Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 21 Entries. Friday, June 12 View Page Hi everyone. Welcome to my 2026 diary. Friday, June 12 View Page I am growing three plants this year. This is the 2507 Noel. A 2198 Sperry X 1921 Noel cross. This plant was mauled by a groundhog early on, but seems to be recovering nicely. Friday, June 12 View Page Pictured here is the 2170 Leblanc. This is a 2731 Stelts x 2670 Thompson. Not a bad cross of parents. Early on I did the best I could to kill this one. I hadn't hardened it off enough and burnt most of the leaves after it was set out. Then the soil heating cables failed, and it set back the growth some. Despite it all this one also is recovering nicely. Friday, June 12 View Page The third plant is the 1917 Pappas, my personal best. It is a 2344 Wallace x 2465 Sperry cross. Saturday, June 13 View Page It's been a come from behind year getting things ready in the patch. Finally got the second water tower up. All drip tubes are now connected. That is my home in the background. All water and electricity to the patch has to cross that road. My neighbors are more than used to just running the lines over. Friday, June 26 View Page The 1917 plant has grown some in the last two weeks. There are two flowers pollinated. The first is at 16 feet was pollinated on the 15th. 1917 Pappas X 2507 Noel. The second at 19 feet. 1917 Pappas X 2170 LeBlanc. Both were nicely shaped four lobe flowers. Saturday, June 27 View Page The 2507 Noel is the preferred snack of the local whistle pig population. I need some of Norm's mojo to get rid of these pesky creatures. Saturday, June 27 View Page Better pic of 2507. There are two pollinations on this plant. One was on the 13th but is only twelve feet out. The other was made on the 23rd. It will be hard to choose if the later pollination takes. Sunday, June 28 View Page The 2170 LeBlanc is looking good. Although it is the smallest plant in the patch, it is arguably the healthiest looking. There are two pollinated flowers on the main. One at thirteen feet pollinated on the 13th and another at 18 feet pollinated on the 23rd Sunday, June 28 View Page I'm growing giant tomatoes this year. I have 10 plants in the ground. Thanks to John and Kerry Young for the seeds. Friday, July 3 View Page Today is DAP 20 for two of my pumpkins. Pictured here is the 2170 Leblanc its measurements total up to 148 inches. Friday, July 3 View Page This pumpkin is on the 2507 Noel. It's OTT measurements total up to 162 inches. Sunday, July 5 View Page It is DAP 20 for the 1917 Pappas. This pumpkin had a total of 148 inches in OTT. All three pumpkins DAP 20 measurements were disappointing. A four-day heat wave with an average temperature of 96 probably slowed them down. The weather changed today and it looks like better pumpkin growing weather is coming up. Friday, July 10 View Page Looks like just another day or two before the 1917 Pappas plant fills in its allocated at 1100 sf area. I'll be glad when vine burying is over. Tuesday, July 14 View Page It is DAP 30 for the 2507 Noel pumpkin. Although not as big as desired for a Day 30 pumpkin, her growth rate is beginning to show promise Tuesday, July 14 View Page It is DAP 30 for the 2170 LeBlanc pumpkin also. A mere 2 inches less in measurement than the 2507. Wednesday, July 15 View Page My personal best the Pappas 1917 is 30 days old today. She looks like she's gonna be orange. Wednesday, July 15 View Page View from the top. The top of the water tower that is. Note the hazy sky from the wildfires in Ontario. Wednesday, July 15 View Page How many lobes do you see here? Saturday, July 18 View Page The 2507 Noel is the pumpkin that resulted from that three lobed flower. Could explain the high hump in the middle. I thought that there was an extra piece of lobe on the upper right of the flower but it's not showing in the pumpkin's shape. Saturday, July 18 View Page Culling day.