Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 112 Entries. Saturday, February 29 View Page Enjoying company with friends at the GPC Growers convention at Las Vegas.   Saturday, February 29 View Page So many people to see and talk to in Vegas. Cindy, Alex, me and The Wiz. Good times   Saturday, February 29 View Page Our Night in Pink! was well attended by everyone. Here with Chris Brown...All lit up for the casual Growers meeting. Got a lot of great growing idea's tonight.   Saturday, February 29 View Page Here is the missing picture of Cindy, Alex, me and The Wiz. at Vegas   Sunday, March 15 View Page I'm starting to haul in loads of Leaf Compost for 2020. The amount shown (2.5 cubic yards) is for 1 plant (900 sq ft per plant). 5 more loads to go. I hope my little car doesn't break. The compost is heavy and wet.   Friday, March 20 View Page Starting to haul out my 7ft wide a 10ft long Green houses.   Wednesday, March 25 View Page Been digging out the planting holes this week and spreading ammenments, like fish, Kelp, Origin, 0-0-50, humic acid. epsom salts, k-Mag, Born, etc, compost etc. Loading up now to get it in the soil   Thursday, April 2 View Page We got 1.5 inches of rain last night, and the roof runoff from that rain gave us about 600 gallons of free water for the Pumpkin patch. The price is right.   Sunday, April 5 View Page This is my 150 Square Foot contest plot. Its 6ft wide x 25 ft long   Sunday, April 5 View Page Here is the photo of my 150 sq ft plot   Saturday, April 18 View Page Nice warm day in Sharon Soil getting warmed up in the pumpkin patch under the greenhouses and the forsythia's are in bloom   Saturday, April 18 View Page A beautiful day in the pumpkin patch. Soil is warming under the greenhouses and the forsythia's are in bloom Must be Spring. Or is it winter?   Saturday, April 18 View Page Lots of seedlings are up. Planted on April 13th. All came up on April 16th.   Thursday, April 23 View Page My pumpkin plants are ready for the big transplant to the garden. But its way too cold right now.   Thursday, April 23 View Page My plants look like they are ready to go outside into the heated greenhouses.   Sunday, April 26 View Page My plants are doing OK, in the mini Quonset huts. We use a 100Watt ceramic heater coil and some grow lights. 43F outside 65F inside the covered hut   Saturday, May 2 View Page Mid 60's outside. And I cracked open the Hoop Houses to let in the warmth and sun. Plants are growing now. Finally can turn off the heaters on these nice days and save a little $$ on our electric bill.   Saturday, May 2 View Page Bushel gourds are up. Thanks Mike F. and Bill S.   Friday, May 8 View Page My 1464 Brown, for the 150 Square Foot contest is getting ready to vine out and run. Looks healthy. The genetics in this line seem to indicate this plant should grow a very orange pumpkin.   Saturday, May 9 View Page My 2469 Daletas plant is out growing its Quonset Hut. But 2 more nights in the 30's coming up, so I got to keep the hut up to support the cover that I drape over the plants each night.   Sunday, May 10 View Page My 320.5 Bushel Gourds are growing at a nice pace in their pots. Still too cold for the big move outside. Will transplant them in a few days.   Thursday, May 14 View Page My 2294 NOEL is giving me a hard time. Its a strong plant and wants to send its main vine to the right. I want it to grow straight. With Bamboo and small shoves every night, I should get the Main to cooperate with me and grow straight down the green house.   Thursday, May 14 View Page My 1464 Brown is my largest plant, and its growing in the correct direction. Touchdown expected in a day or two.   Sunday, May 17 View Page Planted some of my 320 Bushel Gourds today.   Sunday, May 17 View Page Took me 5 days to slowly nudge the 2469 in the direction I wanted her to run. Now I can start burying the vines.   Sunday, May 17 View Page Took me 5 days to slowly nudge the main on the 2469 Daletas in the direction I wanted her to run. Now I can start burying the vines.   Sunday, May 17 View Page I already slowly nudged the main on my 2294.5 NOEL (60 degrees) to get it growing in the direction I want. I hope just a couple more day of vine moves with the bamboo stakes, and I'll be all set. Then I can start burying the vines on this plant too.   Friday, May 22 View Page Just a few more days and the plants will outgrow the 10 ft greenhouses   Sunday, May 24 View Page My 1464 Brown plant has broken through the end of the 10ft long greenhouse. Time to find the find break fence.   Monday, May 25 View Page All the pumpkin plants have 10 ft mains, and 20 ft to go. This is the 2294 NOEL. Green houses are coming down shortly. and up go the wind break fences.   Wednesday, May 27 View Page My entry for the 150 sq ft contest is the 1464 Brown, and its starting to run in its 6 ft x 25 ft patch.   Sunday, May 31 View Page Windy day today just chewed up my plants. This is the 2469 Daletas. The Main vine is putting on about 8-10 inches a day   Sunday, May 31 View Page I have 3 Bushel Gourds this year. They are starting to vine out. Cool windy day today so I just put the greenhouse on. They just look worn out. and went from a lush green to a pale color. Gonna be in the low 40's tonight so I'll turn on the heaters again.   Sunday, May 31 View Page My 150 sg Ft entry (1464 Brown) has filled about 1/4 of its allotted area. Its hard to trim off so much foliage, to keep the plant inside the wood outline.   Monday, June 1 View Page Got the Squash Vine Borer Phermone traps up. Its that time of the year when the bugs show up for dinner   Saturday, June 6 View Page pollinate the 2294 Nel with the 2528 Geddes. practice   Thursday, June 11 View Page Pumpkins are starting to get pollinated on the 2528 Geddes. 3 set now, and each are crossed with the 2469 Daletas. The one on the left is 15 ft out. "S" curve is in the vine already   Friday, June 12 View Page 4 Pumpkins and 2 Bushel Gourds. Thats enough to keep me busy.   Sunday, June 14 View Page Not much to look at yet, but my Bushel Gourds are starting to run. This is my 320. Main Vine is about 7 ft.   Sunday, June 21 View Page My Pumpkin Ghetto of shade! Its 95F and today is the summer solstice. UV level is off the charts. Leaves getting burnt. Been misting all day too..... Hopefully the Leaf damage is not too bad.   Monday, June 22 View Page Look who showed up for breakfast this morning. I think that's peanut butter and apples stuck in his teeth.   Wednesday, June 24 View Page Finally got all 4 pumpkins onto Mill cloths with sand. I hate this part of the process, since so much plant and roots get removed to make the opening for the pumpkin to grow.   Thursday, June 25 View Page My 150 Contest entry has just about filled its 6ft x 25 ft allotted space. This year I'm growing a 1464 x 1464 Brown cross.   Thursday, June 25 View Page Here is my 150 sq ft contest entry from the other side. I have a few pumpkins set on this 1464 Brown Plant at 16 ft out on the main. They should be very orange based on the genetics   Sunday, June 28 View Page My Bushel Gourd is really starting to grow now. Main is about 13 ft out. Culling off a fruit until the main vine is about 19-20 ft.   Sunday, June 28 View Page Looks like my 1464 x 1464 Brown cross for the 150 sq ft contest will be a long pumpkin. Set at 15 ft. Shown 10 DAP.   Sunday, June 28 View Page My 2469 Daletas x 2528 Geddes has a nice football shape. Set at 17.5 ft out. Shown on 9 DAP. I had to create a path of patio blocks to get it it.   Sunday, June 28 View Page My 2525 x 2528 is settling into its mill cloth home for the next 3 months. Going to be a tall round pumpkin I think. Set at 15 ft out on the main. Shown 16 DAP.   Sunday, June 28 View Page At last.. After a 1 month drought we are getting a deep drenching rain. At least 2 inches. This should get rid of all the dry spots in the soil and everything (including weeds unfortunately) should start to grow at a good pace.   Wednesday, July 1 View Page In the morning of July 1st we got too much water drenching the garden, bringing the last 4 day total to 6.5 inches of rain. Too much!!   Wednesday, July 1 View Page In the afternoon the excessive drenching rains stopped. So far the pumpkins are all holding together. But I feel like something gonna blow open soon.   Sunday, July 5 View Page My pumpkins are starting to grow again. They did nothing during the last 4 days probably because of 6 inches of excess rain. Leaves yellowed a bit from the lack of sun. Growth should resume now that the heat and sun are back.   Sunday, July 5 View Page I think my 2294 Noel x 2528 cross will be a blocky shape. Shown today 20 DAP and its set at 15.5 ft out on the Main.   Sunday, July 5 View Page I love these 14 ft extension shears Steve Daletas told me about. Great for trimming off rogue tertiaries, without walking everywhere in the patch.   Sunday, July 5 View Page Doing some test pollinations at 14 - 15 ft out on my 320 Bushel Gourd plants. Keepers will be at 19-20 ft in a couple weeks   Sunday, July 5 View Page My 150 Sq Ft Contest plant (1464 Brown) has just about filled its allotted space.   Monday, July 6 View Page Darn.... lost my largest pumpkin today (my 2528 x 2528) due to bad shape. I knew one of the lobes was a little off when I pollinated it, and watched this deep groove form in the pumpkin. Split open after a growth spurt following heavy rain.   Thursday, July 9 View Page Sure looks like my 1464 x 1464 Brown pumpkin will be a real deep orange color. Shown 21 DAP.   Friday, July 10 View Page Foggy morning in the patch. Glad I applied the Abound Fungicide a few days ago to prevent mildew. This is the 2469x2528. 22 DAP. 17.5 ft out on the main.   Sunday, July 12 View Page My 320 Connolly Bushel Gourd Plant appears OK. Main Vine is about 22 ft now. Leaves are getting huge and the vines are growing 8" to 18 inches per day. Kinda cool to see this growth phase when the Bushel Gourd is growing faster that the Giant Pumpkins   Sunday, July 12 View Page I set my first BG today (from my 320Connolly) at 19 ft out on a secondary. Still early so it may be a cull. All the fruit on my 320 have a small bottle neck on them similar to their grandfather (The 320 was a 189 Fleming x 384 Terry cross).   Monday, July 13 View Page Growers helping growers. Went over to Mike Flemings today with Brett Rowe, and Bill Sullivan to help Mike get some of his bigger pumpkins onto Mill Cloths. Got it done for all 4 pumpkins. Man that pizza party afterwards was awesome.   Wednesday, July 15 View Page Early Bushel Gourd is hopefully set. 19.5 ft out on side vine. If not set there are more coming... Its early ...   Sunday, July 19 View Page My 150 sq ft entry is growing at a slow place. The 1464 x1464 Brown is getting more orange ranger every day. Taping 382 pounds at 31 DAP.   Tuesday, July 21 View Page My 320 Bushel Gourd was starting to pile drive and go blossom under, so I propped it up on wooden blocks to keep it level. shown 6 DAP.   Friday, July 24 View Page Had to move the 2294x2528 pumpkin 6 inches forward to relieve vine stress.   Saturday, July 25 View Page Starting to measure the Bushel Gourd with a can. Finally grew enough so I could remove it from the blocks.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page I'm experimenting with a 600 sqft Bushel Gourd plant this year, instead of my normal plant size of 400 sq ft. Only problem is it takes forever to fill 600 sq ft., which can slow the BG growth rate. But my 320x320 seems to be entering Rapid Growth inspite of the large plant   Thursday, July 30 View Page My 1464x1464 for the 150 contest is starting to get nice and orange. 1 month to go.   Thursday, July 30 View Page This warm weather is helping my 320x320 Bushel Gourd. In rapid growth now.   Saturday, August 1 View Page Our 320x320 BG cross Bushel Gourd has entered Rapid Growth. Hopefully the neck on this gourd will be absorbed by the fruit, by harvest time   Sunday, August 2 View Page The 2469x2525 has developed quite the innie. She's taping 1100 lbs at 44 DAP   Sunday, August 2 View Page I hit the Mother Load of SVB's in these two leaves in the 150 SqFt Patch. 9 in two leaves must be a world record   Sunday, August 2 View Page Earlier entry for 2469x2528, should of said 44 DAP.   Sunday, August 2 View Page Went over to Ryan Clevelands patch today in Connecticut. He has a nice set up with an insect net over the whole patch. Its bug free inside. And he has a some big ones growing for this time of the year.   Sunday, August 2 View Page Here is the picture I meant to attach to the last post at Ryan Clevelands   Thursday, August 6 View Page I haven't paid too much attention to the 150 sq ft contest entry lately, with fungicides or fert's so plant is tired. But the pumpkin is still there....taping around 650 pounds   Saturday, August 8 View Page So close to full. The 320x320 Bushel Gourd patch is almost full. Took a while to fill 22 ft x 30 ft. Now with almost all the vines terminated the plant will start feeding all its energy to the fruit I hope. I'll start measuring next week.   Saturday, August 15 View Page This 320 Bushel Gourd is darkening up a good shade of Green Skin still smooth. Its almost outgrown its little 4x4x4 ft house. Taping at 240 lbs.   Saturday, August 15 View Page Here is the Bushel Gourd picture I wanted for the previous BG post   Sunday, August 16 View Page My 2294 xx 2528 is taping at 1624 lbs and averaging 20 lbs per day. Lots of old leaf damage but pumpkin is still growing and packing on the pounds   Sunday, August 16 View Page The 2469 x 2528 is chugging along at a 20lbs/day pace and OTT taping at 1420 lbs. Front half of this plant is shot, so very surprised that she is still packing on the pounds   Wednesday, August 19 View Page Got way too cold last night. 55F at 5 am. I had the BG covered to help keep it warm but to help it restart the growth process I am giving it a 1/2 hour sun bath to warm it up a bit. The green color absorbs heat so it gets hot fast in the sun   Thursday, August 20 View Page Good morning Mr Bushel Gourd. These plants loved the July heat. Could use some more warm days and nights up here in the Northeast through all of August...but weather is getting cooler....   Saturday, August 22 View Page Finally caught the thief who has been stealing all the apple and peanut butter bait from my traps meant for woodchuck. I let him go 30 miles away.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Meant to attach this picture of the raccoon   Monday, August 24 View Page I covered the pumpkins just before the hail hit last night. Lot of work but it was worth it. A bunch of leaves have holes in them.   Tuesday, September 1 View Page 10 more days till harvest for my 150SqFt Contest pumpkin harvest for Woodstock Weigh-off. Its the 1464 x 1464 Brown cross.   Tuesday, September 1 View Page Sept 1st and still growing. My 320 Bushel Gourd Plant still looks healthy. The 320x320 BG is still growing at about 8 lbs per day, and being kept under wraps this morning until it warms up a bit . 59F right now. Supposed to get up to 78F this afternoon.   Friday, September 4 View Page Last year. This area of my patch had so many weeds I couldn't see the ground. This year the dense canopy of 600 sq ft of Bushel Gourd leaves blocked the sun from the ground and we got almost zero weeds. Trying to keep the BG dry. Rained or drizzled all day for 6 of the last 8 days   Friday, September 4 View Page I put tents up of the Pumpkins too about 2 weeks ago. weather has been too wet for them.   Saturday, September 5 View Page Had a nice visit at Steve Geddes last week and was not going to publish any pictures of this monster till after the weigh-offs...but unfortunately 7 days later,it was weighed in the patch, since this UOW 2200+ pounder was the victim of rot from a mouse attack, and had to be cut open to get the seeds. The cross of this pumpkin is 1450.6 Fifolt (Uros Fifolt from the great country of Slovenia) X 1542 Urena. The wall thickness was a uniform 12 inches thick all over the pumpkin and it was growing at 18-20 lbs per day on its last day on the vine..   Monday, September 7 View Page Took down the covers and sheets .Woodstock Sept 12th weigh-off cant come soon enough. My 150 sq ft contest entry from the 1464x1464 plant and fruit are old and tired.   Friday, September 11 View Page Off to Woodstock Weigh-off tomorrow with my 150 sq ft contest entry.   Saturday, September 12 View Page Had a great time at the Woodstock Weigh-off at Gene Larivieres home. My 150 SqFt Contest pumpkin weighed 717 lbs.   Sunday, September 13 View Page Congrats on the victory at Woodstock Matt DeBacco! That is a great pumpkin you brought the weighoff.   Tuesday, September 15 View Page My 320 Bushel Gourd is still putting on about 4 lbs per day. Slow and steady. Hopefully she makes it to the finish line as weigh-off season approaches.   Saturday, September 19 View Page Loaded up and ready to go to the Ridgefield, CT Weigh-off tomorrow. This is the 2469 Daletes x 2528 Geddes cross. Its only a 140 mile drive. That should take me 30 minutes. lol.   Monday, September 21 View Page We got frost 3 days in a row. The half of the Bushel Gourd plant under the heated greenhouse stayed warm and that fruit is still growing. The 1/2 of the plant outside the greenhouse suffered minor frost damage.   Friday, September 25 View Page Bushel Gourd is still growing ...very slowly....in the heated greenhouse. Plant look tired. 74 DAP.   Saturday, September 26 View Page Last week we brought our UOW 1482 pumpkin to this Hobbit town Kind of cool with all the other ones   Saturday, September 26 View Page Another angle with our 1482 pounder   Saturday, September 26 View Page Covered this pumpkin with plastic so I could give it one more watering. Hopefully this one is going to Topsfield or Frerichs.   Friday, October 2 View Page All loaded up and off to the Topsfield Weigh-off   Friday, October 2 View Page We made it. Really looking forward to seeing some Pumpkin friends. Will keep my mask on except for one picture   Friday, October 2 View Page Got the official weight of my entry at the Topsfield Weigh-off. Its was 1624.5 pounds. Great to see everyone today.   Wednesday, October 7 View Page Just a few more days before we harvest and weigh the Bushel Gourd. Maybe we will get lucky and she will go heavy.   Friday, October 9 View Page Time to cut the cord on the Bushel Gourd. Weigh-off it tomorrow at Frerichs Farm. The vines were wet...she was still growing   Friday, October 9 View Page OMG. If this weight on my little inline scale is real. I'm gonna have a lot of fun tomorrow at Frerichs Farm Weigh-off.   Friday, October 9 View Page Loaded up. Ready for an early start tomorrow. tothe weigh-off   Saturday, October 10 View Page We were relieved to get the the Official WR 470.5 weight for the Bushel Gourd. at Frerichs Farm today.   Wednesday, November 25 View Page It was a hot one in 2020. Record heat in many parts of the US. Including my area in New England. I wonder how many pumpkins were cooked and went down from the Record High Heat. Two of mine just stopped growing in August . We unfortunately get full sun in the patch from 7:30 am to 9pm, in the middle of the summer. Bushel Gourd did fine. Yes it was shaded by me, But the BG's like the radiant quenching heat.