Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 58 Entries. Friday, April 1 View Page Set the greenhouse up to warm the plants area for the pumpkins   Sunday, April 24 View Page These are some of my Giant Pumpkins this year.   Monday, April 25 View Page My 150 contest pumpkin will grown within this 6ft x 25ft area, which is outlined with 2 x 4's   Thursday, April 28 View Page List of 150 Challenge entries so far is attached. The list can keep growing until late May.   Thursday, May 5 View Page Soon I'll need to cull either the 2517 Mendi or the 2356 Mendi Tough decision. I really like these larger greenhouses.   Thursday, May 12 View Page 1800 Rose is off and running in the 10 ft greenhouse   Tuesday, May 24 View Page My plant for the 150 Challenge is the 1552 Young. Its just out growing its 8 ft greenhouse. Should be nice and orange since the 1552 was a HD winner. Hopefully I can get it to the scales in October.   Wednesday, May 25 View Page The 1800 Rose plant is outgrowing the 10 ft long freenhouse   Wednesday, May 25 View Page Actually this is the 1800 Rose plant. The last entry was a photo of the 2702 Cutrupi   Thursday, May 26 View Page For the 2702.9 Cutrupi plant. I added some the drip irrigation hose today, plus the 80% Windblock fencing   Monday, May 30 View Page More hot May weather. We just hit 91F and climbing. The only plants enjoying the heat are the 286 Connolly Bushel Gourds. I'm on leaf scorch alert for all the pumpkin plants. Those little plastic tables save any Giant Pumpkin leaves that show signs of high heat scorching lie the leaves shown on the 1552 Young plant. Added shade as a precautionary measure for the BG's.   Saturday, June 4 View Page Looks like the 150 Challenge is going to be a good one this year.   Sunday, June 5 View Page 48F outside. Too cold to adjust and bury vines this morning or I risk to possibility that they will snap. So I have time to log a few more photo's into my diary. First is the 2702.9 Cutrupi.   Sunday, June 5 View Page The 1800 Rose is my largest plant. First pumpkin will flower today at 13 ft out. I wonder....should I try keeping it for an early pollination.   Sunday, June 5 View Page The 2356 Mendi is chugging along with a 15 1/2 ft main. All my plants are growing in a Spider vine pattern. First few side vines are trimmed off at a short length.   Sunday, June 5 View Page This is my 1552 Young plant. Its the 150 Challange, pumpkin 13 ft main. First pumpkin on it is showing at 11 ft. It will be pollinated and then culled.   Thursday, June 9 View Page The Giant Pumpkin Plants are off and running. Shown is the 2702.9 Cutrupi   Thursday, June 9 View Page The 1800 Rose is my largest plant. Got one set. Waiting for another one in 3 days.   Thursday, June 9 View Page I have two set on the 2356 Mendi. 2nd one is hopefully a keeper. Vine bend in place to reduce any future vine stress.   Thursday, June 9 View Page My 1552 Young will be the real orange pumpkin Crossed 1st one with itself. Might also wait for the next pollination at about 17 ft. Got the 286 Connolly Bushel Gourd to finally start running too.   Thursday, June 9 View Page Here is the correct current picture of the 2356 Mendi taken yesterday. I wish I could edit a picture after it was posted.   Thursday, June 9 View Page Here is the correct current picture of the 2702 Cutrupi, taken yesterday   Sunday, June 19 View Page The Bushel Gourds are starting to run. This is the 286 Connolly plant, with a 10 ft main vine. I decided to grow it in a XMas tree pattern. Side vines are growing 12-18 inches per day.   Sunday, June 26 View Page THE HEAT IS ON! I got lots of the young leaves on the 2702 x 2356 cross covered with shade cloths today, so they wont wilt... The plants are trying to keep up with the demands of the new growth on every side vine and the main.   Monday, July 4 View Page I'm trying Field Pumpkins this year. Got 3 of them going for the weigh-offs. Here is the 128 Paul. from the seeds Michael Paul gave me.   Monday, July 4 View Page The 191 Kapelari   Monday, July 4 View Page The 124 Connolly   Monday, July 4 View Page The 124 Connolly   Monday, July 4 View Page This is my 150 pumpkin. Has a nice shape and good orange color   Monday, July 4 View Page My 1800 Rose x 2702 Cutrupi has a great solid shape. Should be very blocky when its older. Shaping up for a Good Orange color.   Monday, July 4 View Page Here is the 2702 x 2356 Mendi. Very slow growing plant. Some leaf damage from the sun.   Thursday, July 7 View Page Sky shot of my pumpkin patch   Friday, July 8 View Page Well, the deeds been done, for 2022. I pollinated the 286 Connolly Bushel Gourd at 9pm last night. Hopefully she takes. Set at 18 ft out from the stump, and at the 1st leaf node, on a side vine. Sounds complicated but its not.... lol.   Saturday, July 9 View Page The 2356 Mendi x 2702 Cutrupi hit DAP 30 (days after pollination) taping 434 pounds.   Wednesday, July 13 View Page My 150 Challange plant has filled its 6ft x 25 ft allotted space. The pumpkin is a 1552 x 1552 Young. Shown at 28 DAP. I'll get the first OTT at 30 DAP.   Wednesday, July 13 View Page The Field Pumpkins are on the march. Shown is the 191 Kapelari with a 12 ft Main Vine. I create walled stalls for each plant so the neighboring plants like the powerful Atlantic Giants don't overwhelm the Field Pumpkin space.   Friday, July 15 View Page My pumpkin for the 150 Challenge is at 30 DAP. It's a 1552 x 1552 Young cross and, taping 420 lbs. It's hard to get a good picture without breaking leaves. Plant is only 6 ft wide. With only 3 ft side vines I need every leaf I can get.   Saturday, July 16 View Page My 286 Connolly Bushel Gourd at 5 DAP. Got it propped up on some blocks to keep the blossom from growing under. This one was set at 19 ft out in a side vine. I culled the one that was set at 18 ft.   Saturday, July 16 View Page This is the youngest pumpkin in the patch at 30 DAP. Its the 1800 Rose x 2702 Cutrupi. Set at 18 ft out on the Main. OTT measurements says it Taping 464 lbs today.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page The 2356 Mendi x 2702 has hit 40 DAP. OTT taping indicates it weighs 900 pounds. It's been averaging a weight gain of 57.6 lbs/day for the last 3 days. So far the blossom end innie is holding and the pumpkin is sound. Shown in next entry picture. Fingers crossed.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 2356 innie picture   Saturday, July 23 View Page The 2356 Mendi x 2702 Giant Pumpkin is staying cool under a white tablecloth plus a Queen-sized white goose feather and white goose down, Comforter. Added the comforter at 5:30 am today. Will remove it every night.   Saturday, July 23 View Page The 1800 Rose x 2702 Cutrupi is blocky and has a nice orange tinge working its way into the fruit. She is taping 605 lbs at 33 DAP, and is putting on 30 lbs per day.   Sunday, July 24 View Page The 100F heat this weekend was just what our (286 Connolly x self)) Giant Bushel Gourd needed, to kick into rapid growth. Its got a long way to go until the Weigh-off in mid October. But for now....They love the heat.   Monday, July 25 View Page Our Giant Pumpkin for the "150 Challenge" is the 1552 x 1552 Young cross and its taping 687 lbs at 40 DAP. Its slowly turning a dark orange color, which is what I hoped for. Good symmetrical shape   Tuesday, July 26 View Page I think my 2702 x 2356 caught monkeypox. Its still growing a lot though.   Thursday, July 28 View Page Our 286 Connolly Bushel Gourd is in Rapid Growth phase. A lot has happened in 17 days   Friday, July 29 View Page The 2356 Mendi x 2702 Cutrupi is taping 1257 at 50 DAP and has averaged 36 lbs/day for the lasts 10 days. As shown in the picture in my next entry, the blossom end innie is still holding, but stress cracks are starting to form in that area. With heavy rains expected tonight, I'll be keeping a close eye on those stress cracks for the next couple days.   Friday, July 29 View Page Here is the 2356 Mendi x 2702 Cutrupi blossom end innie   Tuesday, August 2 View Page Our mighty little (286 Connolly) Bushel Gourd is on the march. It has tripled in size in the last 5 days   Thursday, August 4 View Page At 50 DAP, our "150 Challange" Pumpkin is taping 978 lbs with an average weight gain of 29.1 lbs/day over the last 10 days. Being a 1552 x 1552 Young plant it is turning a nice Orange   Thursday, August 4 View Page Its 101 F per our cheap dial thermometer today and rising, so I decided to add a little shade tent and fans over the "150 Challenge" pumpkin (which already has a white table cloth on it). in its 6 ft wide x 25 ft long patch. This little plant had 80 leaves this morning. Everyone counts so when I had to cull 2 leaves off and go down to 78 leaves it was a big deal for me.   Saturday, August 6 View Page The 286 x 286 BG shown August 6th (15 DAP) next to a picture taken August 2nd. It has doubled in size in 4 days. I"ll start measuring on 20DAP.   Sunday, August 7 View Page 2nd day I've had the 6ft x 6ft white shade tents up 24/7. Its 95F right now to they are well worth it. Two more days in the mid 90's are in the forecast. At least it cooled way down to a frigid 78F last night.   Tuesday, August 9 View Page The 2356 Mendi x 2702 Cutrupi is putting on 30 lbs/day. Its taping 1554 lbs today. I am growing it in 1200 sq ft which is larger than my average 850 sq ft plants. Took forever to fill the allotted space as shown in the 2nd photo, hopefully the pumpkin will hold its daily gain with so much plant growth.   Tuesday, August 9 View Page This shows the 1200 sq ft I'm using for the 2356 Mendi x 2702 Cutrupi   Tuesday, August 9 View Page The 191 Kapelari x self (Field Pumpkin) looks like its going be a long one. Pollinated on Dec 3rd, so this one is 6 DAP. Set at 19 ft out on the main. We need some cool weather so this fruit can really kick into gear.   Tuesday, August 9 View Page The 286 x 286 Bushel Gourd, is settling into a dark green color with a very spherical shape... Plant has been looking very healthy with the last week of 100F+ or near 100F temperatures.