Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 37 Entries. Friday, January 6 View Page Pumpkin seeds for this year... hard to choose which to grow, I even managed to get a 2554 Andrusz, but I got so curios that I opened the envelope early, had to repackage it in a plastic package, it is to the right of the 1535 Andrusz.   Friday, January 6 View Page Squash seeds for this year, hard to make a decision on which to plant.   Monday, January 9 View Page Even more seeds...   Sunday, January 15 View Page Trying to make a water bottle out of an old bottle gourd...   Sunday, January 15 View Page Lots of seeds in there!   Monday, January 16 View Page Got a little bored over the winter, so I started just growing a bunch of random things inside. Don't know how long it will last, my mom is not too happy with the mess in the living room lol.   Monday, January 23 View Page The patch. Plan to plant two, one squash and one pumpkin.   Monday, January 23 View Page Getting all the grass out   Monday, January 23 View Page Cool roots on this grass!   Tuesday, February 21 View Page Pretty bored today (2/21/23) if anyone wants to join the general chatroom and have a conversation, I'll be there at 9pm est today :)   Wednesday, February 22 View Page I ain't going to McDonalds again after seeing this...   Sunday, February 26 View Page Starting seeds for my "experiment" that I will explain later. I'm starting the 819 Rodebaugh SQ, 927 Jutras SQ, 1586 Guns, and 1671 Skinner   Sunday, February 26 View Page I built this cheap little hothouse for my plants for about a dollar (free for me because I just took random things from the kitchen to make it lol). It's made out of a paper bag, tinfoil, tape, and plastic bags. I put the tinfoil in there so when the sun would shine on it it will act a little like a heating mat. Also, the "experiment" I was talking about in my last post will be to see how big of a pumpkin I can get with the least cost and space. To build something like what I did costs about a dollar (but I did it for free), and seeds where about 15, so I've only spent $15 on this little "experiment" so far. It will be interesting to see how big I can grow with the least cost.   Sunday, February 26 View Page Another pic of hothouse   Sunday, February 26 View Page Another pic of hothouse. For those wondering, those plastic straws are so I can get water into the hothouse, and also breathe some warm air on the plants if it gets too cold.   Thursday, March 2 View Page They keep taking our worms to do nasty stuff! I would not eat this, worms are beneficial!   Friday, March 3 View Page Looks like the weather channel may not be working??   Saturday, March 4 View Page Hey Ashton, got a load of perlite just like you told me to ;)   Saturday, March 4 View Page Went to home depot today :). They had peat moss, we got 15 SQ feet of peat moss (5 3 cubic foot bags). Sadly, home depot was out of big bags of perlite. Went to Lowes, they did not have any either, after that we stopped at a local garden center and they had 3 4 Cubic foot bags. Yes, I did get all three. The compost pile in the back is 5 cubic yards, it has been there for a couple of weeks now. We will be tilling it all in tomorrow.   Saturday, March 4 View Page YouTube recommended getting a lil crazy   Tuesday, March 7 View Page I love browsing the internet...   Thursday, March 9 View Page The budget challenge goes on... sadly the only seed that germinated was the 927 SQ, I kept the others too wet. The brighter side, I started a couple of other seeds including 2 of the 1643 New's that I got for free (thanks Chad) and another Jutras squash seed that I got for about 5 bucks. That brings the total up to $20.   Thursday, March 9 View Page Got some perlite, peat moss, and compost tilled in. At first I had heavy clay soil (literally pottery grade red clay) but after tilling this all in most of the clay was pulverized. There are still some big chunks, but as water with more organic things like silt starts to flow through the clay chunks, they go from red to brown and break down quickly.   Thursday, March 9 View Page had the 927 SQ and the new ones I started in the oven instead of the hoop house. The light heats everything up, and as far as I'm concerned I'm not the one paying the electricity bill!   Thursday, March 9 View Page Planted the 927 outside today. It's in that tin grow bed, when I was saying limited space and cost I meant it! Because of my budget, I cannot add a heating cable, and it's going to get down to the 40's tonight, the 30's on the weekend, and the 20's on Monday night! Hope the kids do not pull it out :/. Sadly it started legging since I don't have a grow light. I don't even know if I will be able to get a grow light this year. If anyone is willing to lend me a grow light by shipping it or something, or someone in NC wants to let my plants grow under theirs, I can trade you some seeds for being able to borrow your grow light. If you are interested in grow light lending for seeds, you can shoot me an email at rosenthaljonah25@gmail.com (may as well try!!)   Thursday, March 9 View Page Anyone wanna come to Belgium next year with me for the GPC Convention? Reed said probably not :(   Thursday, March 16 View Page Am I the only person from the South who is thinking of bringing a pumpkin to California? Talked to some people, and they think I'm crazy! lol. Yes, I do plan to bring something to California! Maybe if I can't bring a pumpkin I can bring something like a tomato! Do they even allow tomatoes on planes? Couldn't I just put it in my baggage? Is that illegal? The only reason I may not be able to bring a pumpkin is because the kids in the school I'm growing it in may want it to stay.   Thursday, March 16 View Page I've made final choices for pumpkin seeds (for now)! I'll be growing two, one 1875 Mendi, and a 2007 Urena   Saturday, March 18 View Page Lots has happened... First: Something happened to the 927 SQ! But it's not too good :(. When my dad was playing with the dog, he accidentally through her ball right at the 927 SQ! Thankfully, the ball didn't knock the main stump off, but it hit a cott that had to be amputated. Thankfully, it has sort of "scabbed" up and there is no oozing. Second: I went to the patch today to check everything out, and the tree above it has actually started to drop the green stems of flowers that where not pollinated! I see this as a good thing, since if it's green, it means nitrogen! And: My dad agreed to take me to the Southern Growers Meeting next weekend! I hope that some cool guys like Rodebaugh and maybe Bayuk are there. I've been waaaaiting to meet some growers in person! The only grower I have actually talked to in person was Brandon Huber at the NC State Fair, we had a nice conversation and I learned a lot. Also: I have not gotten soil tests in yet, but plan to soon. I've also decided to grow only one plant in my patch (1875 Mendi for now) And Finally: This is part of the reason I am only growing one... Recently, Sankalp challenged me and Reed to sort of a "mini pumpkin wars". The rules go by, biggest pumpkin in the end wins, and I'm pretty sure DMG does not count. And the catch! The losers need to buy the winner a seed of their choice (yes, any seed)!   Saturday, March 18 View Page Seems like season 2 of Pumpkin Wars has started. I'll put in my bet now and say Team Rodebaugh! I saw ruby in person, and she was prrreaty! And I will be doing sort of a "mini pumpkin wars" (inspired from original) with a couple of other people that I will explain in the next post I put out...   Wednesday, April 19 View Page I have finally made official seed choices. It has also been a while since I have uploaded, so here are some updates... First, don't know if I have already stated, bit the 927 SQ that my dad sniped by accident with the dogs ball died... may we have a moment of silence RIP. Second, the remaining 1643 New I had for the budget challenge also died because it was too leggy (bruh, it is a budget challenge, I can not use a grow light!) Once again, RIP Third, I have decided to start seeds on/around the 20th. And Finally, I still have not gotten my soil test out yet, because I am busy (or I am just lazy)! And the seed choices are....... 1875 Mendi and what I will call "the mystery 1885 Progeny", or "Seed X", or "____ ____", if you have not gotten it by now, it is a mystery! But some pumpkin nerds (I think we are all nerds by now) may find out just by looking at it in the coming photos... lol.   Friday, April 21 View Page Startin the seeeeds. From left to right: 1642 Skinner, 1875 Mendi, 2175 Urena, and "the mystery 1885 progeny" (mystery seed). the 1875 and "mystery 1885 progeny" are gonna be my main seeds, 1642 and 2175 are backups.   Friday, April 21 View Page Mystery seed looked very small at first, but when looking at others from the same pumpkin, they all seem to be very small. Almost looks like a home depot seed! But it has much, MUCH more potential than a home depot seed...   Saturday, April 22 View Page Started some squash today, really trying to get as much out of the 800 sf and surrounding area as I can. The ones I started are below 2030 Tobeck 1997 Tobeck 1935 Jutras 1838 Jutras 1701 Jutras I have some space around the main 800sf patch that I will be able to put these in...   Monday, April 24 View Page Grow light I ordered from Amazon was supposed to come yesterday. It is still not here. I decided to just cancel it and get it with shipping that will bring it tomorrow. Since Amazon screwed me over and I have nothing to do, I decided to make my own with a flashlight! Work smarter, not harder! 2 of them have already germinated (in top right, the mystery seed, and in bottom left 1642 Skinner).   Thursday, April 27 View Page Update on seeds! So far germinated: 1875 Mendi, 1642 Skinner, "mystery 1885 progeny", 1701 Jutras SQ, 1935 Jutras SQ, and 1838 Jutras SQ. So far not germinated: 2030 Tobeck SQ Not germinating anytime soon (dead): 1997 Tobeck, 2175 Urena I really hope that that 2030 will germinate in a day or two, maybe it is just a late riser? That is one of the squash I am most excited to grow. The light finally came! Despite this, the "mystery seed" and 1642 Skinner got a little leggy. "mystery seed" also came up deformed with only one cott, but seems to be fine. I planted them in plastic cups lol (which Sankalp thinks is not a good idea for such valuable seeds). But just so you know Sankalp, I will be waiting for the seed you owe me at the end of the season when I grow the biggest pumpkin out of us two!   Thursday, June 8 View Page Lots of updates. With 7th grade ending tomorrow, I will have a lot more time on my hands. Plants are good, 1875 is a little slow, but getting better. 1701 SQ, 1838 SQ confirmed green. Planning to pollinate 1642 8 ft off main vine, and 1838 about 5 feet off main vine (keep note, these are side plants and I do not intend to grow them more than a couple feet long). Also, the kids in the school I am growing in are now convinced there will be a giant. And, for some reason whenever my plants produce secondaries they just shrivel up and die! Does anyone know what this could be? If so PLESE email me. I think it may be because every time I have a new one I always pick off all the male flowers from the tip.