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79 Entries.
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Saturday, January 9
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RIP Mark McWilliams, The bigpumpkins.com community lost a good one today. Cancer sucks
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Saturday, February 13
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One of our quarries near cedar rapids that took alot of the derecho wood chips, caught fire. Been up since 3 here since 4:30. Wanted me to work 14 hours, but I said no. Have a seed auction tonight. Hopefully its a good one
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Saturday, February 13
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Another picture, oh yeah its in the negatives as well
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Saturday, February 20
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Bags of bubbles ready to be shipped for Midwest auction. Heading to norlins with them. They may be out of town this week so please be patient they're on their way!
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Tuesday, March 30
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Looked at so many tomatoes last year going to try to give them a better effort this year, pumpkins still get priority of course.
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Sunday, April 11
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Like what Glenna did, as soon as it drys up going to see if the soil cables are working, think that's a big part why the greenhouse failed last year.
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Sunday, April 11
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Starting 8 today, 2552 mendi, 2350 tiger king, 2200 wolf x2, my 1222.5 x 2, and my 1587 x2. 1587 is same cross as 2114 Wallace and that seems to be very popular this year. May the best 4 win!
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Sunday, April 11
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Tomatoes, think I had about 20 out of 26 come up
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Sunday, April 11
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Another step closer, wiggle wire around the bottom makes fresh plastic a breeze! Like these hoops but wish I had made them a hair longer and wider
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Sunday, April 11
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This week looks dry, so next weekend final amendments, tilled, heating cables, and should be ready to go. Then I can concentrate on a wind fence
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Sunday, April 25
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All the baby's came up, 2 weeks old today, looking like a 2552 mendi, 2350 geinger, 2200 wolf and I really like how my 1587's look
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Sunday, April 25
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Great idea Glenna!
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Sunday, April 25
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All ready for the transplant, thinking Tuesday night. Supose to be 80 next couple days. Don't want to cook them to early
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Sunday, April 25
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Greenhouse tilled, probably spread the mustard seed next Sunday
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Sunday, April 25
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Last couple days before they head out to the campsites
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Sunday, May 2
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So plants went out on the 27th, 1587 Caspers
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Sunday, May 2
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Tiger king 2350
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Sunday, May 2
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2200 wolf, I believe, should have did this that night lol
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Sunday, May 2
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2552 got my camera in there so I can monitor from work
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Sunday, May 2
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Dug out my long gourd trellis, fresh dirt and goodies next week after some bleach and copper fungicide roughly 15 wheel barrels of dirt
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Sunday, May 2
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Today was putting in the north side fence post, 10 of them. Ordered some pretty good stuff off Amazon
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Sunday, May 2
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1587 today, after a couple warm days they've yet to show any heat stress
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Sunday, May 2
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Tiger kitty
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Sunday, May 2
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2200 wolf
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Sunday, May 2
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2552 mendi
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Sunday, May 2
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Going to round up and broadfork 4 ft along the fence the full length and put landscape fabric down. Dedicated rooting area. Derek Sippel gave me the idea after seeing his on the patch tour a few years ago
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Sunday, May 2
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The area to the left of my hand is where some of my 21 giant tomato plants will go, same thing round up, broadfork and landscape fabric
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Sunday, June 20
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Been awhile, just way to darn busy lately. Here's the 21 tomato plants still doing alright, finally getting a little rain today, hot and dry for over the past month my plants only had one 5 min rain shower since I freed them from their hoops
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Sunday, June 20
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2200 wolf x 2552 pollinated on 6/13
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Sunday, June 20
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2552 mendi x 1587 caspers pollinated on the 14th
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Sunday, June 20
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2350 x 2200 wolf pollinated this morning, plant has been a headache scorches in the dark it hates the sun that badly. Only plant of my 8 I started who's 1st true leaf burned in the basement. Does great on no sun days.
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Sunday, June 20
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1587 x 2552 growing fast nice shape. Pollinated on 6/15
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Sunday, June 20
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Long gourds doing great in the fresh dirt, have a Brown tall sunflower on each 4x4 as well
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Sunday, June 20
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From a 8 ft ladder looking at patch from the greenhouse door
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Sunday, July 11
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2200 wolf x 2552 mendi 28DAP
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Sunday, July 11
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Finally got one going on the 2552 crossed with 2200 roughly 16 DAP
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Sunday, July 11
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Crispy cringer throwing a beautiful pumpkin 2350 x 2200 21 DAP
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Sunday, July 11
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1587 x 2552 going to roll over her blossom this week 26 DAP
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Sunday, July 11
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Pretty big leafs on a couple plants
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Sunday, July 11
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From a 8 ft ladder by the greenhouse
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Sunday, July 11
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From other end
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Thursday, July 29
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So my 2200 wolf has decided it might want to go to Iowa state fair. It has the largest main vine feeding it, plant is healthy except for one spot on main iam healing right now. It gets everything all the others get, just doesn't respond. I am letting a open go down the line it's close to 10 dap.
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Thursday, July 29
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2552 mendi, don't have my notes in front of me but really picked up pace here past few days pretty consistent 42# per day for at least last 10
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Thursday, July 29
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2350 think we're a day or 2 shy of 40, but she's beautiful. Did fine a few svb bastards early close to main.
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Thursday, July 29
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My 1587, if this keeps on trucking don't be surprised to see it in the top 20 overall this year. But as we all know disaster is right around every corner so fingers crossed!
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Thursday, July 29
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Wrong picture this is the 1587, I hope lol
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Sunday, August 8
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2200 wolf, going to des Moines this Friday, just not much growth after day 25
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Sunday, August 8
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Main vine totally skipping the 2200 fruit, huge!
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Sunday, August 8
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2552 mendi, doing alright
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Sunday, August 8
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2350 looking pretty
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Sunday, August 8
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1587 makes me smile, on pace for something special
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Sunday, August 8
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Side view
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Sunday, August 8
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From above! With alba
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Sunday, August 29
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So the 2200 wolf that just didn't want to grow, took 4th at the iowa state fair
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Sunday, August 29
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And of course the 1587 blew its main by the stem, was on pace for 1950-2200 17 days later still hanging on moving at snails pace
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Sunday, August 29
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2200 wolf x Open 2nd attempt growing much better roughly 37 days old and 700 lbs
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Sunday, August 29
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Bonus entry on the 2200 for a late weigh off
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Sunday, August 29
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2552 mendi 66 dap, over 400" averaging 20 lbs a day
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Sunday, August 29
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2350 x 2200 70 dap, she's pretty also over 400"
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Sunday, August 29
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1587 x 2552 mendi should be about 450" tonight, it's not, thanks to that blow out
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Sunday, August 29
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Life support, air bubbler keeping it dry
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Sunday, August 29
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From the ladder
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Sunday, August 29
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Other end
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Sunday, August 29
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Unofficial personal best 4.2 lbs. Dqued for blossom end leak grown on the 9.44 La Rue
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Sunday, August 29
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Dark spot close to my hat tore apart inside, enough to leave a puddle on the counter
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Sunday, September 12
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Well a month of doctoring my 1587 x 2552 mendi came to end thos weekend, what little bit was still attached wasn't doing much, she went light officially measured at 419" for a estimated weight of 1592 came in with official weight of 1470 good enough for 3rd at kenosha. Thinking Bloomfield for my 2350 hopefully it's growth cracks can take a break!
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Saturday, September 25
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Well chalk up another Howard dill win off of the 2350 tiger kitty!
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Saturday, September 25
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2350 x 2200 wolf is now the 1477 Caspers she went -4% was taping 413" for est of 1535. Took 2nd place at Bloomfield. Have a feeling the scorched canopy let the soil dry a little quicker than the other plants. If next week's go light then I guess I didn't water enough during a drought
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Saturday, September 25
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Great day!
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Saturday, September 25
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The loading
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Wednesday, September 29
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Couple more days, largest I have ever taped on my property 2552 mendi x 2200 wolf
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Friday, October 1
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Harvest time 99 days old I think 2552 mendi x 2200 wolf, should be a new pb, but the way things are going the scale might say not today
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Saturday, October 2
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The 1707.5 Caspers 21 ! New personal Best, 2nd largest pumpkin ever grown in Iowa, and joined some great growers in the 4500 lb club with a total of 4654.5lbs. Took 2nd place at Anamosa, Jake Johnson wins with 1887.5, and don and Tommy in 3rd at 1437
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Saturday, October 2
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She was solid!
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Sunday, October 3
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One more to go, the 1470 on the left is probably going to have to hit the weeds soon got the seeds out last weekend.
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Sunday, October 24
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So outside patch hopefully didn't get messed up this week. Had new septic system put in so under my 35 x 90 ft patch is a 30 x 70 ft drain field. I did message the contractor the morning of and put in a request to scrape top soil off and put back afterwards. So should be good!
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Sunday, October 24
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First deere I seen in the patch all year. Lol. I was nervous so I watched them while I was feeding the crusher
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Sunday, October 24
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Started removing the weed cover crop to get ready for next year, hopefully a year off helped it a little
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Sunday, October 24
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So beautiful, going to hate to cut them open this week. Fall has definitely arrived
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