Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 115 Entries. Monday, April 17 View Page Hi everyone, this is my second diary. Finally the wheater improved a bit in Belgium so i tilled the patch today. At the pic you can see the planting mounds and the horse manure that is covering the soil since november.   Monday, April 17 View Page This is a pic of patch 2. Two squash will be grown here, back to back. Three AG's will be grown at patch 1.   Monday, April 17 View Page These are my seedlings and back up's for this season inside the germination box. All seeds were filed and soaked in water for an half hour. They sprouted between a wet paper towel inside a plastic bag that went in to the germination box.   Tuesday, April 18 View Page test...   Tuesday, April 18 View Page Hello, this is my second diary this will be again a lot of fun to read diaries en make one myself. My Englisch is not too good but i'm sure everyone understand wat i'm writing... In the pic you can see patch 1. Hore manure was spread in november en covered the soil whole winter. Notice the planting mounds i just made.   Tuesday, April 18 View Page That was horse manure in last entry... In this pic you can see patch 2, in the next days this will be expanded a bit. Two squash will be grown here back too back. 3 AG's will go into patch 1.   Tuesday, April 18 View Page Rototilling both patches...did this by hand a few years ago, this machine is a good investment!   Tuesday, April 18 View Page My 4 heated containers with temp-control. I'm also starting 45 AG's en squashes for the members of our club. We also have a website: http://home.tiscali.be/pompoenclubgrasheide   Tuesday, April 18 View Page My seedlings en back up's for this year. All seeds were filed, soaked for an 1/2 hour en started between wet paper towels inside a ziplock bag. When they sprouted they were transplanted in potting soil.   Tuesday, April 18 View Page A pic of the temp controls, made the control system and heating pads myself. I used aluminium plates where i attached some resitors on. All works on a safety tension of 24 volts.   Sunday, May 14 View Page 1233.5Reiss05 (670Daigle x 801.5Stelts) at the left and back-up 1385Daletas03 (723Daletas00 x 898Knauss01)at the right. Noproblems here so far.   Sunday, May 14 View Page 698Beauchemin05 (1074Beuchemin03 x 898Knauss01) at the right. It is the same cross as the 500 Beauchemin. Back up 884VanRompaey04 (709.9Frei03 x 627Broeckhoven03) at the right. Both OK.   Sunday, May 14 View Page 1446Eaton04 (842Eaton02 x 1301.5Eaton03)at the right. Have 1 seed left for the 2007 season. Back up:1014.8VanRompaey05dmg (884VanRompaey04 x 1446Eaton04) at the left. These plants are also in good shape.   Sunday, May 14 View Page 881Beauchemin05 squash (748Koch03 x 980Razo03). I had to pull the back up for this plant because it was going double. It was the 740Hallam05. Sorry Joe! Started another 740 a week ago and will see what happens with this one.   Sunday, May 14 View Page 792.2Olsen05 squash (471Beachy04 x self) at the left. Back up: 444.4VanDijck04 at the right, a dark true green squash.   Monday, May 15 View Page The cross of the 1014.8VanRompaey05dmg is not correct in a previous entry, it is: 1446Eaton x self!   Monday, June 5 View Page The 1233.5Reiss at the right, growing very well and no signs of flat or double vine. First female in sight. Back up (1385Daletas) will be removed tomorrow.   Monday, June 5 View Page This is the strongest growing plant of the patch: the 698Beauchemin05. The back-up on the right will be removed tommorow too. Plastic covers will be removed on all plants because finally good and warm wheather is predicted.   Monday, June 5 View Page The 1446Eaton04 grows very well also, first female will open in a few days...   Monday, June 5 View Page This is my 792.2Olsen05 squash, was going flat for one section but is now growing normally. Back up already removed.   Monday, June 5 View Page 881 Beachemin05 squash...no troubles here, looks very nice.   Monday, June 19 View Page 1233.5 Reiss is the slowest grower of the patch but looking good . The main vine is 2.4 meter long. Installed driplines on three plants today. Tomorrow i will install the other ones.   Monday, June 19 View Page 1233.5 Reiss is the slowest grower with a main vine that is 2.4 meter long. Installed driplines today on 3 plants. Will install the rest tomorrow.   Monday, June 19 View Page Second female on the 1233.5, the first one was a perfect 5-lober.   Monday, June 19 View Page The fastest grower: 698 Beauchemin with a main of 3.7 meter. Third female so far. Looks very good and strong.   Monday, June 19 View Page 1446 Eaton with a main of 2.9 meter.   Monday, June 19 View Page 792.5 Olsen with a main of 2.8 meter   Monday, June 19 View Page The main on the 881 Beauchemin is about 2.9 meter and growing very well too. Some plants have a few burnt leaves. Will begin with pollinating all plants next week or the week after.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Female on the 698 Beauchemin ready to pollinate with 2 males from the 1233.5 Reisss on the morning of july 1.   Sunday, July 2 View Page It's a perfect 5-lober 4.55 meter out on the main vine, that's about 15 feet.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Closed with a rope and protected, hopefully pollination was a succes.   Sunday, July 2 View Page Pic of the 2 squash-plants   Sunday, July 2 View Page Pic of the pumpkin-plants. The 698 in the front grows at a very high speed. The 1233.5 Reiss is still the slowest grower.   Sunday, July 2 View Page July 2. When i was about to pollinate a female on the 1466 i culled the female. Seeds in the blossems and deformed segments are the reason of this. Tommorow morning a female on the 792.2 Olsen will be ready, will pollinate it with the 881 Beauchemin.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page Pollinated this 5-lober female this morning on the 1233.5 Reiss with 3 males from the 698 Beauchemin. It is about 11 feet out on the main vine. 100 % clean pollinated.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page Also pollinated this 4-lober female on the 1446 Eaton with 3 males from the 1233.5 Reiss about 13 feet out on the main vine. 100 % clean pollinated. The 1446 has many burnt leaves from the high temps we had last days. The other plants are better heat resistant but have also a few burnt leaves.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page Female 5 lober on the 792.2 Olsen pollinated this morning with 3 males from the 881 Beauchemin about 12 feet out on the main vine. 100 % clean pollinated.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page Female 5 lober on the 881 Beauchemin pollinated yesterday morning with 3 males from the 792.2 Olsen. Like the very long stem.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page 698 Beauchemin x 1233.5 Reiss 4 days old.   Saturday, July 22 View Page Fruit on the 698 Beauchemin, don't like the shape however   Saturday, July 22 View Page Sidevieuw 698 fruit   Saturday, July 22 View Page Finaly a good fruit on the 1233.5 Reiss , it was open pollinated on july 8.   Saturday, July 22 View Page 792.2 Olsen doing great, was pollinated with the 881 Beauchemin.   Saturday, July 22 View Page 881 Beauchemin fruit, open pollinated on july 8 too. Had no time that day to be in the patch, what a bummer.   Saturday, July 22 View Page Still no fruit on the 1446 Eaton, the fruits on the main were fried and others aborted because of the heat i think. Also many leaves are damaged by heat. Whe have a real heat wave in Belgium an temps are above 30 °C. Yesterday we had 35 °C. Next wednesday we will leave Belgium for a vacation in Austria (Pertisau am Achensee) for 8 days. 8 days! How will the patch look when i get back?!   Tuesday, July 25 View Page fruit on the 698 Beauchemin est 97.5 kg   Tuesday, July 25 View Page 1233.5 Reiss fruit   Tuesday, July 25 View Page 792.2 Olsen fruit   Tuesday, July 25 View Page 881 Beauchemin fruit. Will measure after we get back from vacation in Austria. Will see you back in 8 days!!   Sunday, August 6 View Page Had a nice holyday in Austria!!! This pic is the 698 fruit est. 187 kg   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1233.5 fruit est. 157 kg.   Sunday, August 6 View Page 1446 fruit est. 75 kg. Could not set one on the main vine because all fruits aborted or were fried by heavy sun. So this one is on a side vine.   Sunday, August 6 View Page 792.2 fruit est. 121 kg.   Sunday, August 6 View Page 881 fruit est. 188 kg.   Monday, August 7 View Page The meassure of the 792.2 Olsen fruit was incorrect!! It is about 185 kg!! Will meassure it correctly the next few days.   Sunday, August 13 View Page 698 fruit est. 232 kg, growth slowed down on this one.   Sunday, August 13 View Page stem shot of the 698 fruit   Sunday, August 13 View Page This is what causes the reduced growth on my 698 i think. The stump is splitted and i can see right trough it. This is the biggest stump i ever had on a pumpkin-plant.   Sunday, August 13 View Page 1233.5 fruit est.222 kg and clolouring orange.   Sunday, August 13 View Page stemshot of the 1233.5 Reiss fruit   Sunday, August 13 View Page 1446 fruit est. 118 kg   Sunday, August 13 View Page 792.2 fruit est.264 kg   Sunday, August 13 View Page stem shot of the 792.2   Sunday, August 13 View Page 881 fruit est.260 kg   Sunday, August 13 View Page stem shot of the 881   Thursday, August 17 View Page 698 Beauchemin est. 246 kg / 542.5 lbs 1233.5 Reiss est. 247 kg / 544.5 lbs 1446 Eaton est. 140 kg / 308.5 lbs 792.2 Olsen est. 298 kg / 657 lbs 881 Beauchemin est. 277 kg / 610.5 lbs Forgot my camera today so no pics. Cut the main tip on the 1233.5 because it was beginning to rot and leaves were flat on the ground for 1 meter. I espect the wursed for the fruit...will it go down like my 884 last year??   Friday, August 25 View Page After having the hottest july ever we are having the wettest (and coldest maybe?) august. Every day the same thing: lots of rain and cold temps. The pic showes the 698 est. at 273 kg/602 lbs doing only 2 kg a day.   Friday, August 25 View Page The 1233.5 has a blossem-split and a split next to the stem. Had to remove lots of leaves and the entire main after the fruit. The plant suffers from PM. I sprayed every 7 days with fungicide but this plant got sick anyway. Est. 265 kg/584 lbs.   Friday, August 25 View Page 1233.5 blossemend-split pasted.   Friday, August 25 View Page 1233.5 split next to the stem pasted.   Friday, August 25 View Page 1446 has a splitted stem.   Friday, August 25 View Page pasted but is to big now. The crack is not into the cavity yet. Did not meassure this one, it's a waste of time...   Friday, August 25 View Page 792.2 est. at 365 kg/805 lbs, looking ok.   Friday, August 25 View Page 792.2 stemside. Looks massive!!   Friday, August 25 View Page 881 est. 307.5 kg/678 lbs and doing 4 kg a day. The 792.2 is doing about 7 kg a day now.   Tuesday, August 29 View Page 698 Beauchemin est. 280 kg/617 lbs. 1233.5 Reiss est. 286kg/630 lbs blossemend-split, split next to the stem but still growing. 1446 Eaton est. 210 kg/463 lbs stem-split but still growing. 792.2 Olsen (squash) est. 379 kg/835 lbs. 881 Beauchemin (squash) 317 kg/699 lbs. To cold at night and during the day and lots of rain... Wheather should finally improve a bit next week.   Monday, September 4 View Page 792.2 Olsen squash est. 420 kg / 926 lbs. Had not much time today so i only meassured this one. Hope she stays in one piece until the weigh-off on september 30...   Sunday, September 10 View Page 792.2Olsen 439-225-253 cm est. 447,2 kg / 986lbs. Pics taken yesterday. Should reach 1000 lbs today!!! Still doing about 6 kg a day but will slow down now.   Sunday, September 10 View Page My daughter Charlotte with the 792.2.   Sunday, September 10 View Page 698: est. 290.7 kg / 641 lbs   Sunday, September 10 View Page 1233.5: est 292 kg / 644 lbs is cut from the plat and all vines and leaves are removed from the patch. fruit= 644vanrompaey2006EST (1233.5Reiss x open)   Sunday, September 10 View Page 1446: est. 233 kg / 514 lbs   Sunday, September 10 View Page 881 est 325 kg / 716 lbs is not growing any more.   Saturday, September 16 View Page 792.9Olsen 450-229-259 cm est. 480 kg/1058.3 lbs. Got a visit from a guy from work. He could not believe what he saw... The yellow spots are from the fungicide. Underneath is the dark greenest squash you ever could imaging!   Saturday, September 16 View Page Stem end. Notice the fan and battery to obtain a dry stem end. Still 14 looooooooong days untill weigh-off. Hopefully she stays in 1 piece. ANY advice (small or big)is welcome to get her trough this. You can E-mail me or post on BP.   Wednesday, September 20 View Page Meassured yesterday the 792 Olsen: est 485 kg / 1069.2 lbs. Still looking OK. Harvested the seeds from the 881 Beauchemin because she was getting soft. 1446 is on the compost pile too...   Monday, September 25 View Page Today the 792.2 Olsen was est. 496.7 kg, that's 1095 lbs.   Friday, September 29 View Page Tomorrow is the big day. The 792 olsen fruit will be weighed at our local weigh-off. Today i meassured her for the last time: 466 - 237 - 258 cm est 513 kg / 1131 lbs. Hopefully we have enough manpower to lift her... Will post the results on sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed!   Monday, October 2 View Page Hello again, here i'm cutting the vines from the 792.2Olsen fruit est. at 513 kg/1131lbs.   Monday, October 2 View Page lifting on one side to get the weighing tarp under... Did i mentioned that i crossed this one with the 881Beauchemin? This means probably nice long stems in the future!   Monday, October 2 View Page Itakes 10 guys to lift it but it is only a few feet to the pallet. The fruit did not fit on a ordinary pallet so i used a bigger one and glued insulation plates on it.   Monday, October 2 View Page Job well done thaks to the lifting crue, thanks guys!!   Monday, October 2 View Page After a drive to the center of our town on the tractor : here she is!   Monday, October 2 View Page A buddy called the local TV too film all this...   Monday, October 2 View Page On the digital pallet-wheigher   Monday, October 2 View Page 474.6 kg or 1046.3 lbs. Not a world record but untill now certainly a European one!   Monday, October 2 View Page After winning 3 times in a row the cup is finally mine!! 401 (2004), 460.3 (2005) and 474.3 kg!   Monday, October 2 View Page A pic of all the members of our club. Second was Frans Broeckhoven: 275 kg / 606.3 lbs. Third place was Alfons Verstappen: 255.5 kg / 563.3 lbs. Yep, a difference of 199.6 kg (440 lbs) between first and second place!!!   Monday, October 2 View Page A nice pic with my wife...   Monday, October 2 View Page a pic with mom and dad...   Monday, October 2 View Page After that we had our yearly barbecue and many Begian beers... What a day! There where many camera's but none has photograpped the digital display, so this weighing is not official i think but i don't care. She will be wheiged next saturday in Duisburg but will wheigh a few pounds less. So this was my last post untill octobre 7. See you then...   Monday, October 2 View Page More photos will be on our website next week or so. Look at http://home.tiscali.be/pompoenclubgrasheide This URL will be changed shortly however.   Tuesday, October 10 View Page unloading my 792 Olsen in Duisburg   Tuesday, October 10 View Page another vieuw...   Tuesday, October 10 View Page get ready for weighing my greenie...   Tuesday, October 10 View Page here are the squash results...472 kg / 1040.6 lbs, a new Belgian and European record!!! The seeds will be called: 1040.6 VAN ROMPAEY 06   Tuesday, October 10 View Page 1040,6 lbs true dark green flesh!   Tuesday, October 10 View Page carving little pumpkins in Duisburg   Tuesday, October 10 View Page Paul Boonen European Champion pumpkin: 484.5 kg / 1068.1 lbs! Congrats!   Tuesday, October 10 View Page Sunday: i travelled 520 km together with my buddy Wim To Ludwigsburg Germany. We were just in time to make it for the weigh-off. Hre is Stephan unloading the big green thing.   Tuesday, October 10 View Page ready for lift-off: 469 kg!! So during the trip she lost about 3 kg. I never travel again with a pumpkin that is not covered.   Tuesday, October 10 View Page Owen was very glad to see my fruit and i got some 792 seeds again from him. You are a very nice guy Owen, thank you!   Tuesday, October 10 View Page Here is the fruit from Sweden: Lilja Andersen with 534.2 kg!! What a monster! It is the first time i see a 500+ fruit.   Tuesday, October 10 View Page The 3 winning fruits side by side. I know the third fruit came from Switserland but i forgot name and weight.   Tuesday, October 10 View Page Lilja is the best of Europe 2006!!