Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 69 Entries. Tuesday, January 16 View Page 17.1 lb lake trout through the ice, what a blast!   Thursday, April 5 View Page Soil test back, about what I expected, my soil was at 1500 ppm calcium, so i added 500ppm last spring and results show that, this similiar to begining of my 2016 season except I got a jump on CA so I should be able to work with this   Thursday, April 5 View Page Lets see if the photo works this time   Monday, April 16 View Page Heres my patch covered in snow. Havnt got anything done yet, lol. Been under the weather myself, hope to get cables and hoop houses out this weekend.   Thursday, April 19 View Page Got 4" of fluff last night, most has already melted, scooped off the planting sites off after work this morning.   Thursday, April 19 View Page A blistering 47 today, really helped melt the packed down snow around planting sites, should be good for cables and hoops saturday for sure sunday.   Friday, April 20 View Page 4/20 started seeds. 2145, 1756 and 1801 with a pair of 2106s as back up   Sunday, April 22 View Page Got the counterweight off the tractor and the tiller installed.....I hope I dont have to move any more snow lol   Sunday, April 22 View Page Enough snow is gone so I fired up the old yamaha, I managed to break a drive on the spreader again... I need some something more heavy-duty   Sunday, April 22 View Page Lets see first batch today, 400lbs of gypsum, 100lbs of soft rock phosphate, 160lbs of kelp and 100lbs of humic. Im making a run to get fertilizer tomorrow and we will get that down tomorrow, then till and hoops go up Tuesdays.   Monday, April 23 View Page Here we go, got the ferts down, we got 650lbs of an enhanced cow manure matrix with micronutrients, 150lbs of composted chicken manure crumbles, 100lbs of 0-0-50, 10lbs of k mag, 1.5lbs of zinc sulfate, 120lbs of alfalfa pellets, 100 lbs of corn meal and 100lbs of dry molasses.   Tuesday, April 24 View Page Got the patch tilled today 4-24   Tuesday, April 24 View Page Digging in soil cables, i use the 48 foot jump starts   Tuesday, April 24 View Page Got two hoops up on 4-24 with soil cables   Wednesday, April 25 View Page Soil temp in patch is 55 degrees, soil in the two hoops I put up yesterday is 72 degrees, the cables work and work well.   Wednesday, April 25 View Page Heres the 1756 it is 5 days old, all seeds are up and look good. Ill start giving them sun tomorrow so they will be hardened off to go outside Sunday. Lineup is 1756H/J, 2145 McMullen and 1801 Berrens. Im sticking with 1756 on the maternal side as many of recent really big kins have the 1756 on the maternal side. Also Rick talked me into it lol   Monday, April 30 View Page 1801 Berrens hits the dirt. I wanted a seed that was like the 2145 but slighty different and not a remake or the reverse cross. The 1801 is 1756 hj x 1676.5 Delatas which is 1381 Checkon x 1495 stelts, The 2145 is 1756hj x 1625 Gantner which is 1495 stelts selfed. So this seed has more Checkon and a little less stelts which the 1756 is based on the checkon seed. Unfornatley its my smallest seedling and got the worst spot, lol so we shall see if it can overcome.   Monday, April 30 View Page Is what it is, The 2145 McMullen, My best plant thus far. It transplanted well, I didnt break any roots off, lol the other 2 I did.   Monday, April 30 View Page The mother of all mothers, The 1756 Howell/Jolivette, Ive had good luck with Ricks seeds in the past and he tells me this one is better. I hope so or I'll be looking for a refund.   Tuesday, May 1 View Page What a great fist day outside, 50 mph wind inflated the hoops and messed them all up. Soil was not enough on the sides to hold down. I added bricks, more soil and wetted the soil. Then duct taped all the holes up. I hope my 2145 will recover.   Friday, May 4 View Page 1801 Berrens   Friday, May 4 View Page 2145 has been suffering from PTSD, but I will give her a dose of Cornhusk's miracle willow tea this morning. That should fix her right up.   Friday, May 4 View Page 1756   Saturday, May 5 View Page 27 of the 36 maters up, Porkchop and Q tip i would suggest just giving up now. Ill plant the 18 best and the rest my friend will grow for canning.   Thursday, May 10 View Page 1801 Berrens, look close, a double second leaf, I think a got the plants a little cold before going to hoops one day giving them sun. 2145 did this as well.   Thursday, May 10 View Page 2145 double second leaf as well, throwing multiple leafs and flowers at nodes, I think it will straighten out, if not we will yank it and plant a 2106 back up.   Thursday, May 10 View Page 1756 HJ might be turning into the best plant so far no issue here.   Wednesday, May 16 View Page 1801   Wednesday, May 16 View Page 2145   Wednesday, May 16 View Page 1756   Friday, May 25 View Page 2106 A in the HD/Pollinator Patch, I like to stress them you get them to root deep.   Friday, May 25 View Page 2106 B , this one is a real stud   Wednesday, May 30 View Page 1801 berrens i cut my first 2 secondarys off they grew straight up cause i had to twise the vine to lay it down, they kinked and spilt coming down, good thing they were already full of water from the rain   Wednesday, May 30 View Page 1756 being a little bit of pain, straightening out now, likes to throw double leafs, extra flowers sometimes not not all   Wednesday, May 30 View Page 2145 no complaints here, will have a female on the 8th, 9th and 12th might think about the 12th pollination, but theres another in the tip it will be the choosen one   Sunday, June 3 View Page Planted tomatoes yesterday, and (2) 169 D Gantners were planted last week.   Sunday, June 3 View Page Better post my list of plants as I will most likely not be able to find the list later, lol   Sunday, June 3 View Page Making new tillers, i tilled once at the beginning of the year about 3inches to mix in the ferts. I am doing light broadforking as the plant goes, just kinda lifting on the soil but not turning it over. Hopefully all the earthworms make nice tunnels for the roots to follow.   Sunday, June 10 View Page 1801 Berrens   Sunday, June 10 View Page 1756 im about done with this plant, hate to give up but its upsetting me greatly, I think i will pollinate it on 14th and grow it to 400 to 500 sq   Sunday, June 10 View Page 2145 doing well, I cant complain, well.....I wish it was going a little faster, I just sent in tissue test so we will see what that says, im going to start monitoring water alot closer starting now. Ill be pollinating this plant on 14th with 15 secondaries behind the plant, next will open sunday but 90 degrees so i think will take this year pollination.   Tuesday, June 12 View Page Getting Dyer belt cut for the kins   Thursday, June 14 View Page 1756HJ x 1279 Clementz, What a pair, lol 9ft out with 5 secondaries   Thursday, June 14 View Page 2145 x 2363 at 14 ft with 15 secondaries. If I have a shot at a good one this year, it will most likely be this one. 1801 I still have hopes for if it can kick into gear soon, the 1756 has its keeper at 9ft even if it aborts.   Thursday, June 14 View Page Looking good, touch of copper, ill keep adding weekly boron, back of on MN, need deceid on what to do sulfer, i used lots of epsom before but was wanting to keep my mg lower this year to keep ca and k higher   Saturday, June 16 View Page 169 Deb Gantner South   Saturday, June 16 View Page 169 Deb Gantner North, Melons seem to be doing well and with these next couple days of heat they should get a nice boost. Im hoping we can get a 200lber.   Saturday, June 16 View Page Opps here is the north plant.   Saturday, June 23 View Page "Farty Marty" 2145 x 2363 DAP 9 , my Neices got to name the hopeful star.   Saturday, June 23 View Page Opps here is Farty Marty   Monday, June 25 View Page Farty Marty is gearing up to party. Ill start using AGSIL 16H its a powder and 1/3 the cost of liquids like protekt.   Tuesday, June 26 View Page Got a gantry for lifting the kins, 2 ton rated along with hoist so i have room to grow lol, now gotta fashion a ring.   Wednesday, July 4 View Page Volumptous Verica 1756x 2363, Dap 20 = 165   Wednesday, July 4 View Page Farty Marty, 2145 x 2363 Dap 20 = 191"   Friday, July 20 View Page Low and slow, low and slow.... nice one on the 4.34 menting   Friday, July 20 View Page I think this 2145 takes after her daddy, id like to say its cracking cause its growing fast, hopefulky she will hold a long curve and go heavy to chart   Friday, August 10 View Page 1756 hj, Dap 57, 403", last 5 day average 42lbs a day, spilt in the ribs, RIP   Friday, August 10 View Page I want a refund Rick, lol   Thursday, August 16 View Page 5.12 lbs off a 4.34 Menting, not my first giant tomato, but the first one I actaulley gave a good effort towards. It was grown first truss MacCoy style. Hopefully Im just warming up.   Thursday, August 16 View Page Scale Certification   Thursday, August 16 View Page Side view   Thursday, August 16 View Page I lost my Howard Dill contender last week, im not certain this one will be orange enough, fingers crossed.   Monday, August 27 View Page Rick J in the house. Good seeing yah Rick   Thursday, October 4 View Page Warty kin   Saturday, October 6 View Page Good Luck to everyone weighing today and monday :)   Sunday, October 14 View Page Gave my friend some 1716 back up plants, we about out killed ourselfs rolling this thing in there, couldnt beleive it but it taped 500lbs on the old chart.   Sunday, October 14 View Page Just gonna leave this here.....   Sunday, October 14 View Page And this, lol   Sunday, October 14 View Page The 1858 Schmit, 1801 Berrens x open, likely is crossed with a 2363 or 1756, didnt grow for 3 weeks before the weighoff stem got crappy on me, we will be back next year.