Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 67 Entries. Sunday, January 7 View Page The 265.5 grew outside the fence on a vine that had escaped the confines of the fence.   Sunday, January 7 View Page 265.5   Sunday, January 7 View Page 265.5   Wednesday, February 14 View Page Start your Rutabagas...it's a little bright in the grow room. Started 4 pots of 64.5 Engel   Saturday, February 17 View Page Engel Orange WWW.GR8PUMPKIN.NET   Saturday, February 17 View Page 265.5 Engel 2016   Thursday, February 22 View Page Hard to believe this little girl is grown up and going to soon be a mom herself.   Sunday, February 25 View Page https://www.facebook.com/gr8pumpkin.net/ Getting excited to start my 18th growing season. Can't wait to see what 2018 brings. 2017 on the carving aspect was crazy. We did a special for the Travel Channel called "Best in Pumpkin" Got a Howard Dill Award, Carved a Green Bay Packer and Viking Pumpkin that got National Coverage, Carved for some awesome events, Carved for Nickelodeon Studios, and Pumpkin Nights. Follow us on Facebook to keep track of our progress   Monday, March 5 View Page Pictures of my Beautiful Girls...1374 Engel 2014, Jodi and Chardonnay   Monday, March 5 View Page 2002 the start of my orange pumpkin growing. This little girl is all grown up now. Many of you old timers remember Chardonnay   Sunday, March 11 View Page I wish my Mom would have told me this..   Thursday, March 15 View Page If you are on Facebook take our poll...   Wednesday, March 21 View Page 920 Cooper 2017 (1374 Engel x 1495 Stelts) has got my attention.   Saturday, April 7 View Page April 7th and the patch is still frozen solid..   Sunday, April 8 View Page In a last ditch effort to show Mother Nature who is boss. I sprayed my snow brown with Humic Acid so the snow will absorb the sun and melt. Two weeks until seeds starting date.   Sunday, April 22 View Page Soil Temperature with soil cables and sun is 71 degrees. So I started 673.5 and 1200 Engel. 1501.5 Wagner and 920 Cooper .   Sunday, April 29 View Page After Arguing with myself, I have chosen the 673 Engel to go in the North Side. 673 is 1200 Engel x 1374 Engel   Sunday, April 29 View Page Going in the South Spot is the 920 Cooper which is 1374 Engel x 1495 Stelts. Watch this seed, as I think it will be a good one.   Thursday, May 3 View Page Soil test is back...No matter how much organic matter I add it never increases. Manganese and Boron are a tad low that is an easy fix. If you see something out of whack holler   Thursday, May 10 View Page Planted (2) 162 Macoy 2015 Field Pumpkins( 81 Wolf x self) and (2) 150 Nieuwenhoff 2017(158 Mackinnon x self)   Sunday, May 13 View Page Added: 100lbs of Sustane 12lbs of Potassium Sulphate 1lb of Zinc Sulphate 1lb of Borax Hopefully I calculated that all out correct. My Iron is off the charts   Sunday, May 20 View Page Not sure what is going on with the 673 Engel. I have a back up in place....   Saturday, June 2 View Page 920 Cooper down and running for the end of the patch. 920 is the 1374 Engel x 1495 Stelts.   Saturday, June 2 View Page 673 Engel Catching up. 673 is 1200 Engel x 1374 Engel.   Saturday, June 9 View Page Two 673.5 Engel's growing at a satellite patch, at a local pumpkin patch.   Sunday, June 10 View Page 920 Cooper 17 (1374 Engel x 1495 Stelts) Right on schedule...   Thursday, June 14 View Page 920 Cooper x self pollinated this morning. I can believe I had to dig into frozen soil to set my soil cables to this huge plant I have now   Thursday, June 14 View Page 920 Cooper x self....11 feet out   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Pollinated another 920 Cooper x Self. The 673.5 Engel has a female showing but it appears to be one of those ones the aborts before blossoming.   Tuesday, June 26 View Page Introducing "Magnificent Mabel" with the alluring and bodacious body. She was pollinated on June 19th. 920 Cooper x self (1374 Engel x 1495 Stelts)   Tuesday, June 26 View Page here is her picture   Friday, June 29 View Page 673 Engel x 920 Cooper.   Sunday, July 1 View Page Look who showed up this morning...I treated the girls to a nice spa treatment of bifenthrin1. This is why I spray Imidacloprid for its systemic effect   Thursday, July 5 View Page Pollinated 673 Engel x 920 Cooper on a secondary this morning running out of options as the main has hit the fence wall and new growth got uv burn   Thursday, July 5 View Page Magnificent Mabel on 920 Cooper   Tuesday, July 10 View Page Day 20 for "Magnificent Mabel " With the Alluring and Bodacious Body on the 920 Cooper. Crazy Growth creaping over 200lbs...   Tuesday, July 10 View Page Pollinated July 5th. 673 Engel x 920 Cooper. Only female on the entire plant...   Saturday, July 14 View Page Magnificent Mabel Day 24 339lbs...920 Cooper   Tuesday, July 17 View Page Magnificent Mabel day 28.. 118-81-73=272OTT est 451lbs.   Friday, July 20 View Page Day 30...550lbs..day 58 11lbs...First Pumpkin pitcure for Owen   Friday, July 20 View Page Then you have "Milkbags Maggie" on the 673 Engel 15 days old and taking her time. Thanks Mike Schmit for naming her.   Friday, July 20 View Page Here is the picture of owen   Wednesday, July 25 View Page It sure looks simple on my chart...I should have thrown probability in there.   Sunday, July 29 View Page Down goes Mabel. F%$#   Monday, July 30 View Page While I appreciate the words of encouragement. I have been doing this long enough that I know when they stop or slow to a crawl they are done. I have scraped and applied fungicide, there was the infamous fruit flies this morning so it does not look good. There may possibly be a crack in the bottom that is not able to be seen. For those of you asking what I did so they can learn from it..are you F%^&ing kidding me? If I knew what causes pumpkins to go down when they are putting on 40lbs a nights, do you not think I would prevent it. SMH   Tuesday, August 7 View Page Well it appears I have some kind of soil borne disease. It starts with the vine, goes into the leaves so they turn yellow and droop, and then turn crispy.   Sunday, August 12 View Page Mabel II (920 Cooper x whatever the bees decided) growing on a plant on life support. like 8 feet of main, and 4 secondaries on each side. Will it be enough???? For a 500lber? Stay tuned to find out   Sunday, August 12 View Page Introducing Bewitching Chardonnay (673 Engel x 920 Cooper) 14 days old. She is in those awkward teenage days of development. I think she is going to fill out and get her color soon.   Sunday, August 12 View Page Bewitching Chardonnay on 673 plant   Monday, September 17 View Page I have a serious case of pumpkin depression this year. I will not be growing in my home patch next year, as whatever disease my soil has wipes everything out when it gets to day 30-40. Hopefully this funk goes away soon, as I have a bunch of pumpkins to carve.   Monday, October 22 View Page Day One at the Mall of America: Theme Chosen by Nickelodeon was TMNT Rise of the Turtles   Monday, October 22 View Page Day Two at the Mall of America. Theme Chosen by Nickelodeon was Bubble Guppies. My Grouper is a 50 pound Hubbard Jodi brought to life.   Monday, October 22 View Page Day Three was a short day. Theme chosen by Nickelodeon was Sponge Bob.   Monday, October 22 View Page Day Two photo did not upload   Wednesday, October 31 View Page Here is a Jeep Pumpkin I did for ARIES Automotive. Turned out Awesome almost 8 hours into this pumpkin   Wednesday, October 31 View Page Here is a watermelon Jodi and I carved for the Stillwater Harvest Fest. Thanks for the Carving Material Mike S   Wednesday, October 31 View Page Here is a Turtle Jodi Carved out of a watermelon at Stillwater. I like carving Watermelons but they are a huge sticky mess   Wednesday, October 31 View Page Here is a 25th Anniversary Pumpkin for Nightmare Before Christmas. Oogie Bogie and the Boogie Boys   Wednesday, October 31 View Page Her is my pumpkin I carved for our carve off on WEAU TV 13 News. I choose this Jack and Sally as they remind me of Jodi and I   Wednesday, October 31 View Page Here is Jodi's carve off pumpkin..as always she kicked my ass. I should have never shown her my tricks..   Wednesday, October 31 View Page Here is my grandson Owen. Hard to believe I started growing these Giant Pumpkins when Chardonnay was this age.   Thursday, December 13 View Page Jeep Pumpkins for SEMA   Thursday, December 13 View Page Here it is for the ARIES Promo   Thursday, December 13 View Page Here is our business card..   Thursday, December 13 View Page Jodi is one of the best carvers for doing shaded pumpkins that I know. She does all this with a .5mm end mill   Thursday, December 13 View Page Here is her hatched pumpkin she entered at ANOKA. Sadly we probably we won't be entering anymore pumpkin in this contest.   Thursday, December 13 View Page This is a shaded and shadows pumpkin. You create the design on the front and the light shines through on the back