Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 37 Entries. Sunday, February 5 View Page Time to start the diary for this year. First thing is the germinations setup. It consists of a black tray, dome and heat match.   Sunday, February 5 View Page Picture of the heat mat below the tray. It is plugged into the relay controls   Sunday, February 5 View Page The controls for the germination chamber utilizing Mysensors and Arduino on a radio network. The plastic box has the controller and the moisture/heat sensor. The white outlets are standard 433MHz remote control outlets connected to the home automation controllers. The light will be on a timer and heat mat will be controlled by temperature   Sunday, February 5 View Page These are several controllers some homemade and others off the shelf. All of them will utilize Arduino system programs. The lower left is a wifi relay board which will control 24VAC solenoid valves for watering. The middle 6, the home made will monitor temperature and soil moisture when complete. The others are for show but will be put to use.   Sunday, February 5 View Page This is a picture off a pc based controller showing some of the sensors. It logs data and graphs the information.   Friday, February 10 View Page A screen shot of my other controller (Vera) which is easily accessible online to make changes to the system. It work well with my IPhone so I can turn on and off valves/oulets and monitor temperature   Sunday, May 7 View Page The plants have been in the ground a week. It has been cold and wet but the pumpkins did ok. This is my *1204 Horton 16   Sunday, May 7 View Page My 1278 Horton 15 and is the second largest plant. I'm really impressed with the growth.   Sunday, May 7 View Page My one orange plant the 1297.5 Young 16. It is already being difficult by growing the wrong way   Sunday, May 7 View Page My 1297.5 Horton 16 pumpkin. It is the largest in the patch   Sunday, May 7 View Page My 1422 Horton plant growing ok but slow. I let the cold frames dry out and it slowed the plants down   Sunday, May 7 View Page 1438 Horton 15 plant, it is from my largest pumpkin.   Sunday, May 7 View Page 1662.0 DeBacco 15, I will see if this cross is better than the reverse I grew last year.   Sunday, May 7 View Page 2008 Neptune, I haven't killed it yet. The last two I tried to grow didn't make it much further.   Sunday, May 7 View Page 2261 Wallace 16, It is looking good hopefully it will start to take off, weather permitting   Friday, May 12 View Page I had a big problem with my biggest pumpkin plant today. It involved these chicks   Friday, May 12 View Page The chickens got into the cold frame and had a wild party on my 1297.5 Horton plant. It now has no leaves and is a 3'+ vine. The good news is the growing tip is ok and the secondary nodes are good. It should recover fine   Friday, July 14 View Page Its been awhile since I last posted anything. First up is my 1297.5 Horton 16 crossed with 1278 Horton 15 on 6/25 @ 12' with 3 lobes.   Friday, July 14 View Page 1278 Horton 15 x self @ 12', 5 lobe on 6/25.   Friday, July 14 View Page My 2008 Neptune plant has been giving me a hard time for pollinations. This is one of two open pollination is the last week. If it doesn't take I'm pulling the plant.   Friday, July 14 View Page MY 1204 Horton 16 squash, selfed at 12', 6 lobe. pollinations on 7/6.   Friday, July 14 View Page 1662.0 DeBacco 15 x 1297.5 Young 16 at 12', 4 lobe   Friday, July 14 View Page A little bit of roundup damage on edges of the leaves. I wasn't careful enough with drip while spraying the weeds   Friday, July 14 View Page 2261 Wallace 16 x 1662 DeBacco 15 @ 11', 4 lobe pollinated on 6/28   Friday, July 14 View Page 1297.5 Young 16 x Self @ 14', 4 lobe, pollinated on 6/24. It is also the best looking and largest plant is the patch   Friday, July 14 View Page 1422 Horton 16 x 2261 Wallace 16 @ 16', 4 lobe pollinated on 7/9   Friday, July 14 View Page 1438 Horton 15 x 1297.5 Young 16 @ 15', 4 lobe pollinated on 7/3. I also have n earlier pollination but plan on removing it when I'm sure this has taken.   Friday, July 14 View Page My biggest watermelon plant. I'm having problems with the other ones.   Friday, July 14 View Page This is my interspecific field pump cross. It is 1/2 AG, the father is 2323 Meirer. It has been crossed with another cross where the father was a 1813 Northrup. The mother of both is a field pumpkin crossed with a butternutxAG cross. I'm hoping the result is an extra large field pumpkin.   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1297.5 Horton 16 OTT 295" or 574lbs   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1278 Horton 15 OTT 291" 551 lbs. Plant is having some issues but still strong.   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1297.5 Young 16 OTT 292", 557lbs it is going to be orange and good shape   Sunday, August 6 View Page 2261 Wallace 16 ott 299, 596 lbs   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1438 Horton 15, OTT 231". 283lbs   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1422 Horton 16, OTT 220", 246 lbs   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1622 DeBacco 15, OTT 244", 331 lbs   Sunday, August 6 View Page *1204 Horton 16, OTT 223". 256 lbs