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Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 18 Entries.
Friday, April 20 View Page
Well it`s almost seeding time I will start the process of my first round of seeds tomorrow. I will do another batch on the 28th of April in case something happens. I am in no rush my patch still has standing water every where. Looks like i will be heading to Manitoba to seed some Canola things are very behind this year with the extra moisture and snow still all around.
 
Wednesday, May 9 View Page
Well alot dryer this year i was actually able to get into my patch and use my tractor to till the ground. I started my first round of seeds filed them and tossed them in some water on April 21st. I started 16 seeds because i have 8 spots this year. Out of the 16 seeds the only throw away is the Holland because it is stunted,
 
Thursday, May 10 View Page
Another plant pictured, All my seedlings are pretty good and stalky. I have all 8 spots filled, 8 greenhouses up. I have 2 greenies growing in my upper patch and 6 Pumpkins going in my lower patch. They all been in the soil for almost a week.
 
Thursday, May 10 View Page
All 3 pictures i have posted are all different genetics and i will post what i am growing this year after they lay down next week. The beginning stage of growing the plant from seed up to the pollination stage is by far my growing skills at it's best. I am able to push the plant generally with out burning the roots or scorching the leaves from over fertilization. My problems always start at and around day after pollination 18 to 35. Last year was another great example of that out of 6 plants i popped 4 pumpkins on 4 different plants. This problem has plagued me for 4 years now and was one of the main reasons i wanted to head down to the Big Show in Oregon and track down 2 specific growers who i thought would be able to help me with this one question. After meeting with Paton's and then Steve Daletas they both had the same thing to say about my pumpkins popping during that time. Great shout out to the Paton's and Steve D for taking the time and giving me some of your input. Also a high five to Eddy Z for the extra shot.
 
Saturday, May 12 View Page
I only planted 1 in this spot and it's the smallest plant i have but it's the 2145. Zero beginning bug pressure for me this year no white flies which is nice. I am excited this year i have a good feeling something special is going to happen in British Columbia this growing season. We have so many growers that have really stepped it up with some major upgrades which will be turning some personal best's for a whole bunch of people this year. We should expect some big things from Team Chan and Jeff Pelletier. Kate Mumford, Eileen Pavan, Steve Reid, Mr. Camparmo, Justin Hoskins, Andy Budden are all accomplished growers and wish them a stellar year. There is a new official weigh off site on Vancouver Island and some big name growers like Team Dixon, Jake Van Kooten, Kerri Perras Jake's daughter and a few other who all have the capability of growing a new BC record in 2018.
 
Wednesday, May 23 View Page
Well it's been exactly 30 days since this seed was filed and hit the dirt. Best growing conditions i have seen in and around British Columbia for the month of May. Normally i am mixing and matching my synthetic fertilizers and growth hormones to keep them growing in cold and limited sunlight conditions but this year it's easy mode. 3 pumpkins in the lower patch have great Vigor and out grown their 10x6 hoop house. The other 3 will be out by this weekend. I have 6 pumpkins in my lower patch and 2 squash growing in my upper patch.
 
Tuesday, May 29 View Page
Hmmm ladies are starting to show up wow this is early.
 
Friday, June 8 View Page
The picture actually looks better than in person. Had a swarm of insects come in over night on a big wind and they humped my plants pretty hard. I been waiting from some bug pressure because i have seen nothing to date. I have some insect indicator traps 2 on each plant and the night before and they were clean. When i woke up in the morning every trap was chalked full and my plants were covered. I was pretty quick to mix a batch and unloaded 26 gallons of good stuff to knockout them bugs. I am just glad i got on it quick. This contact insecticide does not like the direct sun and i have a bit of leaf burn but it's the trade off and chance i had to take. Been cool
 
Monday, June 18 View Page
Finally the weather has changed and the outlook looks good. We had 3 weeks of cold nights in low 40's. My plants have recovered nicely and are in perfect shape. This one is the 2145 Mac.
 
Monday, June 18 View Page
2269 Paton, Plants are filling out nicely and fast. About 20' long and 22' wide going to be pinching side vines next few days.
 
Saturday, July 7 View Page
Have some warm weather past few days things are back on track in the patch. I been fighting an amazing amount of insects this year been through more Merit this year than the last 4 combined. Pic of the 2145 Mac, 30' x 33'
 
Thursday, July 12 View Page
I can't get control of the insects this year. I am spraying in a 30 foot radius outside of my patch. Been spraying in a 5 day intervals and I think my Merit is become non effective against this one insect. Been through 11 bottles of safers contact spray 3 in 1 too. I am picking up some Encarsia Wasp's tomorrow trying a different approach see if i can get the eggs before they hatch. I am pretty sure one of my plants has picked up a disease from these damm insects and is going down, I might have to pull it soon too bad it's the best day 20 i have ever had.
 
Friday, August 10 View Page
2 Plants are down and have been taken out by Leaf Hoppers. I was unable to control them with an insane amount of Merit. The waves of leaf hoppers just kept coming and coming it was crazy. I am basically down to 3 pumpkins as of today. Plants are just now looking good after my insect issues for the past 2 months.
 
Friday, August 10 View Page
Boom,,, Day 34 when it popped.. I had 2 contenders this year both are my latest pollination dates and both on the same day. One had a very good 7 day gain with 325 pounds then we got hit with 2 almost black out cloudy days and 3 cold nights in a row 44, 46 and 48 degrees. The largest of the two dropped down and is still doing 30's a day. But the other one in the picture kept climbing, way up in the daily's and that hole happened between 9:00am and 3:00pm about 14 inches long and on day 34. For the good one i have left it's Day 34 circumference is 136. I will break out the tractor and hook up my scale and figure out how much the beast is that popped today. The back end blossom is very very thick as you can see and the meat just ripped, tore apart and kept growing.
 
Saturday, August 11 View Page
Day 35 for the one in the pic. And i have a shoulder split happening. The daily's are going back up on this one and hope the back end does not pop out.
 
Tuesday, August 21 View Page
It's going strong day 46. It did 274 pounds last 7 days. I hope the growth profile continues and should be well over 400" by the end of this month. I do have a MAJOR, MAJOR issue with the main vine about 3 nodes from the stump i have some vine rot. Its covered now and I have scraped away all the rot and applied Daconil. I put a fan on it to see if i can get it under control.
 
Tuesday, August 21 View Page
Vine is fairly stout on this one way larger than a regular coke can coming into the pumpkin. I have had bigger vines in the past but I have never been able to keep a pumpkin on them they have always split between day 25 to 35 after pollination. Will see how it goes with this plant it's a long way till weigh off and I really think I am going to loose part of the main vine it's pretty bad.
 
Sunday, September 2 View Page
Day 58 and 398". Boooooo This horrible, cold, wet, dark weather is painful. Past few weeks weather turned for the worst. Constant nights in the upper 40's has really shut them down. When i grow again it will be in a greenhouse where i can control the night time temps.
 

 

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