Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 34 Entries. Monday, January 1 View Page Started a field pumpkin winter breeding project. Thanks to Don Crews, John MacKinnon, Scott Steil, Brant Timm, and Jorg Wagler for donating seeds, and all the advice. Here is what it looks like today.   Monday, January 1 View Page 10 plants have made the cut out of 15 started. Need to thin to 6 main plants and maybe 2 extra for pollinators. Here is the Crews 189 #1   Monday, January 1 View Page Crews189 #2   Monday, January 1 View Page Timm 248 #1   Monday, January 1 View Page Timm 248 #2   Monday, January 1 View Page Wagler 181.7 #1   Monday, January 1 View Page Wagler 181.7 #2   Monday, January 1 View Page MacKinnon 181   Monday, January 1 View Page MacKinnon 103   Monday, January 1 View Page Steil 150   Monday, January 1 View Page I really wanted to use the 145 McInnis that John surprised me with, but it was a "Club Root" and is stunted. I haven't thinned it yet though. Here it is.   Monday, January 1 View Page Here is another of the 145.   Monday, January 8 View Page Had to make some tough decisions and thinned to 5 plants in 15 gallon pots, and an extra pollinator plant in a 10 gallon pot. Those that made the cut were 181.7 Wagler, 189 Crews, 150 Steil, 248 Timm and 103 MacKinnon. And a 248 Timm as extra pollinator. Here is a pic as of this morning. I sure miss my university greenhouse.   Wednesday, January 17 View Page 103 vine broke off. Still hope to use as pollinator, there are a bunch of males near the stump.   Wednesday, January 17 View Page So down to 4 whole plants and 2 pollinators. Here are the vine ends looking for a place to go. I'm running out of space fast.   Wednesday, January 17 View Page Here are the 2 lights I am using. Both 600 watt HID's. One is Metal Halide, the other is High Pressure Sodium. Hope the spectra compliment each other.   Wednesday, January 17 View Page Here is the whole area. Like I mentioned, I am running out of space fast. The greenhouse with the large tables and unlimited space was so much nicer to work in.   Wednesday, January 17 View Page Bad picture of my first baby pumpkin on the 150 Steil.   Monday, January 22 View Page First Male flowers opened today. One each on the 181.7 Wagler, 150 Steil, and 248 Timm. They all had a good amount of pollen inside. No females have opened yet, but it's good to know the males seem fertile, and ready to go.   Monday, January 22 View Page Here is a female on the 248 Timm that should be opening in the next few days. All other females are small, and won't be opening for a while.   Monday, January 22 View Page There is a new main vine forming on the 103. So still hope for a fruit with the plant. :)   Thursday, January 25 View Page First Female open today on the 248 Timm. Nice 4 lober. Not a great selection of males today though. The only large male was on the same 248 plant and I don't want to self. So I pollinated with a small male from the 189 Crews and a small male from the 181.7 Wagler. I hate using different males on one female, but I really want to get at least one pumpkin out of this project so better safe than sorry. Either cross would have been really nice, so there will just be more variation from the seeds.   Thursday, January 25 View Page Here is the open flower.   Thursday, January 25 View Page I need to do some serious pruning. The area is filling up way to fast. I guess it's a good problem to have.   Friday, January 26 View Page All the plants will have females opening in the next week. Here is the Steil 150.Probably opening Saturday.   Friday, January 26 View Page Here is the 181.7 Wagler.   Friday, January 26 View Page And the ever entertaining 189 Crews. Check out the 3 baby pumpkins on one node. Very cool!   Friday, January 26 View Page Another pic of the 189   Friday, January 26 View Page The next node down only has a double. :)   Friday, January 26 View Page 248 female later in the day of pollination.   Tuesday, January 30 View Page 150 Steil opened this morning. Pollinated with two males from the 248.   Tuesday, January 30 View Page It was a 3 lobe flower. A bit of an unusual look to it.   Tuesday, January 30 View Page Another pic of the 150 Steil flower. I hope this one takes. The 248 female doesn't seem to be growing.   Thursday, February 8 View Page The field pumpkin project has come to an end. None of the fruit I pollinated took. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. Have some time to learn how to graft now. :)