Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 95 Entries. Friday, March 10 View Page Sad to say due to the Fox Valley Park District's new garden plot rules, I will not be growing giant pumpkins this year. :( :( Biddygoat has posted the rules on grower diary. Also, this will be our last year gardening at the community garden plots.   Saturday, March 11 View Page I have been thinking it over about growing giant pumpkins. We can only use a 4' metal fence and might not be able to afford it, but I will go ahead with it and GROW THEM PUMPKINS BBBIIIIGGGGG!!!!! : ) : )   Monday, April 3 View Page I have been busy building planter boxes that are 2' x 2' x 6' in size for my mom(biddygoat) to plant in at our house. I am making two of them and have completed one of them. I made them from pallet wood, wooden stakes, and other wood that had been used in our garden before.   Monday, April 10 View Page Today, I finally mailed my soil sample to Western Labs. I was not sure if I really wanted to send it in, due to the changes in the rules at the garden plots. I will be growing giant squashes this year instead of giant pumpkins, so maybe they won't be stolen. The squashes I will be growing are the 890.5 Porkchop 15 and 513.5 Weibel 15, they will be crossed with each other. The backups are the 598 Reinhard 15 and 1103.5 Sherwood 14. I will start the seeds indoors on April 13th. I hope to GROW EM BIG! : )   Thursday, April 13 View Page Prepared two large plastic pots filled with Burpee's seed starting mix, added Pumpkin Pro, and Azos. I moistened the potting mix with Essential Plus 101 before adding the Pumpkin Pro and Azos. Put them on a plastic tray, covered them with plastic wrap, and placed a high dome plastic cover over top of the tray. I put the tray on a heat mat to warm up over night.   Friday, April 14 View Page Today, I just finished filing the edges of two giant squash seeds I will be planting the 513.5 Weibel and 890.5 Porkchop. They are currently soaking in a solution of Essential Plus 101 for 4 hours.   Friday, April 14 View Page The giant squashes are planted 1" deep. Sprinkled some Pumpkin Pro and Azos at the bottom of each hole before planting the seed flat in the hole and them with a solution of Essential Plus 101. Can't wait to see them sprout! : )   Friday, April 14 View Page Today, I found out that when I checked my e-mail for some reason the Postal Service had sent my package with my soil sample to San Joaquin, CA 93660 instead of Parma, ID 83660. They also stated that the package was undeliverable and will be returned back to me and I did file an inquiry for my package, but have not heard anything yet. WHAT THE F!@#! HAVE I JUST BEEN POSTALED!!!! >: (   Friday, April 14 View Page My squashes are planted. : )   Saturday, April 15 View Page Dug two 3'x 3'x 3' hole in my patch where my giant squashes will be planted. My brother and my mom helped me fill them in by mixing in compost with the original soil. This is to help with drainage. I also started broad forking on the Southwest corner of the patch.   Monday, April 17 View Page The 890.5 Porkchop started sprouting thru the soil this morning! : ) Also, my soil sample made it to Western Labs, I'm so glad.   Monday, April 17 View Page Porkchop started sprouting in just three days!   Wednesday, April 19 View Page Soil test results for 2017.   Wednesday, April 19 View Page Western Labs recommendations.   Thursday, April 20 View Page The 513.5 Weibel 15 is sprouted!   Sunday, April 23 View Page Working on broad forking the patch.   Thursday, April 27 View Page I finished broad forking earlier today, cold and windy. Will start my back-ups this weekend.   Friday, April 28 View Page Applied Root shield Plus (granular) in the morning to the patch before it rained.   Saturday, April 29 View Page This weather sucks too much rain and too cold, but I am very happy that I had finished broad forking my patch before it rained.   Wednesday, May 3 View Page Today is My Birthday! Happy 28th Birthday! : ) This morning I sprinkled by hand 1.75 lbs of Spectracide Triazicide and 1.62 lbs of Sulfur(rate of 0.9 lbs per 1000 sqft). over my patch which is 1800 sqft for my giant squashes. Too much rain and more to come, but it is dry under my hot houses. I ordered a soil temperature probe to check to see how warm the soil is. My goal is to be able to plant them on May 11th, but I know the whole patch will not be ready.   Wednesday, May 3 View Page Also, a few days ago I received in the mail my shade cloth! It is 10' x 12' and blocks 30% of the sun's rays. I bought it from Amazon for a little more than $52.   Sunday, May 7 View Page View of my patch completely broad forked with hot houses warming the planting sites and walking boards on the far left up against a plot maker.   Thursday, May 11 View Page I wanted to plant my squashes today, but the soil temp is too low in the hot houses it is 52 degrees when I checked this morning. Too much rain will check soil temp on Saturday. All of the squashes are doing great, hard to get them outside because of cold and rainy weather, but next week is in the 70s and 80s.   Saturday, May 13 View Page Squashes are going to see dirt tomorrow, soil temp 79 degrees under hot houses.   Sunday, May 14 View Page My brother Benjamin and me set up my 10' x 12' shade cloth over the hot houses on 6 metal stakes just over 6' off the ground. I put down some pumpkin pro and tilled it in just around the shade cloth area. More storms to come and patch is still wet on the Southern end. I also, put down walking boards and will plant the squashes this evening.   Sunday, May 14 View Page Squashes are getting to be taken to the patch for planting. Porkchop on the left and Weibel on the right.   Sunday, May 14 View Page Here is the stuff I used in planting my giant squashes. Pumpkin Pro, Azos, Root Shield Plus, Wow Wallace Starter Paks, Svbs Trap, Gorilla Tape for putting in vents in the hot houses, and two gallons of water containing 2oz of Essential Plus and 2oz of Monterey Fruit Tree & Vegetable Systemic Soil Drench(one gallon for each plant).   Sunday, May 14 View Page Photo of Porkchop's roots. Wanted to take a picture of Weibel's roots, but camera's batteries were low. The Weibel's roots did look just like Porkchop's. In the planting hole I sprinkled Pumpkin Pro, Azos, Root Shield Plus, and placed two Starter Paks on either side of the root ball when planted.   Monday, May 15 View Page My squashes have survived their first night! : ) Placed small wooden sign by each squash with their names. Set up silt fencing to protect them from wind gusts and removed their hot houses.   Tuesday, May 16 View Page Watering the Weibel in the evening with one gallon of water, hot and very windy day.   Tuesday, May 16 View Page Watering the Porkchop.   Tuesday, May 16 View Page Me and my brother(Benjamin on the left) helped me put up my shade cloth eariler back on Mother's Day. The cloth is tied to six 7' metal stakes with attached wooden stakes at the top of each to make the stakes taller.   Tuesday, May 16 View Page Here is another view. Also, I put up the silt fence on Monday in the morning.   Sunday, May 21 View Page Planted Castor beans with Pumpkin Pro and Azos around my squash patch. Put grow mats down around squashes to help keep soil warm. They are doing good, but this weather is too cold and windy. Also, I better secured my shade cloth due to the high windy we have been getting.   Thursday, May 25 View Page Well I found out this morning when I went to check on my squashes that I had not seen in two days. There was a sign that was placed by the FVPD stating that "This Plot Is Out Of Compliance. Please Bring Plot Into Compliance Within 5 Days. Questions? Please Call 630-851-8990" So, I called the number and a woman tolled me that the tarp that I have up is against the rules. Even though the "tarp" is a shade cloth. I had tolled the woman that no other garden plots had a sign put in their plots. When there are gardens that have plastic fencing, wooden stakes, rope for fencing, 5' foot high metal fencing, and etc., when this stuff is not allowed. I have been waiting for a call from Andrew(supervisor for fox valley parks) or from John Kramer(Director of Park Operations). So, for some dumb reason I am the only one that is out of compliance, WTF!!! What is the point of coming back next year!! >: (   Thursday, May 25 View Page Today, I will be feeding my squashes with 1/2Tbsp of fish powder, 1Tbsp of Biomin Manganese, and 1Tbsp of Azos added to 1 gallon each per plant of de-chlorinated water.   Friday, May 26 View Page Well I guess according to the FVPD, I will need to remove the silt fence and will let the shade cloth slide. Last year I garden here, WTF!   Sunday, June 4 View Page The 513.5 Weibel has been in the patch for three weeks and is trying to grow its main vine backwards over itself.   Sunday, June 4 View Page The 890.5 Porkchop has been in the patch for 3 weeks.   Sunday, June 4 View Page Side view of Porkchop.   Sunday, June 4 View Page Side view of Weibel.   Sunday, June 4 View Page One of the castor beans had sprouted.   Sunday, June 11 View Page Planted castor beans that have been soaking over night in warm water to replace ones that did not sprout, too hot and windy this week. Squashes are now too big for the hot houses. Will need to modify them.   Thursday, June 15 View Page Castor bean plants are growing all but three have come up.   Thursday, June 15 View Page The Weibel is 4 weeks and 4 days old.   Thursday, June 15 View Page Pruned around the stump on the Weibel.   Thursday, June 15 View Page Side view of Weibel and main vine is about 7' long.   Thursday, June 15 View Page The Porkchop has a turn in the main vine, I hope this will not hurt fruit growth.   Thursday, June 15 View Page I have been using this product every month to keep the bad bugs at bay.   Saturday, June 24 View Page Porkchop is 5 weeks and 6 days old.   Saturday, June 24 View Page Weibel is just as old.   Saturday, June 24 View Page Me(Christopher) and my squashes. Weibel to the left and Porkchop to the right.   Saturday, June 24 View Page Oldest castor bean plant around my patch. I have others that have sprouted and will take pictures of them.   Wednesday, June 28 View Page I was able to till my patch ahead of my squashes to take down the weeds and broadcasted 10 pounds of Buckwheat. I finished broadcasting the cover crop just as the rain started. I also tilled weeds in the rest of the garden.   Wednesday, June 28 View Page Forgot to mention that I also placed a new lure and vapor strip in my SVB trap. Found a SVB on one of Porkchop's leaves. It was totally out of it just sitting there on the leaf. Until it was to late when picked it up by its antennas and was trying its hardest to get free. I set it down on the walking board I was standing on. It didn't move it must have realized that it was going to meet its maker and it did with the bottom of my shoe. I felt better after that, lol! : )   Thursday, June 29 View Page Cool castor bean!   Thursday, June 29 View Page (Right to left) Porkchop, me, and the Weibel hanging out.   Sunday, July 2 View Page This morning I was surprised to see that the female blossom on Porkchop had opened sooner than I thought. No one was inside the flower, covered it with a plastic sandwich bag, and picked four males from the Weibel that were ready to be used. Pollinated the flower with the males and put the plastic bag back on. I did best for now to shield the blossom from the sun 88 for the high today and T-storms tonight. The blossom was pollinated at 8am, 14' out on main vine, blossom has four evenly shaped lobes, and the main is about 16' long. This plant is growing fast and is filling its secondaries. The female blossom on the Weibel should open in a few days, it is about 10' out on the main vine. Lot of sleepless night ahead with storms coming this week.   Sunday, July 2 View Page This is my Porkchop plant at 7 weeks old. A female blossom was pollinated where the white bucket in the picture.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Here is a picture of the female blossom after pollination. Hot day today!   Sunday, July 2 View Page Here is my Weibel plant at about 7 weeks old with the Porkchop in the bottom right of the picture.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Castor bean plants are growing well, here is one of them with my foot.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Castor bean!   Sunday, July 2 View Page My largest castor bean plant!   Sunday, July 2 View Page Another castor bean plant.   Sunday, July 2 View Page More castor bean.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Porkchop is going to hold hands with the castor bean plant.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Female blossom on the Weibel 13.5' out on the main vine.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page At 8:17am this morning I pollinated my 513.5 Weibel x 890.5 Porkchop. Blossom is out at 13.5' on the main. Used 2 males to pollinate was going to use 4, but only had 3 sandwich bags and one did not have any pollen. Overhead watered my plants this morning with Monterey Fruit Tree & Vegetable Systemic Soil Drench to deal with the cucumber beetles in the patch. Wheres the rain!?   Saturday, July 8 View Page Fed my squashes with seaweed and carboload. I treated them with Fosphite due to finding powdery mildew on one of the leaves on my Weibel that I saw yesterday. Feeding and treatment were applied together with overhead watering with 5 gallons of water.   Wednesday, July 19 View Page Way too hot, wheres the RAIN! Trying to keep the second pollination of female blossoms cool. One on the Porkchop's side view on the 17th of July and one on the main of the Weibel from Yesterday. I am using jugs of water that are frozen and placing them around the pollinated blossoms. My first pollinations on both planted aborted on me, I think it was too hot and did not keep them cool enough. Both of the second pollinations are the size of golf balls. Also, I checked on my plants after work and I found that 2' to the end of main vine on the Weibel had snapped off and was laying on the ground attached only by a thread to the main vine. I am not sure, but I think my Weibel plant has Bacterial Wilt. It started with a few young leaves on a very healthy side vine, now almost all of vines have it. The young leaves start to wilt and discolor by getting darker from the edges of the leaves inward and they are now starting to curl from the edges inward. Also. some of the wilting is right by my second pollination on this plant. I am not sure what to do, please help! : (   Wednesday, July 19 View Page This is the first leaf issue I were having on the Weibel.   Wednesday, July 19 View Page Another picture of the leaf curl.   Wednesday, July 19 View Page : (   Wednesday, July 19 View Page : (   Tuesday, August 1 View Page Is this a joke? Free mulch, but no water still! It has been 6 weeks since the tanks were filled! >: (   Tuesday, August 1 View Page 890.5 Porkchop x 513.5 Weibel (squashes) Dap15: cc: 49". My squash will be named, "Porky", because she is gaining 4" per day. : )   Tuesday, August 1 View Page Picture of my 890.5 Porkchop with flowering buckwheat. Porky is by the silt fence under plastic shelter. The 513.5 Weibel to the far left. A lot of empty plots to the West with one very weedy.   Tuesday, August 1 View Page Not sure what this is. This is a different leaf issue than before. I think I will cut it out of the plant.   Sunday, August 6 View Page Going to have a lot of castor beans! : )   Sunday, August 6 View Page Porky's Dap20; cc: 66", ss: 41.5", fb: 43", and ott: 150.5"   Sunday, August 6 View Page This is from the Weibel plant. Some kind of vine disease?   Monday, August 21 View Page Porky's Dap 35; cc: 96.25", ss: 58.5", fb: 59", and ott: 213.75".   Monday, August 21 View Page Someones been sitting on my squash! lol   Monday, August 21 View Page Porky takes one for the team! Her color is starting to turn green.   Saturday, August 26 View Page Porky's Dap40; cc:102.75", ss: 62.5", fb: 63.5", and ott: 228.75". Growth rate is between Rocky and Terminator that I had grown two years ago.   Sunday, August 27 View Page I have been working on removing my 513.5 Weibel squash plant all of the fruits that were pollinated by hand or bees have rotted. I could tell the plant was getting way too much nitrogen if the soil. Also, the plant was being attacked by svbs nothing yet on the Porkchop plant. So, the fast I can remove the Weibel plant the better.   Monday, August 28 View Page Porky is now at 104.75" cc. Give her Carboload, Nirvana, and Soil Balancer B.   Wednesday, August 30 View Page Today, I weeded around the stump of my Porkchop plant and watered with Carboload. Porky is now 106" for cc. If she keeps growing 1" inch a day in cc for 10 days she will match Rocky's growth that I grew two years ago.   Thursday, August 31 View Page Porky's Dap45; cc: 107", ss: 65.5" fb: 65.5", and ott: 238".   Friday, September 1 View Page Today, I removed the Weibel's stump because it was starting to rot at the base. It is very sad that I was not able to get a single squash from this plant. : (   Friday, September 1 View Page I covered Porky with an old blanket to keep her warm at night, lows in the upper 40s!   Tuesday, September 5 View Page Porky's Dap 50; cc: 111", ss: 67", 66.5", ott: 244.5".   Monday, September 18 View Page This morning I fed Porky Nirvana, Carboload, seaweed powder, and soil balancer B. Was cleaning up my patch and found that some IDIOT decided to cut off three clusters of Castor beans off two plants on the North side of my patch! I can hope only that FOUL knows what they are and does not eat them because they are poisonous! So, I harvested the rest of the large clusters on all of my castor bean plants and left the small ones. There were so many that it fulled half of a 21 gallon tote. I will have a lot beans to dry.   Monday, September 18 View Page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TojmYT4SmQQ Here is a link for anyone who doesn't know how poisonous castor beans are. I pray for the FOUL that stole some of my beans that they DO NOT EAT THEM, or they will be in a world of pain!