Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 272 Entries. Wednesday, March 4 View Page I'm back from the 2020 GPC International Growers' Convention and feeling motivated! Here is the GPC Committee at Flamingo Friday with our matchy-matchy shirts on! These people I get to work with are so dedicated, hard-working and fun! The board members went above-and-beyond to plan a fun filled weekend to recognize the achievements of the growers worldwide as well as coordinate and create educational opportunities for everyone in attendance. They pretty much let me go around, taking pictures and talking to people, so I can 'get the scoop' for the Common Ground Newsletter while they literally do the heavy lifting, presenting, planning, etc. They're amazing!   Wednesday, March 4 View Page Guess who was the #9 in the world for Grower of the year? Me!!!   Wednesday, March 4 View Page The Pacific Northwest delegation was well represented in Las Vegas.   Wednesday, March 4 View Page Tonight I selected my seeds for my tomato line up! The ones with a 'G' will go in the greenhouse, while the ones with a 'P' will go in the patch outdoors.   Wednesday, March 4 View Page Guess what is going to be SO FUN!? Rosalyn wants to grow pumpkins this year! We are going to be a grower team for 2020! We will be doing a lot of traveling this spring and summer around the country and to Europe, so we will work together on our pumpkin patch and see if we can chalk up some great memories and some amazing wins!   Wednesday, March 4 View Page Here are our seeds and backups. Do you notice anything different? We're growing some GREEN in 2020 and will be working to grow the biggest squash in the world! Our goals: Grower of the year Top 10 or higher; biggest squash in the world; Win a big, prestigious weigh off; have fun; make some money for college; and spend time outside together getting dirty.   Saturday, April 11 View Page Soaked seeds 8 hours overnight   Saturday, April 11 View Page The hoops are ready!   Saturday, April 11 View Page It's time!!! They're going into the hoops!   Sunday, April 12 View Page The line up   Sunday, April 12 View Page Into the pots at 6 AM! 90 degrees.   Wednesday, April 15 View Page Meanwhile....I'm building a 13 foot tall 10 foot wide long gourd trellis!   Saturday, April 18 View Page Rosalyn weeding the hoops prior to planting.   Saturday, April 18 View Page Hoop 1   Saturday, April 18 View Page Hoop 2   Saturday, April 18 View Page Hoop 3   Saturday, April 18 View Page Hoop 4   Saturday, April 18 View Page Rosalyn's job every night is to tuck in the babies.   Tuesday, April 21 View Page I added water jugs to each hoop for coziness.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page They're growing!   Sunday, April 26 View Page These two are in the house still. I'll be rototilling another patch area today to make room for 1 of them. Probably the Mendi, just because it's a little beast and I didn't love the shape of the Marshall fruit. But I found a home for it with a new grower who will get it today.   Sunday, April 26 View Page What a difference a week makes! These are looking great!   Sunday, April 26 View Page Looking good in hoop #2!   Sunday, April 26 View Page Happy Hoop #1 Haists   Sunday, April 26 View Page Hoop 4 squashes   Sunday, April 26 View Page The long gourd trellis is all built and painted. Hopefully I can get wire on it tomorrow.   Sunday, April 26 View Page I started a couple bushel gourd seeds this morning after an 8 hour soak. Hopefully they germinate!   Sunday, May 3 View Page My 1935 Jutras squashes are looking pretty good, although my bigger one on the right is a bit pale. I'll fertilize today, so hopefully it'll green up.   Sunday, May 3 View Page My 1844 Holub squashes are chugging along. The one on the left was, and continues to be my best contender.   Sunday, May 3 View Page The 2145.5 McMullen and the 2114 Wallace are going well. The 2145 is my best looking plant in the whole patch.   Sunday, May 3 View Page The 2519 Haist on the left outperforms the 2269 Haist, who seems to be developing into a double vined plant, hence the twin opposite leaves.   Sunday, May 3 View Page The 1819 Mendi was put in the ground as an afterthought last week. It was a really nice backup that I almost gave to Jack LaRue, but it told me it wanted to stay and grow me something special, so I rototilled up a new patch just for it. It doesn't have lights or soil heating cables like the others, but it seems happy albeit a bit of yellowing post transplant.   Sunday, May 3 View Page Also, all 30 tomatoes are up and growing under the lights still. My bushel gourd germinated a couple says ago, and today I start some long gourd seeds! Trying for the Master Gardener might take the sting away from not going on my Eurooesn vacation this summer.   Sunday, May 3 View Page Pretty much my whole weekend I go into and out of the house...open hoops...close hoops....open hoops...close hoops...open hoops....   Tuesday, May 5 View Page Happy Cinco de Mayo! I planted out a bunch of tomatoes today. I decided to forego the hoop house since I didnt start them so early this year. I have a few more tomato babies in the house that need to get a little bigger yet, for a total of 30 plants. Also 2 bushel gourds are now up, long gourds are in the incubator, and field pumpkins will get started in 10 days. Rosalyn and I are going for the Master Gardener title!   Sunday, May 10 View Page Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's. Cornelius and Cornwell each got a fresh coat of paint and guard the vegetables and tomatoes.   Sunday, May 10 View Page My 1st attempt at growing the bushel gourd is going fine so far. They seem to like the hot weather and my hot sandy soil.   Sunday, May 10 View Page 1819 Mendi is perking up and getting ready to hit its stride.   Sunday, May 10 View Page Squash is looking good but growing straight up.   Sunday, May 10 View Page My other greenie is growing straight up too! Happy to see me apparently.   Sunday, May 10 View Page My bigggggggest plant!!!!   Sunday, May 10 View Page Haist looks good.   Thursday, May 14 View Page These long gourds gave me a heck of a hard time! I started several seeds, but wasnt having the best of luck. Thankfully, 2 germinated for my double trellis. I have the WR from Slovenia, 155.7 Lazic, and the 131 Jutras.   Thursday, May 14 View Page Tomorrow will be field pumpkin and marrow seed starting day! I'll be putting in 2 fp's and 1 marrow. Rosalyn keeps wondering how she got railroaded into growing all of the plants. Since we can't go on our Swiss adventure, we will have an adventure trying to grow all of these giants this summer! Might as well...all of my horse shows are cancelled so far.   Sunday, May 17 View Page Happy Sunday! It's time for the Tobeck patch tour!   Sunday, May 17 View Page 1935 Jutras is laying down and running now.   Sunday, May 17 View Page 1844 Holub squash is my second biggest plant in the patch.   Sunday, May 17 View Page The 2145.5 McMullen is absolutely amazing and sooooo lonnnng!!! It's the stud of the patch.   Sunday, May 17 View Page The 2517 Haist is a comparatively smaller but very healthy plant. I can't wait to see what ot produces!   Sunday, May 17 View Page 1819 Mendi is laying down vine too. It's my smallest, but only because I kept it in the house longer. It's about 4 feet.   Sunday, May 24 View Page 1819 Mendi   Sunday, May 24 View Page 2517 Haist   Sunday, May 24 View Page 2145 McMullen   Sunday, May 24 View Page More 2145!   Sunday, May 24 View Page 1844 Holub squash   Sunday, May 24 View Page 1935 Jutras squash   Sunday, May 24 View Page Bushel gourds   Sunday, May 24 View Page Baby long gourds   Sunday, May 24 View Page Marrows   Sunday, May 24 View Page Field pumpkins   Sunday, May 24 View Page More field pumpkins!   Sunday, May 31 View Page 1844 Holub squash   Sunday, May 31 View Page 1819 Mendi   Sunday, May 31 View Page 1935 Jutras squash   Sunday, May 31 View Page 2517 Haist   Sunday, May 31 View Page 2145 McMullen   Sunday, May 31 View Page Another view of the 1844 Holub squash   Monday, June 1 View Page Tomato patch   Monday, June 1 View Page Cornelius and Cornwall say hello!   Thursday, June 4 View Page Rosalyn and I have been adding compost to the auxiliary patches where the marrow and long gourds are. We added 3 yards.   Thursday, June 4 View Page Right side up...hopefully.   Friday, June 5 View Page This pumpkin grower is 17 today!   Sunday, June 7 View Page Here is the Tobeck tomato patch: 33 plants this year!   Sunday, June 7 View Page 1819 Mendi   Sunday, June 7 View Page 2517 Haist   Sunday, June 7 View Page 1935 Jutras   Sunday, June 7 View Page 2145 McMullen   Sunday, June 7 View Page 1844 Holub....main vine tip got damaged so a strong side vine was trained to be the new main.   Sunday, June 7 View Page As soon as the hoop house came off, the 2517 Haist decided it was too chilly out and all of its new growth started getting more and more yellow. It really freaked me out and made me second guess everything I was doing...even though my tissue test looked great as well as the other plants. Turns out it's a genetic thing, called Precocious B Gene, that my last year's Haist plant also displayed to a lesser extent. I think it came out stronger in the 2517 because it was self pollinated.   Monday, June 8 View Page Near is 1844...middle is 2145...far right is 2517   Sunday, June 14 View Page Near isbushel gourd...middle two are field pumpkins...far is 1935 Jutras squash   Wednesday, June 17 View Page Team Tobeck took a little trip away from the patch to the beach for a couple days.   Thursday, June 18 View Page 2517 Haist got REALLY yellow with the cool nights this week. Also to note it is an EXTREMELY compact plant with the shortest internodes I've ever seen. The leaves are smaller and thicker than "normal" and because of all of this it doesn't get sunburned. It has terminated 2 of it's own sidevines however. I really don't like the plant so far, but it might produce a really orange pumpkin judging by its extremely yellow vines.   Sunday, June 21 View Page 2145x self...the keeper.   Sunday, June 21 View Page 2145x self picture   Tuesday, June 23 View Page 1935 Jutras squash x self...the keeper.   Wednesday, June 24 View Page 2517 Haist x 2145 McMullen. Verrrry stubby stem....a little bit of a scuff on the baby...maybe the keeper. There's one coming up that I'll think AZ bout too.   Thursday, June 25 View Page The 2145 got cleared of 5 leaves and 3 side vines so I could get it positioned just right....under its new SCALE!   Thursday, June 25 View Page 5000 pound capacity.....I hope it's enough....I made it level with the ground and put a 5x5' deck on it.   Thursday, June 25 View Page All set: scale....sand...mill fabric...more sand...another mill fabric...more sand.   Friday, June 26 View Page Look at this green beauty on the 1844! It better stay green Scott!   Friday, June 26 View Page 1844 x self   Friday, June 26 View Page In case you're wondering what it's like having a teenager as a growing partner....it's not always easy!   Saturday, June 27 View Page 1819 Mendi x 2145 McMullen   Saturday, June 27 View Page 1819 Mendi x 2145 McMullen   Sunday, June 28 View Page Tomato patch   Thursday, July 2 View Page I'm going to name my patch Mega Mart!   Thursday, July 2 View Page Welcome to Mega Mart!   Sunday, July 5 View Page Tobeck tomatoes are looking happy.   Sunday, July 5 View Page Baggs marrow   Sunday, July 5 View Page LaRue marrow   Sunday, July 5 View Page Long gourds are as tall as me!   Sunday, July 5 View Page 1819 Mendi pumpkin   Sunday, July 5 View Page 1819 plant   Sunday, July 5 View Page 2517 Haist pumpkin   Sunday, July 5 View Page 2517 plant...I don't like this plant: 4"-6"internodes, vines terminate at will, stubby stems.   Sunday, July 5 View Page 2145 pumpkin   Sunday, July 5 View Page 2145 plant   Sunday, July 5 View Page 2145 is growing!   Sunday, July 5 View Page 1844 squash   Sunday, July 5 View Page 1844 plant   Sunday, July 5 View Page Marvin bushel gourd   Sunday, July 5 View Page 81 Wolf field pumpkin   Sunday, July 5 View Page 1935 Jutras squash   Sunday, July 5 View Page 1935 Jutras plant   Sunday, July 5 View Page Goodnight from the Tobeck patch!   Tuesday, July 7 View Page 2145   Wednesday, July 8 View Page 1844s stem developed several oozing splits.   Wednesday, July 8 View Page 2145   Thursday, July 9 View Page 2145   Saturday, July 11 View Page 2145   Sunday, July 12 View Page Mendi   Sunday, July 12 View Page 1935 Jutras   Sunday, July 12 View Page 2517 Haist   Sunday, July 12 View Page 2245   Sunday, July 12 View Page 1844 has a new name: Frankenstem   Sunday, July 12 View Page Marvin Bushel gourd   Sunday, July 12 View Page WR Long gourd left; Jutras right   Sunday, July 12 View Page 81 Wolf field pumpkin   Sunday, July 12 View Page Tomato patch...mega mart   Sunday, July 12 View Page 1935 Jutras: problem solved! I removed some secondaries and flipped that vine over to get the stubborn fruit to lay down. I put it on an elevated 5x5 sheet of plywood over mill fabric. Tomorrow I'll replace the sheet cushion with a bed of sand. It ain't easy being green!   Monday, July 13 View Page 2145   Tuesday, July 14 View Page 2145   Tuesday, July 14 View Page I'm not loving the 1935 Jutras shape...kind of lumpy. It also has a couple scars from what I think was a rabbit encounter.   Wednesday, July 15 View Page 2145   Thursday, July 16 View Page 2145   Friday, July 17 View Page 2145   Friday, July 17 View Page 2145   Friday, July 17 View Page 1935 Jutras squash   Saturday, July 18 View Page 2145   Sunday, July 19 View Page Mendi   Sunday, July 19 View Page 1935 has a new name: The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness!   Sunday, July 19 View Page The beautiful profile of The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness   Sunday, July 19 View Page 2517 Haist...displaying the yellow leaves typical of the Precocious B Gene trait   Sunday, July 19 View Page 2145   Sunday, July 19 View Page 2145   Sunday, July 19 View Page 1844   Sunday, July 19 View Page Main patch   Sunday, July 19 View Page Mendi plant   Sunday, July 19 View Page Baggs marrow front, LaRue behind   Monday, July 20 View Page 2145   Tuesday, July 21 View Page 2145   Wednesday, July 22 View Page 2145   Wednesday, July 22 View Page 2145   Thursday, July 23 View Page 2145   Friday, July 24 View Page 2145   Friday, July 24 View Page Look at that....have you ever seen anything so beautiful!?   Sunday, July 26 View Page 2145   Sunday, July 26 View Page Pollinated bushel gourd   Sunday, July 26 View Page Main patch view   Sunday, July 26 View Page More main patch view   Sunday, July 26 View Page Auxillary patch view   Sunday, July 26 View Page Tomato patch view   Sunday, July 26 View Page Cornelius and Cornwall, guardians of the tomato patch   Monday, July 27 View Page A little vacation from the patch for the Tobeck girls...well, Rosalyn went on permanent vacation awhile ago. She was under the impression we were just growing 1 pumpkin and 1 squash...then I kinda went crazy and planted an entire master gardener patch...well, she decided that was a bit too ambitious for her summer plans...oh well. She was an awesome helper and weeder!   Monday, July 27 View Page It's actually hotter at home than at the Grand Canyon...I'm worried about the plants! With Covid, we pretty much have the place to ourselves!   Monday, July 27 View Page Have you ever seen anything prettier? No, you haven't.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Rosalyn and I rode miles to the bottom of the Grand Canyon! What a great adventure!   Wednesday, July 29 View Page 2 days later my baby watermelon has grown considerably!!!   Friday, July 31 View Page 2145   Saturday, August 1 View Page 2517 Haist   Sunday, August 2 View Page 2145   Sunday, August 2 View Page 1844 Holub   Sunday, August 2 View Page 1844 Holub...Frankenstem   Sunday, August 2 View Page 2145   Sunday, August 2 View Page 1819 Mendi   Monday, August 3 View Page 1930 jutras growing well....except....   Sunday, August 9 View Page 2145 scale readout   Sunday, August 9 View Page 2145   Sunday, August 9 View Page The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness!!!   Sunday, August 9 View Page Looook at that beauty!!!!! OMG!!!   Sunday, August 9 View Page The very blocky 1819 Mendi.   Sunday, August 9 View Page Long gourds are advancing across the top of the trellis!   Sunday, August 9 View Page The start of a big marrow???   Sunday, August 9 View Page Here's my long gourd!   Sunday, August 9 View Page 2517 Haist   Sunday, August 9 View Page Frankenstem keeps chugging along...slowly but surely!   Sunday, August 9 View Page Frankenstem keeps chugging along...slowly but surely!   Monday, August 10 View Page My blossom down orange attempt.   Sunday, August 16 View Page Tomatoes are looking pretty good!!!   Sunday, August 16 View Page Today was digging for buried treasure day!   Sunday, August 16 View Page 2145   Sunday, August 16 View Page Baggs marrow choices....hmmm...decisions decisions...   Sunday, August 16 View Page The LaRue marrow is getting exciting!   Sunday, August 16 View Page Tomato patch   Sunday, August 16 View Page Lots of long gourds to choose from!   Sunday, August 16 View Page The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness...ooooh la laaaa!!!   Sunday, August 16 View Page 1819 Mendi   Sunday, August 16 View Page 2517 Haist   Sunday, August 16 View Page Another view of the naked 2145.   Sunday, August 16 View Page 1844 Frankenstem...slow grower...   Sunday, August 16 View Page The bushel gourd is growing nicely now!   Sunday, August 16 View Page The 81 Wolf is giving me nothing but trouble. The plant is amazing and healthy, but every fruit is misshapen and deeply Dill ringed with a tendency to split...ugh. It will be a miracle if I can grow anything sound that makes it to the scale. In a last ditch effort, all flowers are going to be open pollinated and I'll take anything I can get!   Sunday, August 16 View Page One more peek at The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness!   Sunday, August 16 View Page Sweet dreams from the Tobeck patch!   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Long gourd culling day for the WR Laszic plant. On Todd Kline's advice, I am keeping the one in the far left closest to the backside of the trellis.   Tuesday, August 18 View Page The pasture is all dried out, but the main patch looks great!   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Both marrow plants look healthy. The LaRue on the right has an ENORMOUS fruit!   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Tomato patch is happy!   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Uh oh...do you see what I see? No...not the frog...stem split on the 2145. Time for surgery.   Tuesday, August 18 View Page 2114 Wallace   Wednesday, August 19 View Page A successful filet surgery!   Saturday, August 22 View Page 2145   Monday, August 24 View Page Hello from the Tobeck patch! Well...we have good news...and bad news...   Monday, August 24 View Page The bad news: I accidentally foliar sprayed my tomato plants straight, undiluted 12-12-12 concentrate...they're looking sad, sad, sad.   Monday, August 24 View Page The good news: these marrows are pretty awesome and growing like gangbusters! Here is the LaRue.   Monday, August 24 View Page Here's the Baggs marrow. It's a lot younger, and I'm not so sure about the curve in it...   Monday, August 24 View Page WR long gourd is taking off, but the plant is going to get a serious pruning today.   Monday, August 24 View Page Mendi and me   Monday, August 24 View Page 1935 Jutras "The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness"   Monday, August 24 View Page 2517 Haist   Monday, August 24 View Page 2517's stem...less than an inch long...just a nub. I decided early on to terminate the main at the pumpkin because the stem was just too scary.   Monday, August 24 View Page 2145   Monday, August 24 View Page 1844 Holub aka Frankenstem   Monday, August 24 View Page The bushel gourd is hitting its stride!   Monday, August 24 View Page 2145   Tuesday, August 25 View Page Darn it....the LaRue marrow rib split...boo.   Tuesday, August 25 View Page 2145   Sunday, August 30 View Page Patch tour!   Sunday, August 30 View Page 2145   Sunday, August 30 View Page Well darn it.   Sunday, August 30 View Page Mean Joe Green is all covered up for the next couple cloudy days.   Monday, August 31 View Page 2145   Wednesday, September 2 View Page 2145   Friday, September 4 View Page Patch tour!   Friday, September 4 View Page Long gourds are doing great!   Friday, September 4 View Page Mendi and me   Sunday, September 6 View Page My dahlia patch   Sunday, September 6 View Page Wind storm coming...batton down the hatches!   Wednesday, September 16 View Page 2145   Tuesday, September 22 View Page We're at the National Championships and won!   Tuesday, September 22 View Page What a good boy Agate was!   Saturday, September 26 View Page Our last day showing and we finished strong!   Tuesday, September 29 View Page Long gourds!!!!   Tuesday, September 29 View Page The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness!!!   Tuesday, September 29 View Page Today there was an epic battle in the pumpkin patch between The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness and She-Hulk! It was scary and the two fought to the death. Vines were flying, there was roaring, and the Earth shook with each furious, pounding blow! The winner, of course, was The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness, who will receive its glory at the Bauman's weigh-off in Oregon on Saturday!   Wednesday, September 30 View Page 2145   Wednesday, September 30 View Page Yet another battle for the ages occurred in my pumpkin patch today! Princess Leia singlehandedly fought off the sinister 1819 Mendi, who had sent an encrypted message to to the Sith with plans to build a new galaxy-destroying weapon. The Force was strong in her, enabling Leia to steal the 1819's light saber, intercept the plans, and send them to Allied Rebel Forces! Sparks were flying, and leaves were being blasted to bits as they battled! The 1819, although weakened, vowed to take over the world soon....plotting its revenge to destroy the universe...or at least other pumpkins in California at the Half Moon Bay weigh off....   Friday, October 2 View Page Harvest day! I'll take the WR long gourd to Baumans. I'm anticipating a new state record!   Friday, October 2 View Page Look at these beauties!!!! 2145, LG and 1935!   Friday, October 2 View Page Excited!   Friday, October 2 View Page Here it is!   Friday, October 2 View Page More giants in the back of the truck! I'm expecting some state records to fall! Also....miracle of miracles: one field pumpkin managed to NOT split! I think we're going to make a good run at the Master Gardener award with this load of awesomeness!   Saturday, October 3 View Page New Washington state record bushel gourd! 249 pounds!   Saturday, October 3 View Page Ooooh la la!!!! New state record long gourd at 131"!   Saturday, October 3 View Page New state record squash at 1480 pounds!!! The Incredible Hulk of Awesomeness!!!   Saturday, October 3 View Page A respectable pumpkin: 1490 pounds   Saturday, October 3 View Page This absolutely blew my mind: new US record marrow: 130 pounds!   Saturday, October 3 View Page I managed to get a couple tomatoes to the scale after nearly killing my plants.   Saturday, October 3 View Page Quite possibly the ugliest field pumpkin ever...but it made it to the scale in one piece!   Friday, October 9 View Page All loaded up for Half Moon Bay! Mendi and me.   Friday, October 9 View Page All wrapped up...We're going back back...to Cali...   Monday, October 12 View Page Half Moon Bay was still awesome at a different venue!   Monday, October 12 View Page We managed to get a Top 10, so that made me pretty happy since HMB had the best top 10 of the entire GPC!   Saturday, October 17 View Page 2517   Saturday, October 17 View Page 1844   Saturday, October 17 View Page Jutras long gourd   Saturday, October 17 View Page Ha...not quite on par with my previous marrow!   Saturday, October 17 View Page That's a wrap for Terminator!   Saturday, October 24 View Page This was a nice surprise from Scholastic News!   Wednesday, October 28 View Page The patch is cleaned out and compost was delivered!   Sunday, December 6 View Page Aaaahhhh...this is the life! Sunshine in October!