Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 49 Entries. Saturday, March 21 View Page Well going to try to post a diary this year. As of now not working 70-80 hr weeks and only getting 50 hrs in at the most now so have time to garden again. High tunnel about ready for plants for the Iowa State Fair. I have a 333.5 Mudd watermelon growing well in the pot and a 146.5 Young up. Started 2 pumpkins Last night 1984 Barron and a 2255 Zaychowsky.   Monday, March 23 View Page State Fair plot about ready with Lucas. Now hopefully we will have a State Fair.   Wednesday, April 8 View Page Just missed some big hail that was grapefruit size. Mother in law had ping pong ball sized. We just got huge rain drops that lasted only a couple minutes. Going to get cold again next week with highs in the 40's and lows around 25. Basement is going green with all the veggies growing.I have a state fair long gourd that needs to go out soon before it takes over my room. All WR tomatoes seeds are coming up!   Thursday, April 9 View Page 1885.5 Werner in 1 gal air pot. These pots are wonderful for great roots.   Thursday, April 9 View Page 146.5 Young 1917 Air potted   Saturday, April 18 View Page Yesterday morning with somewhere around 8-10 inches of very wet snow.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page My 2 watermelon plants for the Iowa State fair if it happens. One is a 146.5 Young that has grown a couple 300 pounders. And a 333.5 Mudd on the other side.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page State fair pumpkin.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page I'm sure it will be side ways again. But one of my Fair onions in a 12 gal. air pot. Probably one of my best in awhile at this stage.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page Well the watermelon plants are looking really good out in the big hoop.I have another 146.5 Young ready to go out soon that is a beast for a young plant. Not working much with this virus thing so I have a lot more time to spend in the patch. Still working over 40 hrs a week but not over 70 as last year. 2 pumpkins have moved outside and 2 more are about ready to go.   Friday, May 1 View Page 2255 Z plant that is 5x5 ft about ready to lay down. Don't remember a plant that big at this stag.   Wednesday, May 13 View Page As some of you may notice around my watermelon plants and pumpkin plants I have straw down. Under that I have brown construction paper to cover the soil. In the past my plants always look great and get pumpkins set and some gain 20-50 pounds a day at times but always shut down around 30-35 days old. Soil and plant test show disease in the soil moderate to high. It happens when soil temps get over 80 degrees in late June early July. The cover is to try to keep soil temps in the 70's as was in 2009 when everything grew and did not get any disease.There is some wheat seeds in the straw and I will let them grow as they come up to help as a cover crop. The plants may slow down with this process or do no good but after years of fighting this with solorizing, mustard, moving sites this is something worth trying.   Friday, May 15 View Page Lucas with Iowa State Fair plant about 2 weeks from pollinating time.   Tuesday, May 19 View Page World record tomato plant in a 12 gallon air pot.   Tuesday, May 19 View Page 30 x 96 hoop filling up with plants for market and competitive. 2255 Z plant has a female at est. 12 ft mark that should open in the next 10 days. The Young watermelon plant is taking up some space but see no females yet. The long gourd is about half way up the trellis in back of the hoop.   Wednesday, May 20 View Page Side shot of the 2255 and will run out of room in a week to 10 days at this rate.   Wednesday, May 20 View Page Female on the 2255 plant for the Iowa State Fair looking good for days till fair time.   Wednesday, May 20 View Page One of my better onions for the Fair.   Thursday, May 28 View Page Side vines growing great and love the color of the leaves. Plant will be as big as it can get est 450 sq ft. in 5 days. Pollinated a 5 lobe female today selfed at 12 ft out on main vine. If the pumpkin sets okay it will put it at 76 days old by fair time.   Friday, June 5 View Page Well 2255 plant can not get it together with males to females. One day 8 males open no females next day between main vine and side vines I get 5 females no males open. I had one male one day with main vine set but it aborted with the heat in hoop. The plant is as big as it can get so we have like 4 more females to open on side vines and one 22 ft out on main then that's it to get one set. one of the best plants I have had in the hoop but does no good if wont set pumpkins.   Friday, June 5 View Page I do have a few watermelons set on both plants and should make final picks in a few days on what to keep.   Friday, June 5 View Page Small hoop plant Barron is 18 ft x 14 ft long with first male to open after 2 females have opened. I have never had a year like this with the males being so late at opening and some have no pollen at all when I do get one. Saturday is the day to get one pollinated on this plant and hopefully will have some good males between 3 plants.   Friday, June 5 View Page Look to have a long gourd pollinated at the top of the inside trellis at 9.3 ft up. I pollinated it June 2nd at 7:30 pm selfed with 5 males. Hopefully will need to dig a hole later will the added length.   Friday, June 5 View Page Pollinated WR tomato mega blossom yesterday hopefully between me and the breeze blowing thru. It seems to be a nice mega blossom bigger than a quarter but not half dollar size and has a rounder shape. I have 3 more mega blossoms going to open in the next 3-5 days.   Friday, June 5 View Page 2255 pumpkin at 3 days that Matthew pollinated. Just maybe we have one but plant is all terminated except the main vine.   Friday, June 5 View Page Watermelon set at 5 days.   Friday, June 5 View Page WR tomato mega.   Friday, June 5 View Page Long gourd that is 3 days and gaining nicely.   Monday, June 8 View Page Pollinated 1885.5 Werner yesterday at 12 ft. Pollinated 1984 Barron at 18 ft. today. Side vine 2255 is 21 inches and Matthew pollinated our last hope on main vine at 23 ft out.   Tuesday, June 9 View Page 1984 Barron with 2 pollinated on the main vine. The plant is 28 ft wide by 21 ft long.   Tuesday, June 9 View Page 1984 Barron with 2 pollinated on the main vine. The plant is 28 ft wide by 21 ft long.   Thursday, June 11 View Page 1885.5 Werner that had a severe cucumber beetle attack a couple weeks ago. Plant has one set on at 4 days old.   Thursday, June 11 View Page 2255 Z. Plant with 2 on main vine 20-23 ft out. One is 2 days old and the other pollinated today. We have several side vine sets just in case.   Thursday, June 11 View Page One of the side vine sets at 11 days old and 31 inches but would take alot of work to get everything cleaned up. Hopefully the main vine sets get going before I cull it.   Thursday, June 11 View Page 2 sets on the 1984 Baron pollinated on Monday and Tuesday. I kind of want the second one as if seems a bit bigger. Going away for 2 days so everything on auto pilot.   Thursday, June 11 View Page Melon on the Young plant and have 4 set so must that few off soon as this one seems to want to grow.   Thursday, June 11 View Page Long gourd moving along.   Sunday, June 14 View Page Side view of the next 2 plants coming along also on paper.   Sunday, June 14 View Page Front view and should be pollinating in a few days. I have alot of side vines to bury after be gone for 3 days.   Sunday, June 14 View Page Alright I think we have a keeper on the 1984 Barron. I will get area ready for fabric tomorrow.   Friday, June 19 View Page Day 10 on 1984 Barron, circumference is 25 inches.   Friday, June 19 View Page Day 12 on 1885.5 Werner at 33 inches but a 5 inch gain last 24 hrs.   Friday, June 19 View Page Well lost the 2255 Z.plant ro the disease again like always. The plant starting to yellow up and new growth distorted. Losing the watermelon plants also so not sure how long the other plants will hold on.   Monday, June 22 View Page Lucas with the 1885.5 Werner at 44 inches with another 5 inch gain. Not sure how long they will keep going after the 2255 stopped growing .   Monday, June 22 View Page 1984 Barron at day 13 with the kittens protecting it.   Friday, June 26 View Page Day 19 for 1885.5 Werner with Lucas.   Friday, June 26 View Page 1984 Baron day 17, 53 inches circumference.   Friday, June 26 View Page 1984 Barron day17, 53 inches circumference.   Sunday, June 28 View Page 1885.5 Werner day 21 with a 26 pound gain. 1984 Barron day 19 with 6 inch circumference gain. Had some issues with the plant as yellow vine on a couple side vines removed.