30 View Page Day 99, one week to go until weigh off   Saturday, October 1 View Page Habanero and tabasco pepper harvest   Thursday, October 6 View Page Last day in the patch   Friday, October 7 View Page Leaves removed and cut from the vine   Friday, October 7 View Page The lift   Friday, October 7 View Page Bottom was concave.   Friday, October 7 View Page It barely fit in the trailer!   Friday, October 7 View Page Just about ready to go.   Saturday, October 8 View Page The 1781 made it to the weigh-off 120 miles away at Hee Haw Farms   Saturday, October 8 View Page Pumpkins entered at the weigh-off   Saturday, October 8 View Page Pumpkins entered at the weigh-off   Saturday, October 8 View Page The 1781 hitting the scales   Saturday, October 8 View Page My personal best, 672.5 pounds and a 2nd place finish at the Hee Haw Farms weigh-off. Final measurements at 106 DAP was 317 OTT (79-79-159), 3.4% light to chart.   Saturday, October 8 View Page Growth curve   Monday, October 31 View Page Happy Halloween!