Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 85 Entries. Monday, April 4 View Page Despite the recent cold snap, I am excited to grow some more giant pumpkins after my successful first year. I ended up with two pumpkins that I entered in the Canfield Fair, they were the 480.5 Frost and the 157 Frost. This year I plan on growing the 1609 Clementz, 480.5 Frost possibly, and 1277.5 Caspers. This Friday, Cviewmike851 and I are going to disc the patch and start getting ready for our seasons! Here is a pic of the 480.5 Frost.   Monday, April 4 View Page Pic of the patch after I mowed the winter rye last week, it was getting pretty high.   Friday, April 8 View Page Built some mini hoop house/cold frames for when the time comes to move the pumpkins to the patch.   Saturday, April 9 View Page Got some mail from Bubba!   Saturday, April 9 View Page Getting some more practice starting seeds! Weather is looking positive for gardening after this cold spell we have this weekend.   Saturday, April 9 View Page Got some more seeds in the mail, I have to choose which ones to grow now! Thanks to Pcaspers for the extra/free 1033.5 seeds, I really appreciate it!   Monday, April 11 View Page Weather starting to look promising!   Monday, April 11 View Page Fixed the leaky vacuum breaker on the spigot, looking into putting an order into dripworks for some irrigation. Standing and hosing down the plants every day with the hose and spray head was a pretty terrible system.   Wednesday, April 13 View Page Test seeds all germinated   Thursday, April 14 View Page Talk to me in about 10 hours after I'm done, it will be worth it though.   Friday, April 15 View Page Getting closer....   Friday, April 15 View Page Got the patch tilled, moved out one hoop house. I'll get the second out later.   Friday, April 15 View Page 480.5 Frosts grew well.   Sunday, April 17 View Page These test 480.5's grew some good roots!   Sunday, April 17 View Page New home for this 480.5, hoping this plant does well and could be my entry in Canfield Fair!   Monday, April 18 View Page Added some composted manure around the initial planting sites.   Monday, April 18 View Page Inception of my idea to grow Atlantic Giants? Just took awhile to realize it I guess...should've saved this for throwback Thursday   Wednesday, April 20 View Page The patch is slowly taking shape, wind fence will go up next and a buckwheat cover crop, drip tape to follow.   Friday, April 22 View Page Took some R&R from pumpkins!   Sunday, May 1 View Page The patch is ready just waiting on warmer temps.   Monday, May 2 View Page Starting some backups, weather took a turn pumpkins in the hoop houses seem stalled with the cold wet weather   Sunday, May 8 View Page 1033 Caspers looking solid.   Sunday, May 8 View Page 1609 Clementz is growing the best out of my plants!   Monday, May 9 View Page Backup 480.5 Frosts and 157's growing strong   Monday, May 9 View Page It won't be the thickest cover crop, but buckwheat is emerging amongst the weeds and rye grass that survived the tilling.   Monday, May 9 View Page My 1277 Caspers has had a rough go since transplanting. Cold temps probably didn't help last week. New growth is looking good though. Should I pull this and go with a backup? Any advice would be great!   Monday, May 9 View Page Dripworks order has been placed!   Tuesday, May 10 View Page 1609 Clementz still going!   Tuesday, May 10 View Page 1033 Casper adding some growth. The pumpkins and I are looking forward to the warm weather coming up!   Tuesday, May 10 View Page Talked with Alan Gibson on the phone this evening, great guy with tons of info and tips! Hoping I can make it to the OVGPG patch tour this summer.   Friday, May 13 View Page With mid to high 30 lows in the forecast the pumpkins will be getting some extra protection   Friday, May 13 View Page Yes, there are tops as well   Sunday, May 15 View Page Well my soil heating device and heat source aka the sun is doing a miserable job this weekend. Looks like it will quit slacking off starting tomorrow.   Sunday, May 15 View Page Little heat to keep them safe.   Sunday, May 15 View Page Both hoop houses with some candles   Sunday, May 15 View Page I covered up the other plants really well with extra cloth, should keep them safe, no heat though.   Monday, May 16 View Page Candles kept everything comfy all night.   Monday, May 16 View Page this is what my patch needs!   Sunday, May 22 View Page 1609 Clementz growing well! Should take off this week! Good plant so far Bubba!   Sunday, May 22 View Page 1033 Caspers   Sunday, May 22 View Page 1277 Caspers was growing a little funky but seems like it has pulled through.   Sunday, May 22 View Page Smokey almost trampled through my patch, I kept him clear though. Just a curious bear doing bear things.   Monday, May 23 View Page The Frosty patch. Cover crop is a mixture of buckwheat and some rye grass.   Monday, May 23 View Page 3 pumpkins are vining should have them down In a few days I hope.   Thursday, May 26 View Page 1609 Clementz growing nice and steady !   Thursday, May 26 View Page 1033 Caspers   Thursday, May 26 View Page 1277 Caspers is growing well but I beleive it is stressed from the heat? IDK?   Friday, May 27 View Page 1033 Caspers vineyard down and running.   Friday, May 27 View Page 1609 Clementz running too.   Friday, May 27 View Page Big ole 147 Frost started a few weeks later than the rest.   Friday, May 27 View Page Employing some shade, Hot!!   Sunday, May 29 View Page All is well in the patch.   Sunday, May 29 View Page 1277 Caspers will be moved out of its hobo shanty soon.   Monday, May 30 View Page 1609 Clementz   Monday, May 30 View Page 1033 Caspers growing pretty much identical to 1609 Clemetnz   Friday, June 3 View Page All pumpkins are growing great! Secondaries are starting to branch out. Pretty much all tied except my own 157 planted late. Sure are a lot of bugs this year where I'm at.   Sunday, June 5 View Page Plants still moving along, had some wind damage sadly with some storms passing through :( I believe the 1277 Caspers could be jinxed and the winds are haunting it from Iowa. Splinted the leaves see how they pull through. Lost a leaf on the 1609 Clementz as well. Overall I'm happy with the progress of the plants!   Friday, June 10 View Page Plants are growing well, nothing riveting to report. Besides my late planted 157, the rest of the plants are in the 11' region roughly. Secondary growth is starting to pick up and slowly fill in the patch.   Friday, June 10 View Page Another view of the 1033 Caspers and 1609 Clementz.   Saturday, June 11 View Page Hot today near 90 but plants survived. Next two days should provide some great growth.   Saturday, June 11 View Page Males popping up all over.   Sunday, June 12 View Page 1033 Caspers might have taken the lead over the 1609 Clementz! Tight race so far.   Sunday, June 12 View Page My 480.5 on June 11th 2015. I'm hoping I can beat my rookie year! Off to a good start so far.   Tuesday, June 14 View Page Hopefully the plants keep on their current growth rate! Pics from yesterday. Overcast weather today won't help much though.   Tuesday, June 14 View Page Being bold and adding a timer to the irrigation system.   Tuesday, June 14 View Page Got rodents in the patch! Just Peter though he is the only one allowed :)   Wednesday, June 15 View Page Patch is trucking, rain is coming tomorrow hopefully no storms!   Wednesday, June 15 View Page Alternate view of the patch.   Friday, June 17 View Page Long day in the patch, weed control, sprayed insecticide/fungicide, buried vines,........   Saturday, June 18 View Page Going to be right around 90 next three days, hopefully not too much sun burn :( should start pollinating next week, hoping nothing is ready till highs cool down on Tuesday.   Sunday, June 19 View Page Filling in the patch slowly but surely!   Monday, June 20 View Page Will post crosses once pumpkins are set.   Wednesday, June 22 View Page Seeds in Blossom, deformed lobes, what are the chances of this forming a decent pumpkin? I'm thinking I'll cull as long as I get a better female. Do these ever grow into good pumpkins? Let me know at jefrost12@gmail   Wednesday, June 22 View Page Hoping for rain tonight to keep the growth going, no wind though would be awesome! This pic is pre-weeding I did this evening.   Friday, June 24 View Page Hopefully the abundance of roots popping up under the canopy is a good thing!   Friday, June 24 View Page Found an old piece of plywood I forgot I had sitting about 10 foot from one of the plants, lots of roots under it. I gently buried it.   Friday, June 24 View Page 1033 Capsers putting on the square footage. Roundup was applied to weeds and some were pulled.   Saturday, June 25 View Page Any ideas? My one plant looked fine yesterday now has this distinctive yellowing near leaf margins. Please email if you have any answers. Jefrost12@gmail.com   Sunday, June 26 View Page I have one plant showing signs or something, see previous post, but they're all growing which is a win in my book.   Monday, June 27 View Page Survived a little heat spell, should be normal temps for a week or so.   Wednesday, June 29 View Page My 1033 Caspers has been throwing some "Ron Jeremy" pumpkins. Nice stem length!   Thursday, June 30 View Page I have one set, At least I am hoping because I am culling the rest on it. Pollinated my late starts. Two candidates on the others. Best my patch has ever looked!   Saturday, July 2 View Page Pumpkins are happy, sadly it's supposed to get pretty warm next week.   Monday, July 4 View Page Got a little sprinkle of rain to keep everything happy! I have my two keepers, on the 1033 Caspers and 1609 Clementz.   Friday, July 8 View Page 1609 Clementz gaining some serious inches and lbs, the plant must really like this pumpkin most of the vine tips turned into clusters of male/females so that's about all of the plant it's going to get. 18 DAP