Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 32 Entries. Monday, April 18 View Page Started our seeds on April 8th. We planted our own seeds as backup. The 2006.5 Brysons and the 2356.7 Mendi were our most aggressive plants coming up, so we planted the two Bryson plants in the ground beside the 2702.9 Cutripi and the 1885.5 Werner in another plot. The 2356.7 Mendi was plated by itself in the third plot.   Wednesday, April 20 View Page We have power outside for the heaters and the heating cables in the huts.   Sunday, May 1 View Page I spy with my little eye…. A greenhouse at the Brysons! With just enough space for one plant.   Sunday, May 8 View Page We plant Rye and Vetch in the fall. This patch was planted around October 8th 2021, after we chopped the previous pumpkin plant up. We follow a cycle of 2 years with cover crop for one year pumpkin.   Sunday, May 8 View Page We checked out the drip line a few weeks ago for leaks. Everything looks good so far. Drip line was placed in the patches last fall at about every foot. We don’t till the soil. As the rye grows taller, we chop it down to about a foot tall and chop it out completely as the pumpkin grows. Every time we chop it, it gets a little weaker.   Sunday, May 8 View Page 6 years ago we stopped tilling the gardens. The only time that soil is disturbed is when we place heating cables in the ground in the fall. We use mainly biostimulants as fertilizers. This year we are trying JMS by Korean Natural Farming (KMF). We don’t use insecticides or fungicides. From our experience last year, we observed that biostimulants help keep the sugar up in the plant and in turn, keeps the bugs from wanting to bite it.   Sunday, May 29 View Page When the cover crop is fully grown, we cut it down to a few feet tall. We then spread the next cover crop seed over the old before cutting it down all the way. As we finish cutting the crop, we water the seeds well to make sure they germinate.   Sunday, May 29 View Page The first chop and seeding   Sunday, June 5 View Page We can’t believe what a difference the greenhouse makes in the plant and the flowers. This is our 2006.5 Bryson.   Sunday, June 5 View Page The 2356.7 Mendi   Sunday, June 5 View Page The 1885.5 Werner   Monday, June 6 View Page Our first pollination of the season on our 2006.5 Bryson!   Sunday, June 12 View Page Our 2006.5 Bryson   Sunday, June 12 View Page Plants are doing well but it’s hard to get good growth on nights that are 10/12 degrees Celsius. This is the 1885 Werner.   Sunday, June 12 View Page 2356.7 Mendi   Sunday, June 19 View Page From left to right: 2006.5 Bryson, 2356.7 Mendi & 1885 Werner   Monday, June 20 View Page We use these wires to prop our leaves up without damaging the leaves.   Tuesday, June 21 View Page Second cover crop is coming through nicely. We started spreading the seed with a bag spreader this year so it’s hard to get even coverage; we have a few spots that are heavy with cover crop and other spots are a little empty.   Sunday, June 26 View Page Day 20 on the 2006.5 Bryson - we measured 204 inches. We’re happy with it so far.   Monday, June 27 View Page After the cool weather, the 1885 Werner is starting to grow well. Pollination date was the 14th of June.   Monday, June 27 View Page This pumpkin on the 2356.7 Mendi was our last chance at pollination on the main because we broke the vine right after the flower. It was 3 lobes. Hopefully she takes off. If not we will have to take one from the side vine.   Monday, June 27 View Page This pumpkin on the 2356.7 Mendi was our last chance at pollination on the main because we broke the vine right after the flower. It was 3 lobes. Hopefully she takes off. If not we will have to take one from the side vine.   Tuesday, July 5 View Page Day 21 on the 1885 Werner. She’s taping 185.5 inches.   Tuesday, July 5 View Page Day 21 on the 1885 Werner. She’s taping 185.5 inches.   Wednesday, July 6 View Page Day 30 on the 2006.5 Bryson, she’s taping 306.5 inches. We finished burying vines and the plant is about 800 square feet.   Wednesday, July 6 View Page Day 20 on the 2356.7 Mendi, she’s taping 149 inches.   Thursday, July 14 View Page Cover crop is being cut down now   Thursday, July 14 View Page Tomatoes are looking good. We have 3 big blooms on 3 of our plants.   Saturday, July 23 View Page We lost the Mendi. It cracked open on the blossom end. The walls were really thick for a young pumpkin. OTT was 300.5 inches.   Sunday, September 25 View Page We brought our 2006.5 Bryson to a local fair competition. A little while ago we discovered that we have vine bore, which slowed this pumpkin right down. This pumpkin was on track to be a heavy hitter. Now we are on our learning curve to try and figure out how to deal with vine bore. It is our first year with them. Final weight: 1296 unofficial weight.   Saturday, October 1 View Page Final weight of our 1885 Werner: The 1483 Bryson 2022. Weighed at the first Ormstown QC, GPC weigh off.   Saturday, October 1 View Page Final weight of our 1885 Werner: The 1483 Bryson 2022. Weighed at the first Ormstown QC, GPC weigh off.