Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 48 Entries. Monday, October 29 View Page This is my first attempt to post a grower diary so I hope to do all things in the right way. I will try to summarize my 2018 season with a pictures series of the most important events. I started my chosen seeds on March 24th. Some of my first choices didn't sprouted but I was able to had enough seedlings to fill my patch and make the most important part of my genetic project.   Monday, October 29 View Page This was my patch on March 28th. First I digged the soil with a pitchfork and then I tilled it with my little tiller. Unfortunately, my patch is located in an inaccessible area of the island and the only way to reach it is to walk for half an hour to go and half an hour to come back. This makes absolutely impossible to take away the pumpkins for an official weighoff so I am forced to weigh them with an in-line scale and leave my weights unofficial. However, I am still happy to grow these wonderful and magic pumpkins!   Monday, October 29 View Page The patch was tilled twice to make the soil soft and to integrate the amendments.   Monday, October 29 View Page I had a bad start due to some nutritional deficiencies (especially magnesium) and to some leaves damages. But I didn't give up!   Monday, October 29 View Page In late May my plants started to show some vigor. I culled my back-up plant from each spot and dismantled the mini-greenhouses.   Monday, October 29 View Page In the row of a week the plants started to grow very fast, I placed the drip tip and started to water my plants daily due to the high temperatures. I placed also a shade net on each plant to avoid the burning of the main vine's tip.   Monday, October 29 View Page After a month my patch was almost filled of leaves and my pumpkins started to grow very well! I thought I had a great chance to beat my personal best with this pumpkin growing on the 1937 Urena. It was for over 40 days 100lbs ahead to my precedent record. This was a really fast growing pumpkin, it has grown at the pace of 35 lbs a day for 15 days.   Monday, October 29 View Page Also this pumpkin growing on my own 1333 seed (2145 McMullen x 1975 Wallace) had a great chance at a PB but the problems that I will show in the next pictures have limited its potential. I have good reasons to think that I lost between 200 to 400 lbs of potential on each pumpkin!   Monday, October 29 View Page In late June I started to lost many leaves and secondary vines due to rotting stems. This problem was caused by the fusarium or some other pathogenic fungus. Unfortunately the hot weather didn't helped me in the fight and my growing rates started to go down during the second half of July.   Monday, October 29 View Page This was my 1937 Urena when she was around 50DAP.   Monday, October 29 View Page The 1937 was definitely "killed" by a very bad rot between the stem and the main vine. I wasn't able to control it even with the help of a fan and the use of sulfur and hydrogen peroxide. Also the humidity of the air didn't help me... My best pumpkin ever stopped growing at DAP 73 taping 391" of OTT.   Monday, October 29 View Page After some heavy rains in the first decade of August all my plants suffered of bad rottings and the only thing that I could do was to prepare my lifting tools to weigh them. In the following pics I will post all weights of my 2018 season.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Here are some pictures of the rotting spots on my vines during the 2018 season. If I will grow again in 2019 I will try something to improve my soil conditions.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Another one.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page This one was on the main of the 1333 plant.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page This is my structure to lift and weigh my pumpkins.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page I lift the pumpkins with a series of adjustable straps, a chain hoist and an in-line scale.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Let's go with pumpkins! This is one of my two 150 sqft pumpkins. It became the 478 Garofano 2018 EST (1801 Berrens x 1625.5 Gantner). I have lost the stump on this one too soon to take all the potential of this plant. It was really vigorous and aggressive.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 658 Garofano 2018 UOW (1381 Checkon x 1625.5 Gantner). This was my second 150sqft plant and one important piece of my genetic project. I think that these genetic lines have a good affinity but it seems like no one has ever tried this cross. I made also the reverse cross and I think that there is some potential because both plants were really strong.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page The 658 was one of the best shaped pumpkins I have ever grow.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1076 Garofano 2018 UOW (1625.5 Gantner x 1381 Checkon) +5% heavy on the 2017 GPC chart. I loved the pink/green/white color of this one!   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1076 right side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1076 left side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1076 blossom-end side. As you can see I had a little issue with a small soft spot on this one. The spot was only half an inch wide and the same deep and it showed out when the pumpkin was around 50DAP. Fortunately I discovered it in time and I was able to clean, dry and make it heal without any problems.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1076 bottom was really sound and smooth. Only a bit concave in the middle.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Inside the 1076. Really solid, thick and uniform flesh and good seed count too.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1114 Garofano 2018 UOW (1333 Garofano x 1625.5 Gantner) +5% heavy on the 2017 GPC chart. This one was grown off my own 1333 seed (2145 McMullen x 1975 Wallace). A nice shaped white pumpkin. Unfortunately the plant was the most beaten by diseases.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1114 right side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1114 left side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1114 blossom-end side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Sound and solid bottom also on the 1114.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Inside the 1114. Very thick and incredibly uniform flesh.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1114 blossom-end.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1328 Garofano 2018 UOW (1937 Urena x 1625.5 Gantner). It taped 391" so went right to the 2017 GPC chart. Unfortunately I missed my PB by only 5 lbs. I can only imagine what it could have been with a healthy plant to push it till the end! It was my best growing fruit ever. However I'm happy with the nice shape and color on this one!   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1328 right side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1328 left side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1328 blossom-end side.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page 1328 bottom was too much concave but still really sound and smooth! With this I can say that all my fruits were sound and solid even if they never came to an official scale.   Tuesday, October 30 View Page Inside the 1328. Not so thick as the other two but still a nice uniform and flawless flesh. Unfortunately a low seed count on this one.   Monday, November 5 View Page A few days ago I started some of my seeds to do a germination test. The results were really good with a 100% of success on each lot of seeds.   Monday, November 5 View Page When I start my seeds I usually set up my heating mat at 27/28 celsius degrees (approximately 80°F).   Monday, November 5 View Page This is my grow box that I use to grow my plants for the first week of life. Don't pay attention to my bulb because my growing lamp has died and I will buy a new one when I will start my 2019 official plants. For now I put up this 6400k bulb just for the germination test.   Monday, November 5 View Page Between 2 and 5 days later all my seeds germinated. These are 3 of my 1328 (1937 Urena x 1625.5 Gantner). These 3 have sprouted all together in a night.   Monday, November 5 View Page The best surprise of this test was the extreme strong roots of my 1076 seeds, 3 of 4 showed multiple roots right under the seed. I think this one deserves a try...   Monday, November 5 View Page Another 1076 with multiple roots.   Monday, November 5 View Page I usually do not put my test seeds in the pots because I just want to test their vitality, but this year my desire to grow was too high and I also made an attempt even with my wrong bulb to give the right light to the seedlings. These are the best ones. They have too thin and long stumps due to lack of light, but I explained why. However they look great!   Monday, November 5 View Page This is all from my 2018 season! Now I have only to prepare my patch for the next season.   Monday, November 5 View Page I forgot the last but most important picture! These are my 2018 seeds. They are available for all clubs and growers. If you want to give them a try or want some to support your club just shoot me an email at emanuele.garofano96@gmail.com