Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 24 Entries. Thursday, January 17 View Page Thanks for what you guys do!! It was like Christmas at my place today!!   Saturday, March 9 View Page I had to post these after talking to my boy I’m Minnesota and after seeing Shannon’s post. We pulled 3 feet of soil out of both greenhouse this past week.:)   Saturday, March 9 View Page Figured I’d till while down that far. The soil down that deep was a really nice sandy loam. No tests because I’m not really excited about what the nutrients are that far down.   Saturday, March 9 View Page I have a few semis full of some beautiful dirt I found. I was disease testing soils I was looking at and very surprised to see disease numbers that high in what was very called “ good clean dirt “.... We’ve rebuilt all the doors, put in a better cooling system and pretty much ready to get started. I’m looking forward to another fun but challenging season!!! Good luck to all in 2019!:)   Saturday, March 9 View Page Photo for last entry. Still can’t find that edit button after all these years. Lol   Friday, March 29 View Page I’m hoping if I start earlier I can finally take down that pingrey guy!   Friday, March 29 View Page I feel I’m well on my way! At this point I always have a state or world record. Here we go!   Friday, March 29 View Page It seems something changes each year with something we’re doing. I used these lights last year and had fantastic results. It’s like a circus in the grow room but boy do the plants respond to this lighting well!!!   Saturday, April 6 View Page Decisions decisions! I’m really happy with my seeds but not so happy with my Soil report. I’m going to take another one Monday and send it off. If things come back close to what the other says,,,, we go with it and hope for the best! Here we go again!!!! Good or bad,,,, each year if filled with excitement, let downs, hurt backs, blisters, stress but at the end it’s always a good time and as long as you learn and do a little better each year it always worth it to me!!:):):) Let the games begin!!!   Friday, April 26 View Page Baby pictures! All babies are up and just about ready to go into the patch!   Friday, April 26 View Page Thanks again to both Steve Daletas and Leonardo Urena! I’ll do my best to make you proud! We’ll be planting out any day now!   Sunday, April 28 View Page Another successful day at our new growers seminar! Thank you to Kevin Donahue and Mike P,,, because of you guys everything went perfect! Also,,, a huge shoutout to Ron Wallace who supports us every year and once again didn’t disappoint!! You da man Ron thanks for all you do!!!   Monday, April 29 View Page If you have any questions about this weekend feel free to email any of us!!:):) My email is- medunn16@yahoo.com Thanks again for all who showed up!!   Sunday, May 5 View Page Always nice to have friends stop by the Patch! Mike P stopped by today to help me with a few things. Here are the 2 strongest 1911’s out of what I started. So far so good and a thumbs up from Mike means a personal best is coming this year!!   Sunday, May 5 View Page Added a couple swamp coolers this year so when we get that heat I’ll be ready! These bigger units aren’t cheap but they sure work well! Just add 5 gallons of water and turn on!   Sunday, May 26 View Page Despite cool and cloudy weather the plants are growing well. Here’s the 1911 starting to run.   Sunday, May 26 View Page Plant number 2 the 1928 Daletas. She’s been another easy plant other then a couple fussy side vines. She’s growing a bit faster but this seed out of the bunch I started has been a front runner since it broke dirt a few weeks back!! I’m excited to see where this one ends up!!   Thursday, May 30 View Page Probably the best new addition to the 2019 patch!! 7 years ago when I started growing these giants I ran across a diary that had this sign. I loved it so much after all these years I finally made one for myself!!!! Custom stain, many top coats of urethane and she’s finally in the patch!!!! And from this sign became a good friend,,,, north shore Glenn!! What a great guy that’s always there to help the new grower!!! Thanks again for the idea Glenn and let’s have this sign do us both well in 2019!!!!!   Sunday, June 9 View Page 1928 Daletas just moving along. We’ll be pollinated really soon! Probably a couple weeks before I’ve ever pollinated! We had sun today again which was nice,,,, the plant really responded well to the rays! The swamp coolers were the best thing I could of done!! They keep me right at the perfect temp.!   Sunday, June 9 View Page Leonardo’s plant is catching up!!! If we can keep this sun out it’s going to be a good year!   Tuesday, August 13 View Page It’s been a long time,,, for those that know me you guys have been great in helping and doing what I need to do to at least get a 1000 pound fruit to the end. 2 months ago ( right after I pollinated ) I caught a server case of pneumonia and was in and out of the hospital. I lost 25 pounds,,,energy gone and I’m just now starting to get back to life. There was a point, the day after I pollinated that I didn’t go to the patch for 3 weeks. No feeding, no sprays,, nothing that had to do with the pumpkin patch at all. By week 4 a couple good buddies from here stopped by and helped me weed, adjust the pumpkins and figure out the mess I had in the patch,,, you know who you are and thanks!!:) since then it’s been a couple days a week for a half hour or so just to take care of the bare minimum. Even just walking has been hard but I’ve been getting stronger each day! Disease has taken over the patch because I haven’t been able to do anything and my plants are going down fast. I’m grateful though and still have the 2 Pumpkins I started with. I was hoping to get a couple to 1000 pounds. I taped for the first time and have one right at 1000 pounds and the other just under 1300 pounds! Thank you Jesus and hallelujah I have anything at all!!!! The names are endless of who’s been checking in on me and you know who you are but for the ones that have been contacting my wife through Facebook and some of those other internet channels I’m getting back on my feet and gearing up for 2020!!!! I’m hoping these fruit make it to the end so I have something for weigh off time!!! 2020 here we come!!! Thanks again all! Other then russ Pingrey that thinks I’m just sandbagging you guys rock! Lol   Tuesday, August 13 View Page My 1928 with hat for reference. Hardly any care at upper 1200’s! This is what the main vine looks like when you don’t adjust early,,,,, it’s about to snap off and feels like a rubber band! Lol   Sunday, September 1 View Page Well, after duster ( Fredricks ) posted I figured I would too. 19 days to weigh off day and I think it’s going to come down to who’s goes heavier.:) Let’s just say I’m pretty happy with the numbers I saw tonight and that she still has a pulse! You can get an idea by how high up the main vine is and even though we moved her a couple inches back she’s right again.:) we won’t be moving her again until that Friday night before weigh off day. It’s all about survival mode now and making it to the end! And also trying to put on another 10” from now until then which should be pretty easy after what I saw tonight. This is Jesus pumpkin and he’s in control!!!!   Sunday, September 1 View Page This pics for Henry,,, it’s amazing how two 1928 Daletas seeds could look so different! Mines low, wide and like a blob and yours is white and tall. Let’s just both hope they go 10% heavy for us and we’ll be happy!:)