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Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 30 Entries.
Saturday, March 31 View Page
Great day to start a diary. The "bombogenesis" winter in New England seems to have ended. Nice sunny Saturday.
 
Saturday, March 31 View Page
While there has not been much going on outside, there is activity inside. I started a first series of 4 seeds to make sure all systems are good to go. Here are 4 happy seedlings that were germinated in 5 in. peat pots. I added Wallace WOW Mycorrhizae inoculant and Azos powder to the starting mix. You can see the vigorous root structure. Happy with these results.
 
Saturday, March 31 View Page
Here are 2 of the test plants at 29 days from seed soak. Very nice. Wallace WOW mycorrhizae plus Azos plus Neptune Fish and Seaweed. T5 lights 12 hours on 12 hours off. 6 inches above.
 
Saturday, March 31 View Page
Here is a second group of 4 seeds that I started as a test run. I left the 2 seeds on the left too long in the dark germination chamber. You can see that they become leggy if left with heat on the bottom too long. Should be removed from bottom heat amd moved to light as soon as they break through the soil.
 
Saturday, March 31 View Page
These hot pepper seeds were started on Feb 28. Here we are a month later. Trinidad Scorpion, Thai, Habanero and Red Bell. All for eating and drying. Maybe some Red Pepper Jelly in my future.
 
Saturday, March 31 View Page
Was a tough winter in New England. Despite that I found 2 opportunities to get soil samples off to Western labs and UMass. Feb 16 and Feb 28. Organic matter in the 7-11% range so I am adding no compost this spring. Here is the last addition of kelp/crab/lobster to the patch last fall.
 
Saturday, March 31 View Page
First nice weekend of the year. Assembled hoop houses and covered with new greenhouse poly. I still think the soil is too damp for clumsy human traffic so I am waiting before entering the pumpkin patch.
 
Sunday, April 8 View Page
2016.6 Boonen is first up and it looks like our season is underway.
 
Saturday, April 14 View Page
Nice progress today on a pleasant Saturday. Jumped on the opportunity to get planting areas amended, tilled and heating cables installed. I am leaving the planting areas uncovered so that the "wintry mix" of freezing rain, ice, and sleet can water my amendments in over the next 24 hours. Hard to believe the National Weather Service is issuing winter advisories on April 14.
 
Sunday, April 15 View Page
Started 4 seeds on 4/11. Last night I saw little soil mounds. This morning all 4 broke through the soil at once. Seems like 96 hours is the magic number for my system.
 
Thursday, April 19 View Page
Happy to have an old friend show up for 2018. Look out Flat Norm...
 
Saturday, April 21 View Page
Sun setting on a productive day in New England (finally). Cold frames in place. Heating cables ON. Soil temp is 46 degrees 7 inches down so we got a bit of warming to do.
 
Tuesday, April 24 View Page
These are our best looking seedlings spending time in the sunlight a little more every day. Moving the seedlings around has somehow caused 2 of them to get a bit leggy.
 
Wednesday, April 25 View Page
I replaced all my old heating cables this year with the thicker ones and added 2 thermostats. Soil temp 4 days ago was 46 degrees. Yesterday and today we are in the mid 70's 7 inches down. Target to get plants into their mini-greenhouses was next weekend April 28-29. Weather was dreary today but a look at the 10 day forecast told me that things were on the improve here in New England and today was a great day to make the plunge. Heaters are cranking and will add supplemental light over the next few days as needed. Here is the 2145 leading the charge. Nice looking seedling and root structure. Seed was soaked on 4/11 so 14 days old.
 
Wednesday, April 25 View Page
The 2016.6 Boonen was my early start seed on April 5. This seedling is my nicest looking, fastest growing and has roots that bust out of the pot. It deserves to be planted so it went into the mini-greenhouse this morning at 20 days old. I love the genetics. I need to get this plant through the next few days so we get it greened up a bit.
 
Wednesday, April 25 View Page
The 1495 Stelts was started on April 13. The target here is to grow this seed in my 150 SF patch. I grew my first 2 pumpkin plants in 2012. One was the 1495. The plant was compact, has smallish vines and leaves yet can grow some massive fruit. So target is 150 SF but for the moment it is still a backup for the main patch.
 
Wednesday, April 25 View Page
Here is my plan for my 150 SF patch. I am going to grow the stump in a notch outside the main rectangle and probably remove the first set of secondaries. The plan is to keep the first few secondaries short and place more emphasis on the secondaries closer to the fruit. For planning, the drawing shows a fruit on both sides of the main vine but we all know better.
 
Thursday, May 3 View Page
2016 Boonen seems to be thriving in the warmer weather. This seed was started on 4/5 so this seedling is older than my others. I'm liking the idea of putting a plant out that is a bit older.
 
Thursday, May 3 View Page
2145 also liking the warm-up in weather.
 
Thursday, May 3 View Page
First dose of tea to both plants this morning. Tea bubbled for 24 hours
 
Friday, May 4 View Page
1659 Miller out to its mini greenhouse this morning.
 
Sunday, May 13 View Page
2016.5 Boonen is an awesome plant. plant is 8.5 ft. long. Mini-greenhouse is 7.5 ft long. This presents a challenge. Too early to remove the mini-greenhouse permanently. So, I removed the greenhouse, weeded, added drip lines and added a 4 foot section to the greenhouse to buy another week or so.
 
Sunday, May 13 View Page
Here you can see the 2016.6 Boonen that has outgrown the greenhouse and the addition which now is 11.5 ft in length
 
Sunday, May 13 View Page
This is the image I intended for the last post
 
Sunday, May 13 View Page
2145 proceeding nicely. For perspective, this greenhouse is 7.5 feet long so I think we're good for a day or 2.
 
Sunday, May 13 View Page
1659 Miller down and ready. I intend to use this plant as a pollinator.
 
Sunday, June 3 View Page
First pollination of the season this morning. 2145 x 2016 at 10ft+. Just happy to see a nice normal looking female. One 2016 male available.
 
Sunday, June 17 View Page
3 males got their wish to become (expectant) fathers this morning on Fathers Day. This is 2145 x 2016 pollinated at 15 feet. Nice morning and weather should be mid to high 70's today. What's not to like.
 
Friday, June 29 View Page
Each plant got 611 gallons of free water yesterday thanks to mother nature. I took advantage to drench in some Segway, Medallion and silica during one of the downpours. This is the 2145x2016.5 today on day 12. A small longitudinal stem stress crack from yesterday so lots of sulfur and fans all around. This fruit is at 15 ft on the main vine.
 
Wednesday, July 18 View Page
2145 x 2016 turned 30 (days) yesterday in the midst of 2¼ inches of rain. So I waited until this morning to measure. Just over 400 lbs. Nice shape. Look like it wants to turn orange. The fruit I culled from this plant turned bright orange Fans on both ends just for good measure.
 

 

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