Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 39 Entries. Thursday, January 31 View Page Keeping it orange since 2005. This season I have the best soil and best seeds I’ve ever had to work with so here goes. Main addition this year was 10 yards of mixed chicken manure and some corn feed. The theory is to jack the Nitrogen and get the worms and soil microbes working. Thursday, April 10 View Page Its been wet and this was my first chance to till in the poultry manure I spread months ago. After the first till you can still see light colored chunks of chicken crap. I have finalized my seed selection: 603.5 Muller, 670 Daigle, 772 Poirier, 840 Hester, 443 Gerhardt, 502 Gerhardt. It's been a long but happy winter. Good luck to all orange growers out there. Saturday, May 17 View Page This is my 502 pic taken last weekend, planted in the patch May 11. The plant is doing well since transplant. The 603.5, 772, 670, and 434 are doing well. I started late and hope that it works out as I'm betting on the theory that plants that are planted later in the season will catch up due to more ideal growing conditions. Sunday, May 18 View Page I just checked my 2007 diary and I am at least 1 week behind last year which is good. The weather in eastern PA has been really cold and wet lately. Left to right are the 772 Poirier, 603.5 Muller, 670 Daigle, and 434 Gerhardt. The 772 cots look really crappy and it has yet to begin its first true leaf. The 840 Hester and then unfortunately the 869.5 Calai failed to germinate. I have resolved to only planting 5 instead of 6 plants, with the additional space allocated to my growing obsession with habanara pepper varieties. I have maybe 10 habanara types which I will likely outline in another diary post sometime. I am also toying with starting a giant watermelon. I don't know if its too late for that or not. I will probably plant the pumpkins next weekend, after it warms up a bit. Right now the plants go out in the sun during the day, and come in at night. I guess I'll start another round of backups too- probably unproven seeds. Sunday, June 22 View Page Its been a while since I updated. I'm back online here is the 670 Daigle. all plants received ~ 3 pounds of blood meal two weeks ago. Sunday, June 22 View Page My 502 is doing quite well. Maybe a July 4 pollination but probably not. I want huge plants before pollinating. Side note- I have females everywhere, too early though. I am buring leaf nodes for the first time ever. Monday, June 23 View Page 603 Muller what a great plant. The main busted on the 434 so I had to go with a side vine. Not good will have to rethink the whole plan. It won't be the first time! Monday, June 23 View Page The 772 turned out to be a mutant, as you can see. I had to pull it. :( Monday, June 23 View Page I have taken my tomatoes and habanera pepper obsession to a whole new level. Monday, June 30 View Page 603 Muller as of yesterday June 29. Monday, June 30 View Page 502 Gerhardt yesterday June 29. Patch notes: I gave Merit to all of the plants last week for the first time. I figured what is the point putting it down at seedling stage. The main thing for me is to defeat the squash vine borer so this plus a high concentration of triazicide is my solution. 70 day residual on the merit should ensure me freedom from the dreaded svb. This plant is ~200 sq. feet now still waiting to pollinate. Monday, June 30 View Page 434 Gerhardt plant on June 29 Monday, June 30 View Page 670 Daigle plant on June 29. My plants have a prolific amount of females on the vines. Many have been passed up so far but I am going to pollinate the 670 tomorrow July 1 with 3 603 Muller flowers at about 10 feet out. Consider it an insurance policy. The plan remains to delay pollination until the plants are much larger in general. All plants are in perfect health thus far. Monday, June 30 View Page 502 backup brought in to replace the 772 Poirier that turned mutant. The runt of the pack has big dreams of making me a famous orange breeder. Fingers crossed. Tuesday, July 1 View Page I pollinated the 670 Daigle with 3 x 603.5 Muller males about 10ft out today. I want bigger plants but I am going away for a few days so this is early insurance. It was 5 lobes. Monday, July 7 View Page I pollinated the 502 on Wed. July 2 with the 670 Daigle. 5 lobes. This pic was taken July 6. Monday, July 7 View Page I pollinated the 670 today again with the 603.5 Muller. I installed drip hoses for all of the plants last Thursday and its been a big help. Monday, July 7 View Page I will pollinate the 434 tomorrow July 8 with the 670 Daigle. Monday, July 7 View Page The 603.5 Muller as of yesterday still awaits pollination. Monday, July 7 View Page This 502 was brought in to replace the 772 Poirier which was a mutant. Monday, July 14 View Page 603.5 Muller on July 13. Monday, July 14 View Page 502 on July 13 Monday, July 14 View Page 434 Plant on July 13. Missy helped out with the vine pruning :) Monday, July 14 View Page The 670 has run out of room. July 13. Tuesday, July 22 View Page It is amazing that this horrible looking pumpkin is growing off of the 670 Daigle plant. This pic was taken on July 20(day 12). It is now July 22 day 14 and it measures 50" cc. I guess I'm growing this one for weight only. Tuesday, July 22 View Page My patch is pretty much at capacity, which is something I wasn't able to acheive last year. I hope that the theory to grow larger plants pays off. The bad update is that the 502#1 plant keeps aborting fruit and my 434 also has yet to set. Tuesday, July 22 View Page This pic of the 603 main fruit was taken on July 20. I missed the day 10 measurement but today @ day 11 it measured an astounding 36" cc. I also have an open pollinated pumpkin on this plant that is 36" and has a very similar shape. Monday, July 28 View Page 670x603, day 20. 73" cc Monday, July 28 View Page one of two pumpkins on the 603.5 plant. Both 60" cc day 17. Color looks good already. Wednesday, August 6 View Page Pumpkin on the 603 Muller is day 26: 89-62-61 = 211 lbs. 670 Daigle day 29 is 100-61-65 = 252 lbs. 502 Gerhardt looks horrible 85-52-47 = 142 lbs. 434 Gerhardt # 1 is 79-47-52 = 130 lbs. 434 Gerhardt #2 is 69-46-49 = 104 lbs. Been slow going this year but have been fertilizing weekly for two weeks and also added 2 bags of epsom salts hopefully I will continue to grow through out the month and at least hit a PB. Saturday, August 16 View Page each time I tape my 670 I can't believe that it isn't bigger cause it sure looks heavy. But the measurements are 113-73-69 blah. 357 lbs. I lost the 502 plant and my 603 looks to be dead in the water at 95 cc. Saturday, August 16 View Page My 434 is 92 inches cc and has a huge carving face. Saturday, August 16 View Page My other 434 is 90 inches cc and is making good gains. Other than several younger open pol pumpkins that I sell for $50 each that is about it. Monday, September 1 View Page My 434 is delivering a very nice looking pumpkin on only 200 sq feet. It is somewhere between 300 and 350 lbs. All of my plants are pretty crispy and nearing their end. Monday, September 1 View Page My 670 finally broke 120cc. Sunday, October 5 View Page Here's me and my neice Kaitlyn with what I suppose is my biggest, grown on the 670 Daigle. I haven't measured any of the pumpkins in a while because it just makes me irritated lol. Sunday, October 5 View Page Here's Missy and me with the 434. Second year in a row this seed gave me just what I hoped for. We'll see you all at Longwood Gardens next week. As for now, go Phillies! Sunday, October 19 View Page 492.5 lbs 10th place at Longwood Gardens Sunday, October 19 View Page 382 lbs Howard Dill award winner at Longwood Gardens