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82 Entries.
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Monday, March 11
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It's that time of the year where everybody is itching to grow, me included.
I have big plans for the patch (keeping it slightly more secretive this season).
What I will say: I will be growing the 1911 Urena & 2528 Geddes thanks to Henry, plan on being at the scale.
2019 is just getting started...grow em big
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Wednesday, April 24
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Hoophouse has been warming soil for a couple weeks. Equipped with soil cables, heat light, raised walking boards and ceramic heater.
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Wednesday, April 24
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Big shoes to fill 1911 Urena, big shoes.
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Monday, April 29
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Outdoor temps were in the upper 20s this A.M., hoop stayed at 67° (about a +40 degree temperature difference).
P.s. I'm loving this 1911
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Monday, May 13
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1911 Urena at 20 days old (19 days outside). The plan this year is push pollination 1 week back, due to a later Topsfield weighoff. That gives me 43-45 days (June 25-27th target date). Updates every 10 days will be posted on bigpumpkins.
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Monday, May 27
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Got 12 giant tomatoes this year, 8 big marley's, three 6.23's & one 5.95. Hope to beat 5 lbs. Last year got 3.90 lbs with 5 plants
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Monday, May 27
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Oh, also have 9 giant sunflowers coming from 23-26" heads, first summer trying them
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Tuesday, June 4
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Updates to everything in the patch coming soon, lot of work going in this year so far. Almost can't tell with this spring we've had here in Western MA. A grand total of 1 night over 60 degrees so far. 43 degrees last night. Thing's look good but nothing can grow without warmth!! Please let this year change for the better soon. Highly likely a july pollination this year.
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Friday, June 14
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Diary has been super spotty this year, as some know my home life has been all over the place for the last 2. Ribbons for winter tomato contest will be sent out ASAP & hopefully the delay is understood. That being said, I have been putting all my spare time into the garden this year and even despite the cold spring I feel confident
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Friday, June 14
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One of the 4.28 Spaziani "Big Marley" plants
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Friday, June 14
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Every plant is producing a 1st truss mega, here is one of the further developed one's on a Big Markey
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Friday, June 14
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*Marley for last post, here is a 5.95 Domingo plant
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Friday, June 14
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One of 9 giant sunflowers, this one came from a 25"+ head
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Friday, June 14
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Aside from the 1911, I'm growing two Orange kins (both in 17.5 × 17.5 foot patches ~ 305 sq ft.)
Those plants are: the 745 Bernard
525 Katz (Red genetics)
My goal is to just have some pretty pumpkins alongside the 1911
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Saturday, June 15
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Here's my 1911, 12 feet long. Like most people, the plant has been slower than most (add on top of that an abnormally cool spring & it's a bad combination).
The pro's of this plant so far - extremely large leaves, insane tap rooting, and a very thick main vine
The con's: first 3 feet of plant has no secondary vines
Overall I feel okay
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Sunday, June 16
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1st truss flower on 4.28 Spaziani Big Marley
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Thursday, June 20
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Despite all the rain & clouds, things in the garden are finally looking way up. Here is one of the larger sunflower stalks, started 3rd week in April. I will weed after the rain
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Thursday, June 20
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1911 is about 14 feet, stump on this plant is huge
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Thursday, June 20
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Leaves are also quite massive. This one measures 23"
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Thursday, June 20
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One of the crazy looking Big Marley blooms looking even crazier
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Thursday, June 20
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First truss on 5.95.. this one looks kinda mean
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Thursday, June 20
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Is this what love feels like? My best 4.28 Spaziani first-truss flower. This is an awesome seed Rick
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Thursday, June 20
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This was hard to photograph I am short lol
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Saturday, June 22
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Got a concussion a few days ago by falling down the stairs and putting my head through a wall. Had to work today and I cut my thumb on a can pretty good. Came home to discover the garden got slammed with hail and wind.
Loving life lol. Will have to do a better assessment of extent of damage tomorrow. I know I lost some of my megablossoms.
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Sunday, June 23
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The tomatoes took the brunt of the hail damage, lost 4 out of 12 megablooms (not my biggest luckily) and a good amount of small branches were dangling. Overall I think they will be fine
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Sunday, June 23
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The 1911 has holes on about 50% of the leaves, the largest being the hardest hit. No damaged vines (Thank God). The 755* Berard (butchered genetics the last post) does have a damaged main vine - but will be treated and closely looked after.
Everything looked a lot better this morning than I thought it did last night
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Thursday, June 27
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1911 Urena is looking loads better after the hail.
Amazing how these plants bounce back.
Over 17 feet long, pollinating in a week or so.
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Thursday, June 27
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Crazy rooting going on.
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Thursday, June 27
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Unburied node
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Thursday, June 27
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Non-buried* for last post.
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Thursday, June 27
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Tomatoes and Giant Sunflowers are loving the sun
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Sunday, June 30
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So this is the best first truss mega I have ever pollinated. Took drying petals off today. Off the 4.28 big marley.
Man. Oh. Man. I'm excited. She's not even the biggest blossom I've got - they just aren't open yet. 3.90 is going down!!!! :)
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Sunday, June 30
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Another angle. Huge stem early on. Me likely. Me likely lots.
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Sunday, June 30
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Plants are all very healthy this year
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Sunday, June 30
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Who knew giant sunflowers were so fun in soil lol
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Sunday, June 30
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I feed them like the pumpkins. The leaves bloat the same
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Tuesday, July 2
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If you look really close you'll see me behind the 1911 plant! She's 22 feet long 23 feet wide, female at 20 feet should open on July 5th. That leaves 89-90 days until I harvest for topsfield. Excited!!
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Thursday, July 4
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"Henry-the giant cabbage savage"
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Friday, July 5
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Made my first cross today. Super excited.
1911 Urena x 1928 Daletas @ 20.5 feet out on the main.
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Friday, July 5
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Largest plant I've pollinated on, 26.5' wide
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Friday, July 5
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Not the prettiest, but not the ugliest either. I am satisfied.
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Sunday, July 7
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So now that I am seeing some people talk about clonex, I'd like to come forward and say that I have been using it since the start of the season, above and below every node. Was afraid to say anything as I thought people would laugh at the unconventional-mess of using clonex gel...
Anyway here is what I have noticed: I think auxin levels in the clonex initially slow the plant down and thicken up the vines, leaves and roots... this process of thickening up/ slow growth went on for about 2-3 weeks. Soon after this, I began noticing the most insane tap rooting. Some nodes had what seemed like 50 tap roots shooting out. It was crazy. Then, I noticed that this plant was creating scar tissue unlike anything I had seen in the past. Every split on vine fully healed and scarred over, rather than being an open wound.
1911 plant also used to burn with every sunny day and I am noticing an incredible amount of burn resistance now. Clonex takes a while to be appreciated I'd say, but so far it's 100% worth every drop. Hopefully this helps someone out.
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Monday, July 8
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1911 x 1928 DAP 3. I like the shape on her.
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Monday, July 8
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Plant is doing phenomenal... ready to push!
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Monday, July 8
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Front view
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Wednesday, July 10
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DAP 5. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pretty excited at this point.
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Wednesday, July 10
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Right side up? This dang app thing
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Wednesday, July 10
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All set up
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Thursday, July 11
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Big Marley
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Thursday, July 11
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Big marley
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Monday, July 15
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1911 x 1928 DAP 10
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Monday, July 15
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Drenching my ferts in this year with every single water (minus 1 fresh water day). During plant growth period kept solution under 450 ppm.
Raised it to 550 ppm and hit cruise control
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Wednesday, July 17
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12 DAP
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Thursday, July 18
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Selfie with the 1911 x 1928, 13 DAP 5" cc last 24 hours
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Thursday, July 18
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She finally outgrew her cover, needed an upgrade
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Thursday, July 18
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5.95 ramping up, about a month left
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Thursday, July 18
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Go Big-Marley go!
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Thursday, July 18
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Had to slide her back 3-4 inches, too much pressure. If you zoom in you can see the mini splits going on above the main vine leading into the fruit. She told me she felt muuuuch better now
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Friday, July 19
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I grew tertiaries back to fill in the space left by the weaker secondary vines early on
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Sunday, July 21
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Before her shape changes, I have named this girl "Liberty", after the Liberty bell. DAP 16 today
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Sunday, July 21
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Got Nub? (Lol she was a massive flower)
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Monday, July 22
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Check your stumps and stems daily...especially if its hot and humid like it has been
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Wednesday, July 24
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Been talking with Scott Marley and Spencer Glasgow, they have convinced me its time to stop growing plant... only a couple vines still growing
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Wednesday, July 24
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Been talking with Scott Marley and Spencer Glasgow, they have convinced me its time to stop growing plant... only a couple vines still growing
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Thursday, July 25
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DAP 20 on Liberty: 124 lbs, 20 lb gain over night
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Tuesday, July 30
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DAP 25, gained 35 lbs last 24 hours
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Sunday, August 4
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Today Liberty turns 30 days old, she is at 262" ott, or an est. 415 lbs. She has done an est. 87 lbs in the last 48 hours. Can't wait to see day 40!
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Friday, August 9
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DAP 35, 581 lbs est.
Liberty did slow down with the cold nights, but the good news is daily gains appear to be on the rise again
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Friday, August 9
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Photo from the other day, but shows a good side view shot
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Friday, August 9
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The evening sun is flattering on her, apologies if I'm posting too much - never had a pumpkin last long, getting excited for potentially making my first weighoff
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Friday, August 9
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Liberty DAP 42
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Thursday, August 15
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Picture from day 39, yesterday was day 40 and she taped 740 lbs, gains are slowing but remain above 25 lbs per day. Keep chugging liberty...keep chugging..50 days left
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Friday, August 16
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Posted the wrong date, hope this is better
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Saturday, October 12
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Wow I haven't posted in a while - let me recap the season: Tomatoes started out awesome, had the best megas I'd ever gotten - then had a hailstorm that took about 1/2, lost more to heat... managed a couple tomatoes over 20", my chickens decided to destroy those tomatoes while on still the plants while I was in North Carolina.
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Saturday, October 12
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Liberty, my 1911 x 1928, was growing strong. That is, until about DAP 40-45, where growth completly haulted. Upon disecting the plant, I had 2 areas of rot in the main vine near an early crack in the stump (even with the stump cover and no direct stump watering)
Here is Liberty a few days before she was cut
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Saturday, October 12
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:(
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Saturday, October 12
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Ott: 331.5", or est. 836.5 lbs
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Saturday, October 12
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All was not lost! Thankfully Art Kaczenski gave me one of his 525 seeds, and she got planted as a backup. Here is the 525 on June 27th, so tinnnny...
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Saturday, October 12
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Here is the 525 on Oct, 3rd the day before Topsfield. Man was she fun to look at in the patch
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Saturday, October 12
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595.5! Lighter than I thought but I'll take it!! After 3 years trying we finally made a weighoff!!
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Saturday, October 12
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Henry bringing the heat with his 1138 lber, good job bro!
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Saturday, October 12
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Alex Noel's 2294.5 before weigh-in, what a monster!!
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