Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 45 Entries. Sunday, April 5 View Page I'm back at it again. Builted a greenhouse last summer and fall. Got it covered on March 5. Passive heat has melted the 18" to 24" snow inside. The top 4 inches of soil has thawed. I have enough plastic to raise the center up to about 11ft. I'll do this as the pumpkins are growing hopefully. I was able to keep the snows in March and April from crushing the house. We had four straight days above 50 degrees. Most of the snow had melted away. Then we got 7 inches of wet snow on 4/2 and temps down to 2 degress at night.   Sunday, April 5 View Page All have past the paper towel stage. Waiting for green cotyledons.   Sunday, April 12 View Page This Easter Morning at the greenhouse, one inch snow and 22 degrees   Sunday, April 12 View Page All successful up and going. Started seven 1134 Harper's as back up and to experiment with.   Sunday, April 12 View Page My four primaries. 1400.5 Jarvis, 1921.5 Carrier, 2157 Paton, and 2252 Paton. Will transfer to bigger pots soon.   Sunday, April 12 View Page Easter Morning, 22 degrees and i inch of snow.   Sunday, April 12 View Page Success! All up. I had to help each remove seed shell. Sanding & soaking did not help this time.   Sunday, April 12 View Page The four primaries are: 1921.5 Carrier , 2252 Paton , 2157 Paton, and 1400.5 Jarvis. For backups I have seven 1134 Harper.   Monday, April 13 View Page Well another snow shower late yesterday afternoon and another snow shower this morning gave us another 1 inch of the lovely white stuff to trudge around through. April snow showers bring May flowers in Dakota Land. I like using the word another.   Thursday, April 16 View Page Houston we have a problem. 2252 Paton has decided to stop growing.   Friday, April 24 View Page Planted both 1921.5 Carrier and 2157 Paton in the greenhouse today. 1400.5 Jarvis will be planted outside when ground thaws and dries enough to till. Still have snow on ground in the shade.   Sunday, May 10 View Page First attempt to raise center of greenhouse. I purchased more plastic than needed for 60x28x7. I knew I could not raise it to 12 ft. I figured 11 ft would gitter done and have enough to button sides down. I was wrong by 8 inches on one corner. 10 ft should work. The wind needs to rest now.   Sunday, May 10 View Page Another rookie mistake. Forgot to unplug heating cable before lifting hut off Carrier 1921.5. Pulled both orange wires from black cord. Need to keep cord under hut 2x4's not on top. I believe I can repaire it.   Monday, May 18 View Page May 11 was the last morning with temps around 20 degrees. This time the heater killed 2157 Paton dispite all the precautions. Trimming the leaves did not help. Replaced it with 1134 Harper. 1921.5 Carrier Ok. 1400.5 Jarvis was planted in ground outside of greenouse on May 15. Jarvis did not grow well in the pot.   Sunday, May 24 View Page 1134 Harper that replaced 2157 Paton.   Sunday, May 24 View Page 1921.5 Carrier 1 month in the greenhouse. Vine ready to lay down.   Sunday, May 24 View Page 1400.5 Jarvis 9 days in the ground. No growth but not dead.   Sunday, May 24 View Page Greenhouse elevated. North end is at 10 foot. Door in is at 8 foot. The plot is not level it slopes.   Wednesday, June 3 View Page Pumpkin house acting like an airplane wing. Two days (6/1, 6/2) of high winds 45 to 55 mph have cause two 12 foot middle sections to pump out of the ground. The photo is the east side 4 inches up. Placed bucket of sand to hold it down. The west side section pumped out about 9 inches. I dugged down below enough to reset the 18 inch stud. The two 12 foot sections were dismantle and the assemble again. A bucket of sand was placed to hold it down. The house is based on Mark Clementz screenhouse design. If I was to build this design again, I would extend the studs down 3 foot for the North Dakota wind.   Friday, June 5 View Page Yesterday, June 4 the wind was up again with a constant 35-45 mph. There was a gust that lasted over a minute that was at least 60 + mph causing the lift of the northeast section of the pumpkin house dispite 5 gallon buckets with sand. Today the wind is 10 mph with ust to 19 mph, too windy to begin the fix. Got to figure a better anchor system.   Friday, June 5 View Page First male flower on 1921.5 Carrier. main vine at 56 inches. No girls around yet. Poor boy. Main vine at 56 inches.   Saturday, June 6 View Page Modified the T posts to anchor down the northeast section.   Saturday, June 6 View Page 13 days of growing for each.   Tuesday, June 30 View Page I pollinated 3rd female on 1921 5 Carrier today. She is at 13 foot. She is a five lober like her first two sisters.   Tuesday, June 30 View Page While removing petals off first kin at 8 foot, I broke off the bloom on day 2. I think thats why it is not as big as kin on 1921 5 at 8 foot. I will cull it after kin at 13' is growing.   Tuesday, June 30 View Page 1400.5 Jarvis starting to stretch.   Tuesday, June 30 View Page Pumpkin House.   Tuesday, July 7 View Page Meet WEENA 1921.5 Carrier x Self DAP 18 OTT 122   Tuesday, July 7 View Page The current group in the house. Waiting for the 2 kins 1134 Harper x 1921.5 Carrier to start growing.   Monday, July 13 View Page Meet PISTOL. 1134 Harper x 1921.5 Carrier DAP 10 CIRC 29.25" It is within the high end range (21.5-33.5) for Day 10 Circ of Ailts/Landry Benchmarks for 1400+lbs. It is a lttle head of Weena at DAP10 even though Weena is14 days ahead.   Sunday, July 19 View Page Looks like WEENA (1921.5 2018 Carrier x Self) is going to be a slow grower. The past 24 was the first 20 lb gain for a DAY 30 kin.   Sunday, July 19 View Page Meet Scirocco. 1400.5 Jarvis 2016 x 1921.5 Carrier 2018 DAP 10 @12' Circ 26.5. DOP 7/9 only 2 days behind of Hobbit's DOP 7/7 2018 ND State Record. So no worries here too!   Thursday, July 23 View Page PIstol DAP 20.   Thursday, July 23 View Page Pistol DAP 20   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Weena DAP 40 OTT 259 402# I see now never pollinate kin at 8'. Weena may not make1000 lbs by end of season despite the regular watering & feeding. The past 6 day average was 19lbs.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Scirocco DAP 20 OTT 170 166#   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Correction: Scirocco DAP 20 OTT 170 116#   Sunday, August 2 View Page Pistol DAP30 OTT 245, 337lbs   Saturday, August 8 View Page WEENA DAP 50. She is definitely a slow grower. I've notice a patteren though. I'm following the Holland fertilizing sortof. After and only after the seaweed drench I get a big bump in weight gain. I may add the drench to the other two feeding days.   Saturday, August 8 View Page SCIROCCO DAP 30.   Wednesday, August 12 View Page Pistol DAP 40   Wednesday, August 19 View Page Weena DAP 61   Wednesday, August 19 View Page Scirocco DAP 61   Wednesday, August 19 View Page Error Scirocco DAP 41 not 61.   Monday, November 2 View Page Results of the 2020 Walhalla, ND WeighOff