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Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 51 Entries.
Saturday, April 6 View Page
Still have snow in my patch, I was shoveling some off today to get the black showing. Gotta love Northern Minnesota growing haha! Hoping to start my seeds next weekend and get the plastic on the greenhouse. I’ll be getting a soil sample send to Western Labs as soon as the frost goes out. I have 50lbs of Kelp, 50lbs of Alfalfa meal, 40lbs of Humic, 25lbs of Fish Bone meal, perlite, and 0-0-50 to put down before tilling. This year I’ll be growing the 1742 Wolf and 1971.5 Barlow, with the 1937 Werner and 1810 Bernstrom as backups. Only growing two plants this year, hoping to beat my personal best of 1810 from last year. Think spring and warmer weather!
 
Friday, April 19 View Page
 
Friday, April 19 View Page
The greenhouse is all tilled, water lines half down, soil cables in, and fans up! Will put the two plants in on Monday or Tuesday.
 
Friday, April 19 View Page
Main two plants will be the 1971 Barlow and 1742 Wolf. Going with the Selfed 2145s this year! The 1642 Wolf and 1937 Werner will be backups.
 
Sunday, April 21 View Page
The 1742 Wolf is in the ground, the soil temp in the planting area was 85 degrees!
 
Sunday, April 21 View Page
1971.5 Barlow is in the ground as well, soil cables have the soil at 85 degrees here as well. Hopefully they both take off good!
 
Saturday, April 27 View Page
1742 Wolf. It usually takes a few days for the plants to get used to the new environment before they take off. I have to put a 65 watt bulb by them and cover them at night because it’s been in the upper 20s each night. It’s looking good!
 
Saturday, April 27 View Page
1971.5 Barlow. It’s doing good as well! I’m enjoying only growing 2 plants this year, with a new baby at home I’ll have more free time.
 
Thursday, May 2 View Page
1742 Wolf, the first sunshine day all week. Plants doing good!
 
Thursday, May 2 View Page
1971.5 Barlow. The plants go inside a big plastic Rubbermaid tote at night with a 65 watt light in there and a blanket over the tote. Keeps it around 70 inside. Low 30s every night here.
 
Thursday, May 9 View Page
1742 Wolf, leaves are a little bigger then a basketball. Looking really good and healthy so far. Every night is below freezing here so have to cover, was 16 degrees the other morning!
 
Thursday, May 9 View Page
1971.5 Barlow. Both plants will hopefully be getting close to laying down by the beginning of the week!
 
Friday, May 17 View Page
The 1742 Wolf is growing really good! The vine is a little over 2 feet long and just a few inches from laying down. The plants are about 2 weeks ahead of last year.
 
Friday, May 17 View Page
The 1971.5 Barlow is also doing really good, about the same as the 1742. So far I’m really focusing on getting a good root base by using lots of biological fertilizer. I’m watering 5 gallons of water every other day to a 8 foot circle around the plant.
 
Friday, May 17 View Page
Once I covered the plants up good for the night since it’s supposed to freeze again tonight I sprayed the whole greenhouse with roundup to get rid of the weeds. I’ll do it a couple times a year.
 
Friday, May 24 View Page
1742 Wolf, the secondaries are starting to really take off. Will be burying vines right away next week.
 
Friday, May 24 View Page
1971.5 Barlow. About 5 1/2 feet long. Both plants are still doing really good.
 
Sunday, June 2 View Page
1742 Wolf. This plant is growing really good, the secondaries are growing about as fast as the main. It’s about 10 feet long and 8 feet wide.
 
Sunday, June 2 View Page
1971.5 Barlow. This plants main is about 9 feet long and the secondaries are a little slower on this one, but they’ll pick up pretty quick.
 
Saturday, June 8 View Page
1742 Wolf. The plants have made it through the heat good with no burning. There’s a pumpkin at 14-15 feet that should be able to be pollinated next weekend. I’m having to water around 80 gallons per plant a day to keep the soil moist.
 
Saturday, June 8 View Page
1971.5 Barlow. This plant is a little behind the 1742, but it’s growing good. There’s also a pumpkin on this one that’ll be ready next weekend around 13-15 feet.
 
Thursday, June 13 View Page
1742 Wolf will be ready to pollinate on Saturday or Sunday at around 15 feet. This is my biggest plant ever at this time for pollination. We had frost yesterday morning, there was ice on top of the greenhouse. Gotta love Northern Minnesota weather!
 
Monday, June 17 View Page
A nice 5 lobe on the 1742 Wolf, it’s at around 13 feet. There’s 16 total secondaries behind it. Let the fun begin! I did a 1742 x self cross.
 
Monday, June 17 View Page
Here’s the 1742 Wolf plant.
 
Monday, June 17 View Page
1971.5 Barlow plant. I had a female shrivel up at about 12 feet. I’ll pollinate a couple on the side vines that look good and there’s one on the main at around 16 feet that will be ready in a week and a half.
 
Saturday, June 22 View Page
It looks like the pumpkin took! 1742 Wolf x self! Here we go!
 
Tuesday, June 25 View Page
The plants are filling up the 1800 sq foot greenhouse. The front one is the 1971.5 Barlow and the back one is the 1742 Wolf. The 1971.5 Barlow will have one open up at 17 feet with around 22 secondaries behind it. The plants look awesome!
 
Tuesday, June 25 View Page
1742 Wolf x self. Starting to want to grow, looks like it should be a good shape.
 
Wednesday, June 26 View Page
Briars first pumpkin picture of the year! 1742 Wolf x self.
 
Saturday, June 29 View Page
1971.5 Barlow x 1742 Wolf. A nice 5 lobe at 17 feet with 24 secondaries behind it. I’m really excited about this one!
 
Saturday, June 29 View Page
The 1971.5 Barlow plant, looks awesome!
 
Thursday, July 4 View Page
The girls are rocking their 4th of July dresses! The pumpkin is ramping it up and the plants in great shape! 1742 Wolf x self
 
Thursday, July 4 View Page
The greenhouse is almost full! 1971.5 Barlow in the front, 1742 Wolf in the back. The 1971.5 Barlow has a pumpkin that’s 4 days old and looks good!
 
Thursday, July 11 View Page
The 1800 sq feet in the greenhouse is pretty much all full. I have about 2-3 days of vine burying left then will be done for the year! I’m watering once a week with the overhead sprinklers, and every day with the drip line. Applying fertilizer and around 180-200 gallons total a day for both plants. The 1742 Wolf is on day 24 and the 1971 Barlow is on day 12.
 
Friday, July 12 View Page
Roots are exploding out of the ground all over!
 
Tuesday, July 16 View Page
Family picture night on the 1742 Wolf!
 
Tuesday, July 16 View Page
One of the best pictures ever haha! Leaf from the 1971.5 Barlow! It’s just a little bigger then Blake!
 
Thursday, July 18 View Page
I buried the last vines this morning, all the secondaries are done growing. I’ve just left both mains growing. A great feeling to be done burying vines!
 
Saturday, July 27 View Page
1742 Wolf x self. Doing mid 30s a day, plants still in great shape. Pumpkin is looking meaner each day!
 
Sunday, July 28 View Page
Briar and her unicorn! This one is going to be kinda orange! It’s catching the bigger one fast and is a little ahead of my 1810 pound pumpkin last year ???? 1971.5 Barlow x 1742 Wolf dap29
 
Tuesday, July 30 View Page
I cut the leaves off that were over the main vine on both plants today, and cleaned the dirt off the main vines. Making sure both stay dried out good and have lots of airflow on them to avoid issues.
 
Sunday, August 4 View Page
1971.5 Barlow x 1742 Wolf doing mid 40s a day. 36 dap. It’s getting really wide. Briar and Blake love the pumpkins!
 
Sunday, August 4 View Page
1742 Wolf x self. Doing 30 pounds a day. Dap48.
 
Sunday, August 11 View Page
The girls are enjoying their new bed haha! 1971.5 Barlow x 1742 Wolf. Still doing mid 30s a day.
 
Wednesday, August 14 View Page
Briars got her thumbs down for this pumpkin haha! Estimated weight was 950 pounds, 1971.5 Barlow x 1742 Wolf. Developed a blossom end split, walls were really thick and sound except the blossom, was doing 32 pounds a day. Down to one pumpkin left, thumbs up for that one!
 
Monday, August 19 View Page
To make the pumpkins look bigger you put the smaller baby on them so Blake was all smiles to lay on it?? The lone pumpkin is doing good still! 1742 Wolf x self
 
Monday, August 26 View Page
Slowly but surely the pumpkin is getting bigger! Briar didn’t collapse the top so hopefully it’s turning into a rock haha! 70 days old today, 1742 Wolf x self.
 
Saturday, September 7 View Page
Briar and Blake on their pumpkin! 81dap 1742 Wolf x self. It’s not going to get as big as last years, but it looks and feels like a rock! Still growing around 8 pounds a day
 
Saturday, September 28 View Page
The 1742 Wolf x self, 103dap. Hoping it goes heavy, looks and thumps like a rock! It’ll get picked in 6 days on Friday!
 
Thursday, October 3 View Page
Decided to load the pumpkin tonight, everything looks sound and solid! Off to Roland on Saturday morning! 1742 Wolf x self!
 
Wednesday, October 9 View Page
The patch is all cleaned up, a truckload of old manure was put down and tilled in last night. I’ll take a soil sample in the spring and apply what I need. I’ll be growing 3 plants again next year and do my best to beat my personal best of 1810 pounds and a total of 3 over 5169! I’ll be growing the 2469 Daletas, 2416 Haist, and the 2114 Wallace. Now for some relaxing!
 

 

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