Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 66 Entries. Saturday, March 1 View Page This year I decide to try Cow Pots to start my plants. I'm doing 2 experiments. The first is to see if they make it easier to extract while planting without damaging any roots. Here are 2 pictures of my results. I think the cowpots were a success. There were no damaged roots and the soil was easily extracted without falling apart. Saturday, March 1 View Page Here is a picture of how I cut the pot before extracting the plant. In my second experiment I am going to try to grow out the plant and see if the roots can break through the sides of the pot without creating a root bound condition. The cowpots became nice and soft after 1 week outside soil conditions. In the second experiment I will plant the whole pot and see if the pot breaks down quickly and the roots spread out normally. Saturday, March 1 View Page Oops! This is the right picture. Friday, April 4 View Page I did the second experiment with cowpots. I planted the cowpot into a larger container and left it for 2 weeks. The root growth was awesome but...the pot had not broken down totally. I will be using the cowpots for germination but...removing them before transplanting. I believe that AG's root systems grow more quickly than normal vegetables and that it wouldn't be reasonable for the pots to breakdown in just a week or so. The nice thing is that the plants are easily removed from the pot without any root damage. Mark Sunday, April 20 View Page I've been procrastinating when I wanted to start my seeds this year so......I counted back 2 days for the baggie...3 -4 days for the germination....7 days for 1st true leaf= @ 13 days. May 3rd plant in patch. So I started seeds today. (1)1450 Wallace, (1)998 Pukos. (2) 1010 Frantz, (3) 769 Lombardi,(1) 694 Hampton, (1) 1445 Marsh . Started 9 seed will plant 3. The rest will have a home...there are a coiuple of growers local that asked me for plants so they will get what I don't plant. No matter what I like all of these seeds. Mark Thursday, April 24 View Page 9 out of 10 are up. They are a little curled but they look good. I'm so pumped!!!! I'll give them @ 5 days and transplant May 1st. Mark Thursday, April 24 View Page Mistake 8 out of 9. Saturday, April 26 View Page I posted about having some curly cots..I was told to immediately take them off the germination mat and give them some natural sunlight...it seems to be working...most of them were all gnarled up at the start yesterday, but are now returning to somewhat normal looking Saturday, April 26 View Page Overhead view....the 1450 Wallace is still pretty curled up but...I can easily see the 1st true leaf developing so I don't think it will cause any problems. Thursday, May 1 View Page Lower Patch: 25ft x 25ft I'm Planting 2 plants and will pull one. 1445 Marsh and 1450 Wallace. Thursday, May 1 View Page Upper Patch. I grew my 769 here and have expanded it to accomodate 2 plants. I'm double planting the 2 sites. Site 1: 1010 Frantz and 998 Pukos, Site 2: 2 - 769 Lombardi's Thursday, May 1 View Page 1010 Frantz and 998 Pukos (back to front) . Thursday, May 1 View Page My 2- 769 Lombardi's Thursday, May 1 View Page Lower Patch: 1445 Marsh (left) 1450 Wallace (Right) I know the 1450 looks way behind but it had some bad cot's and has shown a lot of life the last 2 days. if the 1450 Wallace doesn't kick in THE 1445 MARSH IS AN ANIMAL so no loss! Thursday, May 1 View Page 1445 Marsh....Germinated Thursday 4/24 I think someone is going to grow a monster from this seed. Thursday, May 1 View Page 1450 Wallace- Curly Cots slowed this one down but everything is kicking in now..I expect her to really move in the next week. As ugly as she is there are no major problems and as long as the true leaves develop normally I have HUGE faith in this one! Thursday, May 1 View Page I found these puzzles and Ray and I are going to offer them on Seed Outlet. 500 piece puzzle...kinda cool. I'm going to frame it and put it on the wall Thursday, May 1 View Page Sorry Wrong Picture!! Here is the right one! Thursday, May 1 View Page Also ....for guys who messed up their leaves removing the seed coat...Here is one of my 769 Lombardi that I tore off 75% off both Cot leaves removing the seed coat.. Full recovery. Mark Tuesday, May 6 View Page This is the upper patch. Left side : 998 Pukos and 1010 Frantz. Right side: 769 Lombardi (2 plants). I'll pull 2 of them in a few weeks when I am sure they are alright. Most likely will end up being 998 Pukos and 769 Lombardi Tuesday, May 6 View Page This is the lower patch. 1445 Marsh on the left, 1450 Wallace on the right. I'll pull one in a few weeks. Tuesday, May 6 View Page Started a bunch of my last years seeds to give away. (4) 523 Lombardi (1250 Kline x Self) and (6) 769 Lombardi (1273 Howard x Self). Also started 2 seeds from 06 (1081 Leonzi x 500 Beauchemin) Tuesday, May 13 View Page Of the 10 plants I started for friends and family....7 club roots. Really weird because they were seeds I'd test germinated at least 10 times before and never had one go club root.I'm figuring I did something different with the environment that must have caused it. I started 5 more and they are all normal...go figure. Check out this picture of one of the club roots...I don't know what you call this one? Friday, June 13 View Page 998 Pukos...out 7 ft..so far so good! Friday, June 13 View Page 1450 Wallace...5 ft. slow start but picking up speed quick! Friday, June 13 View Page 769 Lombardi...7ft...high hopes...nice and aggressive! Friday, June 13 View Page 998..left side....769 ....right side....I'm very happy with the choice of seeds so far this year. 1st female appeared on the 998 at 6 ft ...picked her off ... My strategy this year is to wait until at least 12 ft and give the plants a chance to fill out, also it would be nice to have 2-3 to choose from by July 8th. Mark Sunday, June 22 View Page 1450 Wallace...Starting to get going..first female appeared..still on line for an early July pollination. Sunday, June 22 View Page 998 Pukos...great plant..2 females have appeared..should be able to get 2 pollinations before July 1st. Will terminate 1st secondaries tomorrow at 10 ft. Sunday, June 22 View Page 769 Lombardi..Also doing well. 1st female appeared 2 days ago..I have high hopes for a nice Orange one off of this one. Friday, July 4 View Page 998 Pukos Plant. I have one pollinated at 17 ft (998 x 1450 Wallace) The birds have been nicking up a lot of the females ...even though I cover them with a laundry basket they find a way in. For some reason I'm having a lot of trouble pollinating so. Hope this one takes...I have another female that will open @ Tuesday next week. Friday, July 4 View Page 769 Lombardi Plant. Very happy with this one. I have 2 pollinated (769 x 998 Pukos). So far the fruit have the same shape and early color as last years. I've got my fingers crossed on this one..could be my sleeper. Friday, July 4 View Page 1450 Wallace Plant..I let the secondaries grow out 14 ft. The plant is a lot thinner with secondary growth than my others...I attribute this to the lack of sun. This plant doesn't see the sun untill 11:30 Am. I pollinated one yetsterday at 17 ft (1450 x 998 Pukos). I'll have another pollination in about 5 days. Need this one to fill in some. Monday, July 14 View Page 769 Lombardi x 998 Pukos...CULL..This was tough to do ..it was day 16 and was starting to ramp up...but day 10 on this fruit was 23"..the keeper is 28 " at day 10 and has a better stem and even better shape.the keeper is the next photo. Monday, July 14 View Page 769 Lombardi x 998 Pukos..Day 10 ..28"..excellent position, shape and 6 " stem. This is the keeper. I've reached the limits of the patch and have terminated just about everything. There will be no more pollinations on the 769. Time to watch it grow! Monday, July 14 View Page Here is the 769 Lombardi x 998 Pukos..Keeper..Day 10.. 28" circ..18 ft out on the main vine..excellent position, shape and a 6" stem. Time to watch them grow!! Thursday, July 17 View Page 998 Pukos and 769 Lombardi are down to the chosen ones. I made final vine adjustments...put sand and mill fabric under them. I've changed my schedule for measuring this year...every 7 days...I have a habit of nicking fruit so less measuring means less damage. I also think it will yeild better information because it will avreage out the gains for the week. Mark Saturday, July 19 View Page Two nights ago was talking with a fellow grower on the phone and saw a woodchuck cruise across the yard to his /her hole. Yesterday I got it using my Havahart trap. I left the trap out yesterday and today and have seen none. Cross my fingers it was a year 1 offspring just leaving the family group to establish it's own area. I hate woodchucks!!! Friday, July 25 View Page All plants are now down to 1 pumpkin. I made all my final position adjustments today...they are getting to that size where I may not be able to safely move in a week. I sure am glad I took the time to set up the vines early to creat a nice V-Shape away from the shoulders. It's amazing how much room is created between the vine and shoulders by an inch or 2 of repositioning. Monday, July 28 View Page 769 Lombardi Day 24...227 OTT...255 lbs. I really glad I planted this seed. The original was grown in only 200 sq ft and never went over 16 lbs a day. This one has 400 sq ft and is doing 23 lbs a day and still gaining. Hope she has the same color as the original...so far looks like it will. Way too much rain the past week..looking for some improvement this week. Monday, July 28 View Page The cross is 769 Lombardi x 998 Pukos. Monday, August 4 View Page 769 Lombardi..Day 30..124-78-77=279 OTT 462 lbs So far so good. The stem area is showing a red-orange color..could be really dark orange Monday, August 4 View Page 769 Lombardi..Front view..Blossom end has stayed the same ..I was afraid she was going to grow over the front but she has just kept pushing forward Monday, August 4 View Page 769 Lombardi stem side..plent of room..blocky fruit. Saturday, August 9 View Page Had to harvest the 1450 Wallace today..Big Disappointment...First time I ever had a true abort over 300 lbs. She stopped growing 2 weeks ago....2 days ago white spots under the skin ..this morning the white had spread considerably...so.. it was time to pick and see if the seeds were any good..Good news was that it had fully mature seeds. I weighed the pieces and she is now the 320 UOW Lombardi (1450 Wallace x 998 Pukos.) Sunday, August 10 View Page This is my son and daughter standing in front of my Craven Sunflowers...15 ft tall..pretty cool Sunday, August 10 View Page This was my 1450 Wallace pumpkin. Stopped growing @ 275 lbs 2 weeks ago. Over the last few days white spots started to develop under the skin, so I harvested the fruit hoping the seeds would be mature. To my surprise they were perfect. I weighed the pieces on my scale.... 320 UOW Lombardi (1450 Wallace x 998 Pukos)...Good seed count also. Monday, August 11 View Page 769 Lombardi..Day 38..140-85-85= 310 629 lbs. Monday, August 11 View Page 769 Lombardi...Front view. If it rains anymore my pumpkins are going to float out of the patch. Here in CT we need a nice dry week to let the plants recuperate Monday, August 18 View Page 769 Lombardi...150-92-91=333 OTT 777 lbs. So far so good. This fruit just passed my PB from last year...769 Lb Monday, August 18 View Page 769 Lombardi...still growing at a good pace also..looks like we are going to get a good stretch of weather..after the last 3 weeks of rain, hail and wind it is a sight for sore eyes. Saturday, August 30 View Page Rigging the chain on the tripod for my friend Paul Marino's Pumpkin. Saturday, August 30 View Page It's off the ground ...... Saturday, August 30 View Page Safely home for the trip to the Goshen Fair...It weighed 544.6 lbs..Paul is a second year grower with lot's of room to grow...watch out ...he's my fishing partner and loves to beat me at everything!!!Mark Saturday, September 6 View Page Pumpkins all tucked in for Tropical Storm Hanna. Supposed to get 3-5 inches of rain and winds up to 50 mph. Fingers crossed...I think they are pretty well protected..just worried about post rain splits. Hope all goes well for all the other Northeast growers. Monday, September 15 View Page 769 Lombardi...Stem End..No problems so far..Still doing 6lbs a day Monday, September 15 View Page 769 Lombardi 166-104-102= 372" Color just keeps getting better every week. Wednesday, September 24 View Page This is my 998 Pukos x 1450 Wallace. Going to the Durham Fair tonight Wednesday, September 24 View Page Durham Fair...now known as the 1246 Lombardi...6 % heavy Sunday, September 28 View Page CTGSPGA weigh off at Stew Leonards.....I came in 2nd place at 1157 lbs.....(769 Lombardi x 998 Pukos)....Howard Dill Site Award The weigh off was awesome...congrats to everyone who was there..It was a great event Sunday, September 28 View Page CTGSPGA weigh off at Stew Leonards....Top 3 Pumpkins... 1st place-Mark Breznick...2nd Place Mark Lombardi...3rd Place Jason Traylor. Sunday, September 28 View Page The Best part of the day...getting home and taking pictures with the kids!!! So another season ends and the offseason preparations begin. Tuesday, September 30 View Page Durham Fair...1246 Lombardi (998 Pukos x 1450 Wallace) 11% heavy. Sunday, October 5 View Page 1246 Lombardi...11% heavy...Side view..Went looking for seeds today...???? Sunday, October 5 View Page Another view of the 1246 Lombardi...Stem end was 17" thick..BAD NEWS...only 20 viable seeds...Maybe!!! Even the good ones are not fully developed..Big Disappointment..I was hoping for a lot of seeds. I am puzzled how a 90 + day old fruit could have such immature seeds... Sunday, October 5 View Page Fun Picture..Kids climbing all over 1157 and 1246..I could not have ever expected to have such a season and have to thank all the growers who have helped me the last 5 years. A little new knowledge every year and grower generosity (Ray) has made this year memorable.