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Smoky Mtn Pumpkin (Team GWG) - 2017 Grower Diary Point your RSS aggregator here to subscribe to this Grower Diary.

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Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 65 Entries.
Sunday, February 12 View Page
One of my winter projects has been growing out a cross I made in the fall where I crossed my 302 with the JBD melon. Trying to see what i'll get. Had no males with this female so i'll have to get the next one. It was a great weekend outside, hit 75 today ! Also saw my first cuke beetle today, gonna be a bad bug year with the mild winter we have had. He didn't live long enough to get his picture taken, lol
 
Wednesday, February 15 View Page
My caveman gourd seeds. I tested the germination in the fall and none poped. Well after several cycles through the freezer, I'm happy to report 100% germination ! I got 6 out of 6 to pop !
 
Sunday, March 26 View Page
Spring ! My purple weed ground cover is about ready to till under ! LOL I like these. They just come up by them selves. The bees love them. There were lots of honey and bumble bees buzzing while I was working. So I help my soil and the bees at the same time. Nice.
 
Sunday, March 26 View Page
Time for the yearly compost ! Notice Bubba(the dog) waiting for me to leave so he can get in there and dig. He loves aerating the pile.... I don't !
 
Sunday, March 26 View Page
No the hard part, moving the compost I wheelbarrow at a time to the garden. Wonder if I can get my helper(Mia) to do it ;)
 
Saturday, April 1 View Page
Getting ready to move my compost and what do I find??? a big hole and its spread on my driveway. I wonder what happened ??
 
Saturday, April 1 View Page
picture
 
Saturday, April 1 View Page
guilty
 
Sunday, April 2 View Page
its about to get real.
 
Sunday, April 16 View Page
290 kent , 1st plant in the patch. Its a warm spring and I thought I would try an early plant. Needed to have a good melon for some early weighoffs. Got to go find a pine tree. Local stores are all sold out of pine straw.
 
Tuesday, April 18 View Page
2nd early plant was put in this spot. 318 Kent This picture gives an idea of the slope. Of cource i got rid of the ridges before i put the plant in. This is the same spot that the 350 WR was grown in 2013 I rested this spot last year. Hoping for some magic again !
 
Sunday, April 23 View Page
looking forward to some very fresh pineapple this summer. I rooted a top in the fall and kept it over the winter ! Will be waiting a few days to get back to work on the patch after all the rain this weekend. Glad I'm on a slope .
 
Monday, May 8 View Page
Got my last plant in the patch tonight. What crazy weather we have had. week before it was 92, then two wind storms and cold and rain last weekend. Mountain even had 7 inchs of snow. final line up looks to be: 290 Kent 2-302 Kent 3-318 Kent 290 Terry Also got my bushel Gourds starting. Looking forward to calmer weather. I'd post a picture, but left my phone at work ! LOL
 
Monday, May 15 View Page
Bushel gourds are up. Got the 177 Westfall, 270 Kent, and 279 English.
 
Monday, May 29 View Page
first Bushel gourds in the garden. 279 English on the left and 177 Westfall on the right will be fighting for the spot.
 
Thursday, June 1 View Page
did my first pollination of the season on an early plant. It was the 318 kent X sib. on may 30. never had one so early. Looks like it took. Now what to do with it as it was suppose to go to Cullman Al. Well i'll find a weighoff.
 
Saturday, June 10 View Page
Bushel Gourds are ready to take off
 
Saturday, June 10 View Page
318 Kent , early plant. First set didn't work, need another soon. Best looking plant so far of the early ones.
 
Saturday, June 10 View Page
318 Kent plant B , Another early one but very unbalanced. All the extra work doesn't seem to have worked, guess we will see. Still waiting on a female.
 
Saturday, June 10 View Page
the things I find in my patch. If you know what it is let me know. My guess is a northern tarantula. Never seen one or anything like it here.
 
Saturday, June 10 View Page
another look at the spider
 
Wednesday, June 14 View Page
Bushel gourd starting their run
 
Wednesday, June 14 View Page
Found this the day after the spider.
 
Wednesday, June 21 View Page
245 English bushel gourd. Growing fast, about one foot a day now
 
Tuesday, July 4 View Page
Got a 302 kent on a scale this year. Its got a bit of an odd shape but I should learn a bunch about how they grow. At least I won't be disappointed when it hits the scales.
 
Tuesday, July 4 View Page
290 kent plant B , this is a really bad shape, just nonething else on the plant.
 
Tuesday, July 4 View Page
302 kent plant B Very much like last years. :)
 
Tuesday, July 4 View Page
279 English bushel Gourd. doing great . Maybe another 10 days to pollination.
 
Tuesday, July 4 View Page
i said earlier on june 21 i had a 245 english BG, don't know where i got that, i just have the 279 english and my 270 BG. It was a wild spring weather wise, up and down with the temps. Very stormy and windy. I tried early/late plants this year. Well that was a no go. no early melons for all the extra work. oh well. nonething ventured nonething gained .
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
290 Kent plant A long melon for me, but growing great.
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
318 kent plant A
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
318 kent plant B
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
302 kent plant a. This is the melon on the scale. This melon is rounder then the normal ones but the chart does seem to be matching the scale pretty close. Very neet.
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
302 Kent plant B . looking just like its mama :)
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
290 Terry. The baby of the bunch age wise.
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
279 English bushel gourd ready to pollinate
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
270 Kent Bushel gourd not far behind
 
Sunday, July 9 View Page
My heavy cucumber. Hope I'm not too late
 
Saturday, July 15 View Page
290 Terry. Really taking off. Going to be a nice melon
 
Saturday, July 15 View Page
279 English bushel gourd. Looks like it set. Nice thing about BG is since they open at night, they almost always set. Bad thing about BG's is the 2 tertiary vines per node. Makes it very hard to control the plant !
 
Saturday, July 15 View Page
302 Kent plant A . My melon on the scale. Totally cool experiment. Already learning bunches. When I started the OTT was ahead of the scale by about 4 lbs. The scale is now ahead by 3 lbs. Since DAP 20 the melon is gaining more then the chart says. I guess that’s why my 302 went heavy last year. So if your growing a 302 and its doing well, don’t believe the chart if it says its slowing down !
 
Saturday, July 22 View Page
279 English. So far so good. Best start for a bushel Gourd. Grow baby grow. P.S. Hard to keep the plant in check. These things put out 2 and sometimes 3 sides per node. Bet it would give kudzu a run for its money !
 
Saturday, July 22 View Page
anyone know what this is. Growing wild on the fence. Very pretty flower and then the little green fruit that is basically hollow. ????
 
Saturday, July 29 View Page
302 Kent plant b. Best in the patch. It's been four years since I have had one growing this well. Its still behind the WR but slowly gaining !Keep growing baby.
 
Thursday, August 3 View Page
279 English bushel gourd. Getting bigger. over 100 now and growing fast.
 
Thursday, August 3 View Page
I'm on top of it this year. Lol got a new and improved walk board.
 
Tuesday, August 8 View Page
270 kent bushel gourd. just getting started.
 
Tuesday, August 8 View Page
279 English bushel gourd. Best I have had so far at its age. Up to 160 est lbs now.
 
Tuesday, August 8 View Page
heavy cukes. Do these grow on the main ? Never grown these before. So far no females on the main vine.
 
Tuesday, August 8 View Page
302 kent , plant A. Looks bigger sitting on the scale. over 200 now ! :)
 
Sunday, August 13 View Page
279 English bushel gourd. Just beautiful. And big. Pictures doesn't show the true size. I put a five gallon bucket for scale hoping it adds another 100 lbs. Dap 33 today
 
Monday, August 14 View Page
My heavy cucumber. So far just leaves. Lol 1st time with these. No idea what I'm suppose to do. there are 3 plants here. Does one set on the main or side vines ????
 
Monday, August 14 View Page
290 Kent, another nice one I have growing. Ahead of last year so far, but could use more sun. Come on sun.... shine baby shine ! LOL
 
Sunday, August 20 View Page
Heavy cucumber. Finally got one going. They sure grow fast. Maybe six days old and 10.5 inches long already.
 
Sunday, August 27 View Page
279 English bushel gourd. Finally getting some age. Almost measuring a PB. I hope it is heavy. My 270 went 20lbs heavy in 2014
 
Sunday, August 27 View Page
270 Kent Bushel gourd. Moving along. This was crossed with the 279 and vis versa.
 
Sunday, August 27 View Page
Heavy cucumber. Getting fatter now. How long do these grow ? No clue here.
 
Sunday, August 27 View Page
This is under the "no clue dept" LOL. think this is too close to the root?? LOL Have not found a good one on this plant after I broke a real nice one. I may go with it !
 
Sunday, August 27 View Page
302 kent plant B . Yea still growing melons here ! here is the big one. ;)
 
Monday, September 4 View Page
279 English bushel gourd. Now taping 284 Estimate. Hope it goes heavy. Still growing too.
 
Monday, September 4 View Page
Heavy cucumber. Still growing. Hope this is good
 
Monday, September 4 View Page
Getting ready to go to my first weighoff of the 2017 season. Can't wait till Thursday and the Knoxville fair. GPC event thanks to all the hard work by Brother Dave (David Cantrell) Thanks !
 
Sunday, September 17 View Page
302 kent plant B becomes the 316 kent 18 Had a great time in KY at the weighoff. Came in 2nd at 316 pounds. Congrads to a super great grower Frank Mudd who came in first at 321.50
 
Tuesday, September 19 View Page
Final measurement OTT on the 279 English Bushel gourd is 220 inch or 292. lbs. It may change a little up or down when I get it on flat ground. Hoping for chart or heavy. Taking it Saturday to Elkin NC weighoff ! Can't wait. Get your scale tuned up guys ! LOL
 
Tuesday, December 5 View Page
302 kent X JBD . here is a picture of a test I did in the winter. two plants, two different melons.
 

 

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