Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 39 Entries. Monday, April 23 View Page 2018 seed start is under way with the 1764 Stevens and 1724.5 Steil. The Stevens will hopefully be the primary plant in my patch. Soil was collected the week of the 9th, before the big snow, and hand delivered for soil analysis on the 16th. With luck the results should come back by the end of the week, and I can get started amending/expanding the garden plot over the weekend. Currently have ~300 sq. ft, aim to add another 100.   Thursday, April 26 View Page Three days at 85 degrees results in two germinated seeds.   Thursday, April 26 View Page Potted and placed on the best south facing window I have available plus the grow light.   Saturday, April 28 View Page Made my garden plot about 100 sq. Ft. larger today, so 400 total. Longer and skinnier than I'd prefer, but my better half insists on keeping a fairly large flat area for the kids. No results from the soil analysis yet-- will call on Wednesday if I don't hear. Everything has dried out well enough to till. Will likely till the rest tomorrow, try and add a couple yard of composted horse manure mid week, and add amendments and the heater next weekend. Also was able to transplant a pear tree elsewhere. It's nice to be out after a long winter.   Wednesday, May 2 View Page Lots going on the past couple days. Both seeds were up yesterday and look pretty good today. Stevens was a few days faster than the Steil. Had 2 cubic yards of composted horse manure added and tilled into my patch on Monday evening. I only own a Honda mini-tiller, but hopefully having a heavier till to incorporate the compost should allow me to effectively manage the plot with it. The U got my soil report back to me on Monday, details are below. Hope to amend this weekend and plant early to mid next week. pH: 7.7 Organic matter: 4.9% Phosphorus ppm: 25 Potassium ppm: 118 Sulfur SO4-S PPM: 7 Magnesium ppm: 415 Calcium ppm: 2252 Boron (ppm): 0.5 Copper (ppm): 2.0 Iron (ppm): 48.9 Manganese (ppm): 9.6 Zinc (ppm): 6.9   Sunday, May 6 View Page I added most of the amendments to my patch on Saturday. Heating cables and cloche are up, and the Stevens is in the dirt in the premium location. I'll watch it for a few days, with the second seedling spending days out in the cloche before I make a decision on where it'll go.   Friday, May 11 View Page The Stevens seedling is all tucked in for the cool night. The heating cables have maintained a soil temp of 68-70, but I figure the lamp for one or two more night can't hurt. The 6$ pumpkin shanty at the other end of the garden is in, but the Steil seedling won't be going in the dirt until Sunday.   Saturday, May 12 View Page The city had a sale on rain barrels, so I picked up a pair. Either they'll be a source of free water or a staging area for city water to stand, warm, and dechlorinate. I'm researching options to install 100 or so feet of drip irrigation in the garden next month.   Sunday, May 13 View Page It looks like we're in for a nice stretch of good weather so the Steil (the smaller plant) was planted this morning. It's at the far end of the garden near the black walnut where plants typically haven't done well, but we'll give it a chance to show us whether amendments will help improve the situation. The Stevens is humming along.   Sunday, May 20 View Page The plants are chugging along. The extra week outside plus hot house plus heating cables really show for the stevens. It may outgrow the hothouse in the next week.   Sunday, May 27 View Page Warm weather this weekend. The stevens plant was getting cramped in its cloche, so off they went. Less full sun today than yesterday probably helped too. Need to weed.   Saturday, June 2 View Page Fence up, drip line in (need to test tomorrow), and major round of weeding done. Stevens is down and running, with secondaries starting. Steil is behind and looks like it may have two main vines coming in.   Wednesday, June 13 View Page The stevens plant is between 12 and 14 feet now. First female flower showed up on the main vine. Still looking long and narrow. A couple of secondaries look to have stalled out after I removed leaves earlier in the season. The stiel plant is derping along, with three-three foot vines, each going a different direction.   Thursday, June 21 View Page Happy solstice! We have a good amount of salad, time to set a fruit.   Thursday, June 21 View Page The twins. About 14-16 feet out on the main vine. Looking forward to them opening in a few days. Lots of prospective dads between the two plants.   Monday, June 25 View Page 1764 Stevens X self, 5 lobe flower. The second flower on the main vine opened first-- possibly because I trimmed the secondary near the first. 14-16 ft out, 15 or so secondaries behind. Prefer the first flower, which looks to open tomorrow, due to its stem, but we'll see how the pollinations take and fruit behave in the next 10d.   Tuesday, June 26 View Page 1764 Stevens X 1724.5 Steil. 1.3 inches of rain over night... would have been happy with a quarter inch. Favored flower on the main vine opened, as did two Steil males. Main vine tip broke off around 6ft down from the females (wind?)-- have one more shot on the main, will have a total of 3 pollination attempts.   Thursday, June 28 View Page Last shot at a main vine pollination. Used the 3 male Steil flowers left to hand pollinate, will leave open. RIP Steil. For getting no love, growing in jugalone soil, having a cracked stump and three competing mains, you were doing ok. Hope you fulfilled your purpose in life and reproduced. #ThereCanBeOnlyOne   Saturday, June 30 View Page Back of the patch is nearly filled in, and I'm starting to terminate secondaries. There's space at the other end, but secondaries are a bit sparse there still. Doesn't help that I snapped one and some critter got one. Pumpkins are 4, 5, and 2 post pollination, from front to back.   Tuesday, July 3 View Page 1764 Stevens X 1724.5 Steil, 7 DAP. Looking real nice on the preferred pollination. Growing better than the 1764 self at 8 DAP a node down. Will probably commit to the fruit on Friday.   Saturday, July 7 View Page There are a few female flowers on the side vines yet, but otherwise we're officially #AllIn. Introducing "Vernie," shown at 11 DAP.   Sunday, July 8 View Page Not much space for vine left, but should all be filled and terminated in the next week or two, unless the fruit shuts it down. New shade installed.   Tuesday, July 10 View Page 14 DAP. 51" circumference. Pumpkin butt was looking a bit funky last night. Opted to be proactive and amputate/ paint with darconil.   Monday, July 16 View Page Vernie at 20 DAP. 82" circumference, 182" OTT, up an estimated 21 lbs in the last 24h. I need to stop fussing with her so much or wear gloves as my sharp talons have wounded her smooth, delicate skin a few times now.   Friday, July 20 View Page Vernie 24 DAP. 95" circ, 208 OTT. Cool and wet the last few days, looks to be cool for the next week. Normally wouldn't report so regularly, but am headed out of town for a while. Fingers crossed that my better half and the neighbor will water on schedule.   Wednesday, July 25 View Page Vernie @ 29 DAP.   Tuesday, July 31 View Page Vernie at 35 DAP. 122" cc, 269" OTT. 437lbs est. Average of about 20 lbs a day since last taped. Back from the left coast. Wife and neighbor took good care of her while I was gone.   Wednesday, August 1 View Page Last year was the first time I tried to grow an AG, and the first picture I have from 2017 was taken on August 1st. The unnamed 2017 pumpkin is shown on the top, 2018's Vernie is shown at the bottom. The boy is quite a bit bigger this year, but it's not quite as dramatic a difference as the pumpkin!   Sunday, August 5 View Page Vernie at 40 DAP. 132" circ. 288" OTT, 536 lbs est. She's been growing around 20 lbs a day. Had a couple of SVBs get in side vines past the pumpkin that had to be dealt with. We also had to move her a few inches the other day. She had put some taproots down on the next two nodes down the main towards the stump. Partially dug partially cut the one nearer the pumpkin today and put it in a peat pot to give the main some more freedom near the pumpkin. We'll see how she keeps growing. Japanese beetles are demolishing a few of the ornamental shrubs around the house, but have been leaving the pumpkin be.   Wednesday, August 15 View Page Vernie at 50 DAP. 144" circ, 317" OTT, 712 lbs estimated. Still growing despite her stem split, which doesn't look any worse. She is developing a peach color that my wife appreciates. Had to bushwack some of the tomatoes that are growing out of control at the other end of the patch yesterday, to my better half's disappointment.   Saturday, August 25 View Page Vernie at 60 DAP. 153" circ, 335 OTT. 837 lbs est. She's slowed down noticeably over the past 10 days. I've been removing a number of leaves with mildew lately. It had been a dry month but 2 inches of rain yesterday and more forecast. There's a spot on the main near one of the early secondaries I'm watching, have it heavily dusted with sulfur.   Friday, September 28 View Page 8 days to go. Holding together for now, slow growth yet. Forecast frost tonight. Tomatoes and fence gone so it's easier to see how big the vine got. Hope it goes or exceeds 2018 chart.   Saturday, October 6 View Page "Vernie" aka 978 Bierle 2018. 353 final OTT, 2% light. Getting her harvested was a real headache. Wet conditions for the last few weeks, turning the yard muddy and making concern about rot constant. After a week of pumpkin related insomnia, had a great time at Gale Woods. Really liked putting faces to names. Just missed 1000, but 2019 season starts 10/7-- shooting for 1500.   Sunday, October 14 View Page Buying compost as the flakes fly... fun way to start the 2019 season.   Monday, October 15 View Page It's funny how the boy is so reluctant to clean his field pumpkins for carving but is more than happy to jump right in during seed collection.   Sunday, October 21 View Page The 978's second life as the King of Pumpkins. I can't count the number of people who came by and commented, drove by slowly, etc. There was one gentleman and his grandson who walked by to look 4 times in an hour.   Saturday, November 3 View Page The 978 Bierle 2018 (1764 Stevens X 1724.5 Steil) is all packed up and good to go. 151 packs of 2 seeds, with splits packaged separately. Drop me a line if you're interested.   Sunday, November 4 View Page There were about ~550 seeds from the 978. Maybe 20% were split to varying degrees, another 20% flat, but mostly look to be grade A.   Thursday, November 8 View Page Figured I'd share my plot of the 978's growth this past season.