Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 70 Entries. Wednesday, March 20 View Page I prefer the 180 day Slw Release Purkote over the 90 day Slow Release Purkote. THat way I only have to apply it once per year   Friday, March 22 View Page For the 150 Challenge this year: I'll be growing a Giant Pumpkin in an area that is 6ft x 25 ft,   Friday, March 22 View Page In just 2 weeks we are closing in on 50 entries for the 150 Challenge. Sign ups are open until May 30, 2024   Wednesday, March 27 View Page It must be planting season...I Started 15 Tomato plants with 100% germination. Peooers are not up yet. There are some 8.80 Daho Maters in this picture.   Wednesday, March 27 View Page This year I'm starting a couple Giant Pumpkins early (April 1st). With the Heating cables and Heat Lamps costs, I"m gonna have some large electric bills. The remaing 3 Giant Pumpkins will get planted on April 10th.   Wednesday, March 27 View Page Time to start my garden set up chores. I got a lot of work to do. Today I'm spreading Peat with Perlite, and 11-0-44 (slow Release) Purkote as noted on the pictures.   Monday, April 1 View Page Finally. Its time to spead my compost, over the Peat and Perlite. Its 1 1/2 years old I add 2 yards of this black gold, per plant   Tuesday, April 2 View Page 1 set of Heating Cables with a programmable thermostat have been laid out in the pumpkin patch. 4 more to go.   Wednesday, April 3 View Page Here is the Heating Cable picture that was supposed to go with the last entry   Sunday, April 7 View Page My early starts (2222 Gienger, 2360 Montsma and 2116 Daho) are up and enjoying the T5 BadBoy lumens. On April 10th I'll plant my 2nd Batch of Giant Pumpkin seeds   Sunday, April 7 View Page Dug another 12" deep hole today. for the Pumpkins. Been using these 60 ft, 300 Watt, programmable Gutter cables for 4 years. Seem very durable STill work great today   Tuesday, April 9 View Page 60 growers in the 150 so far.... All welcome if interested.   Friday, April 12 View Page I made a decision to proactively battle phytopthera and fusarium this year   Saturday, April 13 View Page After yesterdays bacteria kill, today I had to rejuvinate the good bacteria in the pumpkion patschc with a variety of biologicals.   Saturday, April 13 View Page I love the heating power of trapped solar energy. Its free.   Sunday, April 14 View Page My early plants are in the ground in 14x12 greenhouses. Between heating cables, two warming lamps, a heater, and supplemental full spectrum LED lights, my electric bill ought to be nice and high.   Monday, April 15 View Page My next batch of seedlings are up and soaking up the T5 "Quantum BadBoy" lumens for a few days.   Saturday, April 20 View Page Its 56F and rainy/overcast all day today. So I'm keeping all my plants warm oustide in greenhouses with covered quonset huts inside the greenhouses, using Full Spectrum LED lights and heaters. They seem to be doing OK. This is the 2222 Gienger plant, that was started on April 2nd.   Sunday, April 21 View Page The 2501 Bernstrom and 1017 Rondeau. (both Planted April 10th)., were showing 2nd true leaf, so I moved them to the outdoor greenhouses yesterday. Was 37F last night, (plus a frost in localized area's of our yard), But with the heaters all night and covered mini quonset huts, it was 73F inside the huts. The plants dont seem to be in any stress today. Todays daytime outdoor temps are 55F and overcast. The greenhouse temps have risen to the low 80's from solar energy, as shown..   Friday, April 26 View Page The 2222 Gienger just hit ground and is running. I had to remove a kickstand and one set of tendrils that were growing straight down and keeping the vine elevated   Tuesday, April 30 View Page The 2222 Gienger is starting to run at a faster pace now, as April draws to a close. THe big chore and expense is keeping the greenhouses heated to at least 75F, when its 48F during the evenings.   Tuesday, April 30 View Page The 2501 Bernstrom is looking very healthy. Looks in good shope for a 20 day old plant. I expect the main, to start vining out and touch down in about 3 days   Tuesday, April 30 View Page I chose a Howard Dill winner for my 150 Challenge Pumpkin. This is the 1017 Rondeau. Should produce a nice orange fruit.   Friday, May 3 View Page Finally!! May has arrived...but still a chilly 47F overcast day this morning. Kept it a toasty 80F inside the 15 ft long greenhouse with the heaters going, and running the Full Spectrum lights all day today. The 2222 Gienger main vine is 7 ft long.   Sunday, May 5 View Page The 2501 Bernstrom main vine fell to the ground safely. My plants always seem out of sorts for a few hours on the first day they touchdown. Leaves have to re-orient themselves to face the sun and grow lights.   Sunday, May 5 View Page 2222 Gienger has a 9 ft main. Its 47F outside. Keeping the greenhouse warm at approximately 80Ft, is my #1 priority to keep the plant growing. Keeping the soil moist with biologicals like: SP1, Essential 1-0-1, and MT 17 are a given.   Thursday, May 9 View Page Had a nice morning drive and visit to see Gene Lrivieres patch in Connecticut today. He's a long time Grower. Chilly 50F when I arrived at 8am, but inside his 100ft x 30ft greenhouse with role up sides, the soil temp was 72F and the air temp was around 78F. Looks like Genes growing two plants back to back with about 1000 sqft for each Giant Pumpkin plant. plus some potted flowers on the far end.   Friday, May 10 View Page Shown is the 2222 Gienger. Temps dropped to a chilly 45F for 4 hours last night. Put a double layer of poly on each of the four greenhouses for improved insulation. With 1500W Heaters, plus Heating cables and LED lights, the temp inside each was at 78F all night. Each Leaf node (on the main and secondaries) gets covered with a wad of drenched perlite filled Potting soil, when they hit the ground, to help both tap roots develop.   Friday, May 10 View Page The 2501 Bernstrom was started April 10th.   Friday, May 10 View Page This is the 1017 Rondeau. My 150 Pumpkin   Friday, May 10 View Page This is the 2465 Sperry. Started April 12th. Should be making the fall soon   Sunday, May 12 View Page Dropping down to 45F tonight Heaters and Lights are cranking   Monday, May 13 View Page More nights in the 40's predicted this week so its time for an addition. The 2222 Gienger outgrew the 13.5 ft Greenhouse so I added a 6 ft extention. Hopefully this will carry me to some warmer weather.   Saturday, May 18 View Page I'm using elevated walk-ways as much as possible this year to minimize soil compaction.   Saturday, May 18 View Page The 2222 Gienger plant.... Crown end view. Still in greenhouses but that will change real soon.   Saturday, May 18 View Page The 2222 is showing a pumpkin at 16 ft. Total length of main is 17 ft. Starting to see male flowers blooming. One is showing in this photo.   Saturday, May 18 View Page My 1017 Rondeau which I"m growing for the 1509 Challenge, looks healthy. Main is 9 ft. 1st Pumpkin showing at 8ft, will be culled.   Saturday, May 18 View Page The 2501 Bernstrom plant is growing at a good pace now. (about 8 inches per day) Main is 10 ft long.   Saturday, May 18 View Page 2465 Sperry. was a late planting after the first plant was lost due to frost damage. But its catching up. Main vine on this plant is now 6ft   Thursday, May 23 View Page My 1017 Rondeau is off to a nice start. This ismy 150 challenge plant. 1st pumpkin is showing at 12 ft. This one will be pollinated and then culled about a week later. Waiting for 16-18 ft main vine, before I start thinking about a keeper   Sunday, May 26 View Page Took me 3 hours to get the (80% wind break) fencing up. After the last section goes up, I need to finish the 6 door's. Once complete it also does a nice job of keeping the woodchucks out, and rogue weeds from migrating into the patch. and....Pollinated the 2nd 'kin on the 2222 Gienger today, at 16 ft out as shown. Nice 4 lober. But I might go with the 3rd one that appeared at 20 ft out. This one should be ready to pollinate, on June 5th or 6th.   Wednesday, May 29 View Page The Rhodadendrums are in full bloom. Pretty! All the Pumpkin plants have at least one pollinated, but most are culls...Waiting for later fruits to show further down the main. One more section of Amgo Wind break fencing to put up, and then finish up the drip irrigation installation.   Tuesday, June 4 View Page All my drip irrigation and hand watering is done under the canopy. So my leaves on the 2222 Gienger (shown), and other plants, are caked with Pine tree pollen at this time of the year. Its harmless, Plants healthy, so I'm not worried.   Tuesday, June 4 View Page Crossed the 2222 Gienger with the 2501 Bernstrom this morning. Now I got to close up the flower. This is the 3rd one on this plant. Its 20 ft out on the main with 20 side vines behind it. Just startin to terminate first few sides at 16ft out.   Wednesday, June 5 View Page It may not look like much, but whenever I bend the Main, I always think the worst will happen. 60 degree bend put in the Main Vine today. Another 60 degree's tomorrow.   Wednesday, June 5 View Page Been doing a lot of heavy trimming on the 1017 Rondeau AG plant to keep it in the 6 ft wide boundry I set up for the 150 Challenge. Main is 17 ft long, and 3rd pumpkin will be set on this plant next week. 3ft side vines need a lot of carefull anchoring to prevent them from falling over or uprooting in a wind. I guess thats why its called a Challenge.   Sunday, June 9 View Page There was a 3fer sale today in our yard. Catch one chuck get 2 more free. Luckily I caught them before they did any damage. The 4 ft high wind break fence seems to have preventing them from sniffing out the AG plants.   Monday, June 10 View Page The 150 Challenge pumpkin will hopefully be set on June 11 or 12. Need to put a 90 degree ben in tne main vine so the pumpkin can grow inside the boundry. Cut way back on the magnesium and nitrogen, to avoid big Blue Bloto Leaves   Friday, June 14 View Page The 150 Challenge pumpkin (1017 Rondeau) was selfed on June 12th. Turning the vine now to grow it in a small space. Vine management is tricky at this stage to keep all the plant and eventually the pumpkin stuffed into the 6 x 25 boundries.   Thursday, June 20 View Page Giant Field Pumpkins are in. The 218.3 Baggs is just starting to run.   Thursday, June 20 View Page Giant Field Pumpkins are in. The 235 Razo is just starting to run.   Thursday, June 20 View Page Crazy weather. It hit 97F today (with feels like at 105F). I think the 150 Challenge pumpkin (1017 x 1017) survived the heat. Lots of leaf burn though.   Thursday, June 20 View Page I created a level plateau to the 2501 Bernstrom x 2222 Gienger. since the pumpkin was growing on a slope. Got plywood between two pieces of mill cloth for repositioning it if necessary.   Thursday, June 20 View Page The 2465 x 2222 shown at 5 DAP   Thursday, June 20 View Page The 2222 Gienger x 2501 Bernstrom needs afternoon shade, see photo, since the suns rays don't stop hitting the pumpkin until 8:30 pm   Wednesday, June 26 View Page I like the shape of the 2501 Bernstrom x 2222 Gienger. Shown at 13 DAP   Wednesday, June 26 View Page The 2501 x 2222 shown at 13 DAP will have a 1300 sq ft plant. About 2/3 of the plant has been trained and vines buried. Long way to go to finish growing this plant, then the pumpkin should kick into gear.   Wednesday, June 26 View Page My 150 Challenge Plant. Its a 1017 Rondeau x 1017 cross. Shown at 14 DAP, at 18 ft out on the main. Should become a bright orange pumpkin   Wednesday, June 26 View Page The 2222 Gienger x 2501 Bernstrom at 21 DAP. Set at 20 ft out on the main. Good healthy plant. Blossum is just starting to go under. I will try to prevent that from happening   Wednesday, June 26 View Page 2222 Gienger x 2501 Bernstrom at 21 DAP View of plant. This will be a 1100 sq ft plant.   Monday, July 1 View Page My cube pumpkin! The 2501 Bernstrom x 2222 Gienger cross looks OK. Shown at 18 DAP. This pumpkin gets a lot of hot, evening sun, so I built a Sun shade (shown on left)   Monday, July 1 View Page My 150 Challenge pumpkin is just plain ugly. But its appears to be growing fast though. Its a 1017 Rondeau x 1017 Rondeau cross. Shown at 19 DAP.   Monday, July 1 View Page The 2222 Gienger x 2501 Bernstrom has a nice shape. Moved it 1 inch last night, with help from a friend, to relieve stem stress. Vine is loose now. Shown at 26 DAP   Tuesday, July 2 View Page The 235 Razo FP is starting to grow at a rapid pace now that t he warm weather is here.   Tuesday, July 2 View Page The 218 Baggs FP is also kicking into gear.   Tuesday, July 9 View Page The 2501 Bernstrom x 2222 Gienger has taken on a cube shape Shown at 26 DAP. Lets Grow!!   Friday, July 12 View Page My little 150 Challenge pumpkin has reached DAP 30. Taping 334 lbs. Starting to outgrow much of its gnarly surface.   Saturday, July 13 View Page The 2501 Bernstrom x 2222 Gienger hit 30 DAP today. "The Cube" has a taped weight of 546 pounds. A lot of great genetics in this pumpkin, hope she keeps packing on the pounds with her Cal-Mag diet.   Saturday, July 13 View Page Finally The patch is almost full. Just in time...I dont know how much more digging my fingers could take!   Sunday, July 14 View Page The 2222 Gienger x 2501 Bernstrom is going blossom under on me. At 40 DAP, she has a good daily weight gain of 48 lbs / day for the last 10 days. Wt est = 848 lbs