Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 113 Entries. Friday, January 22 View Page Germination test on my 685 est from 2015. Probably won't see dirt in my patch this year, but I plan to share seeds with some first-time growers. Plus, it helps beat the cabin fever. All three came up, but one has funny looking cots.   Friday, January 22 View Page Just came in the mail today. My wife requested I grow another big orange. Hope one of these does the trick!   Monday, February 29 View Page Put an order in to the Farmer's Exchange for a 50 lb bag of 0-0-50. Also ordered zinc sulfate and copper sulfate from Alpha Chemicals today. Tomorrow is already March. Time to start getting my ducks in a row.   Monday, February 29 View Page For iceman...oh and don't forget the half-box of worm bedding!   Thursday, March 10 View Page Orders placed for a fertilizer injector, companion, and essential plus. Also picked up a grow light for seed starting. Hoping my young plants won't get so leggy this year. Still quite a bit on my shopping list I need to get.   Friday, March 11 View Page Ordered some kelp from Holland's and some Pumpkin Pro from Ron. Checking more off the list...   Friday, March 18 View Page Test on a new phone   Wednesday, March 23 View Page Stocking up. Added a bag of pro mix with bio fungicide to the pile today. Pictured is some compost, gypsum, and 0-0-50.   Monday, April 4 View Page Practice run under the new light with proper starting mix. Light is on 18 hours per day.   Thursday, April 14 View Page Amendments added. Tilling tomorrow.   Friday, April 15 View Page All tilled up today. I pay a guy from a few miles up the road to do it. He uses the money to pay for his grandkids to go to scout camp. A win-win if you ask me! Fence goes back up tomorrow   Sunday, April 17 View Page Fence up and hoops started. Plan to finish them up and start seeds in the next few days.   Tuesday, April 19 View Page Hoop houses finished. Last year I put them on my list for ways to improve. Next year I'm sure I'll have ideas on how to improve these. I'm happy with them for my first try at building them.   Saturday, April 23 View Page 359 Foss showing a bump in the soil. Started on Wednesday the 20th around 5:30pm.   Sunday, April 24 View Page 359 out of the ground, 1744.5 pushing.   Monday, April 25 View Page Have the plants out for an hour or two of natural sunlight. Also watered with Companion and Essential Plus.   Monday, April 25 View Page Just noticed this on the 1744.5 looks like the cots have a thin or even undeveloped center. Anyone have any advice? Keep going or start another seed? This is the only 1744.5 I've got.   Tuesday, April 26 View Page 1744.5 still not looking too great. Started a 2008 Neptune. If it catches the 1744.5 then it wins the spot. Installed a gift from my wife in the patch tonight as well.   Monday, May 2 View Page Transplanted the 359 Foss and the 1744.5 Fulk. Planting holes got worm castings, blood meal, a little Dr. Earth vegetable fertilizer with mycorrhiza, wow mycorrhiza, a little potting soil, and some promix with bio fungicide. Watered with dilute mix of companion, essentials plus, and a high P fertilizer.   Thursday, May 5 View Page No neighbor, I'm not crazy...   Thursday, May 5 View Page 1744.5 Fulk getting tucked in for the night   Thursday, May 5 View Page 359 Foss getting a bedtime story   Saturday, May 7 View Page 359 Foss 5 days after transplant   Tuesday, May 10 View Page Watered each plant with about a half gallon of half strength neptunes fish & seaweed, companion, and essentials plus.   Wednesday, May 11 View Page 359 Foss 9 days after transplant   Wednesday, May 11 View Page 1744.5 Fulk 9 days after transplant   Wednesday, May 11 View Page View of the patch from my patio.   Thursday, May 12 View Page Watered in 1/3 cup granular merit per plant with about a gallon of water. Also an observation: Used two different brands of 6 mil plastic for my two cold frames. One is clearer than the other, and I have noticed it seems the clearer one gets hotter during the day. Must let more sunshine in.   Friday, May 13 View Page This is what I was looking at this time last year (my first). Next two pictures are what I have this year   Friday, May 13 View Page 359   Friday, May 13 View Page 1744.5   Monday, May 16 View Page For my records: watered with quarter-strength Companion, Essential Plus, and high P fertilizer.   Thursday, May 19 View Page 1744.5   Thursday, May 19 View Page 359   Monday, May 23 View Page Cold frames came down today. Wind breaks went up.   Monday, May 23 View Page 359 Foss   Monday, May 23 View Page 1744.5 Fulk   Tuesday, May 31 View Page 1744.5   Tuesday, May 31 View Page 359   Tuesday, May 31 View Page Better shot of the 1744.5   Tuesday, May 31 View Page Not sure about this. A secondary that grows straight with the main? A secondary I failed to train in the right direction? A double main? Any advice on what to do with it? Right now I'm trying to train it off to the side.   Friday, June 3 View Page 1744.5 Fulk   Friday, June 3 View Page 359 Foss   Monday, June 6 View Page Pics from my pumpkin sitter. On vacation for a bit. Watered with companion and essential plus and sprayed eagle and bifen before we left. This is the 359   Monday, June 6 View Page 1744.5   Tuesday, June 7 View Page Another update from my "sitter" first female on the 1744.5   Thursday, June 16 View Page 1744.5 Fulk - Pollinated first female this morning at 10 ft. Have another that will be ready soon at 12 ft.   Thursday, June 16 View Page 359 Foss   Thursday, June 16 View Page Looks like another female on the 1744.5 at around 14 feet. So that makes three now at 10 ft, 12 ft, and 14 ft. (Plus a few in side vines) Probably won't keep the one I pollinated today at 10 ft but I'll wait and see.   Monday, June 20 View Page 1744.5 second pollination at 12' yesterday. Pretty hot last two days so I kept the first female at 10' just in case. Soon have one ready around 14 or 15'.   Monday, June 20 View Page 359 still no females   Wednesday, June 22 View Page Up early to get some extra wind screen up.   Wednesday, June 22 View Page Scored some free used shade cloth from a friend of a friend that used to raise pheasants. Not bad for $0 and some zip ties.   Thursday, June 23 View Page Pollinated the 1744.5 x self this morning at 15' Third pollination on the main vine on that plant since June 16th. I hope this one takes and is my keeper.   Sunday, June 26 View Page First cull of the year. 10 DAP. Barely at 10 feet on the 1744.5 Have others farther out but still difficult to cut one off though.   Sunday, June 26 View Page Pollinated the 359 for the first time this morning. Also set up some irrigation. Attempting to use micro sprayers under the canopy. I figure I can weed easily and hope to keep the leaves dry. Time will tell. Pic is the 1744.5 getting a test run   Wednesday, June 29 View Page Not the most professional set up but it's quite a step up for me from last year   Wednesday, June 29 View Page Patch filling in nicely. Starting to terminate secondaries.   Monday, July 4 View Page 1744.5 DAP 15.   Friday, July 8 View Page No need to water for a little while. Just hope the kins can handle it.   Sunday, July 10 View Page Patch view. 359 in front. 1744.5 in the back.   Sunday, July 10 View Page View from the opposite side.   Saturday, July 16 View Page 1744 DAP 27   Saturday, July 16 View Page 359 DAP 20   Wednesday, July 20 View Page Under canopy picture capturing a couple of the mini jet sprayers doing their job. I use an EZ Flo to feed lightly through the sprayers when I water.   Tuesday, July 26 View Page Yesterday my brother from Oregon who has been visiting for two weeks brought his drone over to take aerial patch pictures. I had everything cleaned up and tidied up in preparation. Unfortunately a few hours before he got here we had a bad hail storm. Pictures to follow.   Tuesday, July 26 View Page Before   Tuesday, July 26 View Page After   Tuesday, July 26 View Page Before   Tuesday, July 26 View Page After (lots of bamboo stakes)   Tuesday, July 26 View Page Drone shot #1   Tuesday, July 26 View Page Drone shot #2. Me and my wife. These things are crazy. Gave me an uneasy feeling. I think because it sounded like a swarm of killer giant hornets. Haha   Tuesday, July 26 View Page Should have mentioned pictures are of all the leaves that the storm knocked over and after I propped them all back up with what seemed like a million bamboo stakes.   Wednesday, July 27 View Page 1744 DAP 38 This pumpkin is ahead in estimated weight by DAP day and calendar day when compared to last year.   Wednesday, July 27 View Page 359 DAP 31 This pumpkin is also beating last years numbers by DAP and by calendar days.   Monday, August 1 View Page The bad news: New Berlin has become a mini tornado alley of sorts the past week. Hail. Wind. Downpours. Seems like with any rain comes a hail warning. The good news: both pumpkins passed 500 a few days ago. Well ahead of last year in both DAP and calendar days.   Tuesday, August 2 View Page Battling some stem rot on both pumpkins. Dealt with a little last year around mid-September, but this is shaping up to be worse. Scraped out any soft areas, wiped down with 10:1 bleach solution, and dusted with sulfur. I plan to install some fans later today. Starting to think last year was beginners luck.   Wednesday, August 3 View Page 1744 DAP 44   Wednesday, August 3 View Page 359 DAP 37   Wednesday, August 3 View Page Moved the pumpkin back about 3 or 4 inches. I noticed the main was much looser on either side of the stem. Treated with 10:1 bleach, sulfur, and fan. If anyone has any suggestions of what else I can do please email me. I will post another pic after this one. Thanks   Wednesday, August 3 View Page View with the flash on.   Monday, August 8 View Page 1744 Gains dropping off sharply but the last few vines have been growing like crazy. Hope I don't lose it. Sorry Paul I'm not doing the seed justice.   Monday, August 8 View Page Crazy shemale flower off the 1744   Monday, August 8 View Page Very odd   Monday, August 8 View Page Again, odd   Monday, August 8 View Page 359   Friday, August 19 View Page 1744 DAP 60 I seem to have the main vine and stump issues dried up. Started to gain a little weight again but slowly.   Friday, August 19 View Page 359 DAP 53   Monday, August 29 View Page Wide load! No records or weighoff winners here, but it estimates over my PB from last year, which was my rookie season. I'm keeping up with sprayings and feedings. Can't slack off now with a month to go.   Wednesday, August 31 View Page Bought a trailer today. I just hope the pumpkins stay together and I can put it to good use.   Saturday, September 3 View Page Gave a good drench of neptunes fish and seaweed, companion, and some cal-mag this morning. Final month begins!   Sunday, September 4 View Page View from the other end.   Sunday, September 11 View Page Climbed into my treestand to practice shooting my bow and couldn't resist a patch pic. Not as good as the drone but still enjoyed the view.   Tuesday, September 20 View Page Getting behind on diary updates although I doubt anyone misses them coming from me. Anyway here's the 359 picture taken a week and a half ago. Passed my PB by the tape over a month ago. Been a wild ride I just hope she cooperates for another 10 days!   Tuesday, September 20 View Page The 1744 is limping along. Getting lots of lumps but not much in gain in inches. Just about 1 pound per day now. No pic, but here is the stump for documentation.   Sunday, September 25 View Page I thinks she's getting deeper color! Also really happy with leaf health this late in the season compared to last year.   Wednesday, September 28 View Page Colors of fall! Last patch shot until loading day on Friday. Thursday is going to be a washout, so I started cleaning up the patch and covered the kins and areas around them with tarps.   Thursday, September 29 View Page All loaded up! Kidding. These were for sale at a local produce auction. The Amish man who grew them told be the biggest was 765.   Friday, September 30 View Page Loading day. Finally here and of course it rains. First the 1744...up   Friday, September 30 View Page And away   Friday, September 30 View Page Vine trimmed on the 359   Friday, September 30 View Page And a quick picture with my wife   Friday, September 30 View Page 359 up   Friday, September 30 View Page And away   Friday, September 30 View Page Loaded up! The only better sigh of relief is when they are on the scale.   Saturday, October 1 View Page Arrived in Altoona without a hitch.   Saturday, October 1 View Page Quick picture opportunity   Saturday, October 1 View Page The lineups. Mine is on the left   Saturday, October 1 View Page Our exhibition entry: 1744.5 Fulk X self. Now 712.5 Wagner. Had issues on this one ranging from hail to dripping stump. Happy to get it to the scale.   Saturday, October 1 View Page And our official entry and new PB: 349 Foss X self. Now the 1148 Wagner. Came out light but happy to hit 1K. Had a great day catching up and meeting new folks. Thanks PGPGA and all the volunteers for another great event.   Tuesday, October 4 View Page My 1148 looking good at its new home.   Thursday, October 27 View Page Stole this from my wife's facebook. We carved the only pumpkin we kept. This was a 1744.5 Fulk x self, pollinated very late on a tertiary vine. I left it on when the main pumpkin on this plant basically quit growing. That pumpkin turned out to be 712.5 This one we carved I never did get an OTT, but you can see it wasn't all that thick. This one served its purpose: seed stock and decoration.   Sunday, December 4 View Page A little late posting this, but thanks again Q Tip!