Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 24 Entries. Sunday, March 25 View Page Jus like some of you mainlanders that got snow on the first day of Spring...we got some too over here on the Big Island of Hawaii...hoping I can break away from work tomorrow (we have a state holiday - Prince Kuhio Day) to run up top of Mauna Kea and do a little boarding down da mountain!   Friday, April 13 View Page Wish me luck!!...I have 6 different sets of giant tomato seeds started... weather over here has been very rainy and cool (yes cool!!...LOL) for past 6-7 weeks...so we'll see how long it takes to germinate these seeds...my guess these will start to sprout in 10 days... keeping in my storage room, here at work, where room temperature will get nice and warm... #2018GiantFruitVegetableContest   Tuesday, April 17 View Page Totally got caught off guard yesterday...good thing I just happened to check on my plants yesterday...by my surprise these lil pups started to sprout (on Day 3)!!...this morning I have about 2/3 of what I planted that have sprouted...still see some tips of others that will probably sprout today sometime...now I need to get the greenhouse set up (thought I had a week to do this!!)...so guess what I'm doing today?!...I see the sun is trying to peek thru the clouds...I hope it stays out for a little bit to warm the greenhouse up and give these lil guys a good start... #2018HawaiiGiantFruitVegetableContest   Thursday, April 19 View Page Got about 70 little giant tomato seedlings growing nicely on Day 6...been overcast and a bit rainy still, but nice an comfy warm in greenhouse...   Tuesday, May 1 View Page Happy Plants Again!...weather still overcast, rainy and cool temps...then plants over the weekend ended up with leafminers...glad I was able to nip it in the butt quickly!...now we jus need some sunshine and I know without a doubt these little guys will totally take off!! (Photo 1)   Tuesday, May 1 View Page Happy Plants Again!...weather still overcast, rainy and cool temps...then plants over the weekend ended up with leafminers...glad I was able to nip it in the butt quickly!...now we jus need some sunshine and I know without a doubt these little guys will totally take off!! (Photo 2)   Saturday, May 5 View Page Tomato seedlings about 3 weeks old...how do they look?...amazing how much they've changed in jus 4 days!!   Saturday, May 5 View Page Here in Hawaii we don't have any "experienced" giant growers, so I experimented with bringing in some mainland giant growers to help me out. Sadly I couldn't afford to fly them here, so bringing them in electronically was the next best way!! ... I was excited about the turnout!!...we had about 30+ people (young and old) participating in person and by Zoom...very appreciative of the help we got from our wonderful presenters, Cecil Weston, Susan Dean Barber, and Glen & Margaret Martin. It was a lot of fun and we sure learned a lot too!!   Sunday, May 6 View Page Been working all morning on this beautiful breezy day pulling roots...yes, roots...not weeds...roots!!... coconut palm roots had again invaded my my pumpkin enclosure in off season...I think I've managed to pull up 80% on half of the enclosure? Happy with my progress anyway!!...now it's time to shower and head to the office... #shouldbeatdabeach #hopeweatherstayslikethis #2018HawaiiGiantFruitVegetableContest   Monday, May 7 View Page I am still receiving many calls, text messages, emails asking if I'm okay and if I have had to evacuate the area because of the volcanic activity here in Hawaii...if you look at this map I live in Hawaiian Paradise Park. The lava flow is currently in the Leilani Estates area...we are close but not that close that we'll have to evacuate. I've been posting updates often on my Facebook page if you are interested in seeing what is going on. Our concern more is with the bad air quality and continued earthquakes...we had a really bad one at 6.9 on Friday...thanks to everyone's continued prayers.   Wednesday, May 9 View Page Check out how fast our giant tomato plants are growing!! I'm not sure if I'm going to wait until June 1st to distribute these plants...I'm thinking they can go into the ground right now if my contestants' garden are ready for them. Of course, my garden enclosure, where my tomato plants are going is still not ready...bummer!!...I may have to transplant my plants, that I keep, in gallon pots until I can get my soil in...   Thursday, May 10 View Page Good news!!...no LFA...as reported yesterday, plants have been growing like weeds and are ready to go to their new homes a couple weeks early!!   Thursday, May 10 View Page Here's my line up (from left to right) for this year's tomato plants... I'll be experimenting with one of each plant (except for the 2 on the far left): 6.67 Menting, 6.67 Menting, 4.70 May, 4.27 Menting, 2.76 Stawecki, 4.38 Menting, 2.47 Stawecki   Monday, May 14 View Page Day #3 - checked seeds for germination yesterday late afternoon...only had 2 watermelon seeds that germinated... different story this morning...again on Day 3 had a little over a third of my watermelon, bushel gourd and long gourd seeds that sprouted and ready for pots!!... I'm sure we will have many more to pot tomorrow morning! #2018GiantFruitVegetableContest   Wednesday, May 16 View Page Started these "Home Depot" giant tomatoes on May 14th...and lookie here!!...2 days later and they are up!!...and 100% germination too!...had a Master Gardener that brought them in...we're gonna experiment with these just to see what they can do.   Wednesday, May 16 View Page Started watermelons, long gourds and bushel gourds on Friday, May 11th..they sprouted and potted them on Monday, May 14th and they are starting to emerge from the soil today! #2018HawaiiGiantFruitVegetableContest   Friday, May 18 View Page At 7 days old all but 3-4 seedlings have emerged and are doing great!...the other seeds are slow at germinating but holding out hope that they will be ready to pot sometime this weekend. #2018HawaiiGiantFruitVegetableContest   Sunday, May 20 View Page One of our contestants sent me photos of his tomato plants after transplanting them...he is growing two 4.38 Menting plants, then a 4.27 Menting and 4.70 May. Good to see our contestants getting plants in the ground and not leaving them in the 4"x4" pots...   Tuesday, May 22 View Page seedlings growing well...but sadly because of our continued cloudy weather, it has caused these watermelon and gourds to stretch...here you see some of our watermelons 115 McWilliams, 106 McWilliams, 183 May...then 112" Stawecki and 127" Urena long gourds and in the back some 145 Stawecki, 71 McWilliams and 189 Fleming bushel gourds.   Thursday, May 24 View Page Same contestant that sent me photo 4 days ago (showing me that he transplanted his tomato plants), was excited to see how quickly his plants took off once they were in the ground...he is off to a great start!...me on the other hand still has not been able to get soil and so sadly I think this is gonna set me back on my plants.   Saturday, May 26 View Page last of the giant tomato plants we will plant this year for contestants...they will be ready for new homes this next week...we are experimenting with these...had a master gardener that felt the need to see what "Home Depot" giant tomatoes would do compared to the other I'm growing...had 100% germination with these seeds and the other tomato seeds I started, so was really happy!   Saturday, May 26 View Page growing sunflowers for the first time this year...not know what I'm doing I thought I would start them like I do all my other seeds..using paper towel method...all but one sunflower seed germinated...and it's only been 2 days!!...YAY...now all potted up and definitely excited to see what these will do!   Saturday, May 26 View Page pumpkins seeds were super at germinating too!...I also did paper towel method with them...I started 50 seeds and only had 3 seeds that didn't sprout yet...but not concerned because it's only day 2...I have no doubt that those 3 seeds will germinate by tomorrow...I wish I had this kine luck with the long gourds and bushel gourds...I think my germination rate for them was more like 65%-70%...not sure what I can do to have better luck germinating those...   Sunday, May 27 View Page For those interested that don't follow me on Facebook...here is a map of fissures and lava flows as of 2:30 p.m. HST, May 27, 2018. Red numbers indicate active fissures, pink numbers show inactive ones. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.