Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 39 Entries. Wednesday, June 1 View Page Yes.....Nana Rea is still at it! And glad to say, with a much better start than last year! After a shaky water test, I will be adjusting the pH. Also will be using a PPM & EC meter to help control the foliar sprays and nutrient drenches. Hoping you are on your way to a PB!   Wednesday, June 1 View Page 1885 Werner under a shade cloth tent for our 3 hot days! Might not get a 5 star rating, but it gets the job done!   Wednesday, June 1 View Page Tent city for this year's 4 plants. Field pumpkins in the background.   Wednesday, June 1 View Page This 2350 Gienger photo was taken a few days ago. It is 1 of 3 2350's. 2 backups had been spoken for, but fell through. Sooo......I planted them! Now I have 4 plants instead of my planned 2!   Monday, June 20 View Page 1885 Werner is a nice plant with the first pollination 22' on the main vine, by a 2350 Gienger. Fingers crossed!!   Monday, June 20 View Page This 2350 Gienger is another great plant - can't see the right 1/2 from this angle. Leaves are smaller and leaf stalks are shorter than the 1885. There are 2 pollinations on this plant. 1st one is 9 days old, 17' on main vine and looking good! A 2nd 2350 is 2 weeks behind this one. A 3rd one was struggling and got pulled. All in all, this season is much better than last year!!!   Thursday, June 23 View Page This is "Tiger Lily" on the 2350 Gienger. She had 5 lobes and is sitting 17' on the main vine.............12 days old and ready to roar!!   Wednesday, July 6 View Page Today Tiger Lily is 25 days. From day 20 to 25 she averaged 29 lbs./day, for an estimated weight of 295 lbs. Nice goin' Lily!   Thursday, July 7 View Page 1885 baby, sitting quietly, waiting to grow. "They" say.......Grow your plant as big as possible before pollination. Sooooo, here's her plant.......   Thursday, July 7 View Page 35' across with 32 side vines before the fruit. It seems that correcting the water pH, which really brought down the bicarbonates, and monitoring the EC of feeding products has been effective. Hopefully, I've helped those wonderful Werner genetics do their thing! NOW - let it grow this baby pumpkin!!   Monday, July 11 View Page My second 2350 Gienger plant has been a bit of a REBEL! - Not behaving nicely like her sister plant. Heavy upright main vine snapped at 12'.........pollinated pumpkin looked like a hotdog.........then turned up with a stem split. The leaves are extremely heat and sun sensitive........scorched every hot day. Then with a couple 93 degree days, about 3' of every secondary vine burned up. This photo was a few days after the burned leaves were cut off. This is a lesson for new growers to never give up!!   Monday, July 11 View Page I took it on as a challenge. Waited a few days, then cut off all burned leaves. Waited a few more days and tertiaries began to emerge.......pulled them forward to replace the secondaries. This photo is one week later.   Monday, July 11 View Page Here is the pumpkin.......day 10. Rounding out nicely.......shiny as glass. And named Tiger Rebel!   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 2350 Gienger - "Tiger Lily" - at 35 days and 642 lbs.   Tuesday, July 19 View Page 1885 Werner - "Daisy" - at 20 days and 138 lbs.   Thursday, July 28 View Page Update on "Tiger Rebel" - She continued to rebel and split on the blossom end. The plant has grown and filled its space, but the leaves continued to scorch. Two little pumpkins have started on secondaries. Since they were slow to come to the party they have been named "Dilly" and "Dally"!   Thursday, July 28 View Page 2350 Gienger - "Tiger Lily" - Ferocious as a tiger but pretty as a flower. 45 days old - 963 lbs. - averaging 31.8 lbs./day   Thursday, July 28 View Page One of my favorite flowers is a Crazy Daisy. Soft and pretty as a daisy, but with a little extra zip! This 1885 plant has some crazy power in it. "Crazy Daisy" is 30 days old - 518 lbs. - averaging 46 lbs./day   Friday, August 5 View Page Tiger Lily - 2350 Gienger - She is 55 days old. Daily gain, 5 day average, has dropped to 26 lbs., but she is looking good at 1248 lbs.   Friday, August 5 View Page Crazy Daisy - 1885 Werner - Her 5 day average is 46 lbs. at day 40. Pretty as a flower and 978 lbs.   Sunday, August 21 View Page What a surprise today! Tiger Lily - 2350 Gienger - at day 70 is 1478 lbs. AND...........   Sunday, August 21 View Page Crazy Daisy - 1885 Werner - at day 55 is ALSO 1478 lbs.!!!   Wednesday, September 7 View Page Tiger Lily - 2350 Gienger. At day 87 she is 1621 lbs. and making modest daily gains. This is the opposite side from the previous post, showing growth cracks and canteloping.   Wednesday, September 7 View Page Crazy Daisy - 1885 Werner - At day 72 she is making nice daily gains. The photo doesn't show much change, but she is 1739 lbs. and definitely growing!   Wednesday, September 7 View Page Since my diary is a bit boring this year.........Here are a few old photos to make you smile!!   Wednesday, September 28 View Page Tiger Lily - 2350 Gienger - Acting up a bit, waiting for the OVGPG weighoff on Oct.8th Lots of canteloping and cracking. Hang in there Lily!   Wednesday, September 28 View Page Crazy Daisy - 1885 Werner - 94 days old and making modest daily gains. Seems like the weighoff will never get here. Wishing all of you the best at the scales!!   Monday, October 10 View Page Lots of BIG pumpkins at the Ohio Valley Weighoff. The top ten average of 2043 is amazing! The well planned and well run weighoff was amazing! - Tim Parks was amazing! - The ground crew was amazing! - The exhibitors and spectators were amazing! Thanks to all!   Monday, October 10 View Page Crazy Daisy.......now 1977 REA.......with me, my granddaughter and niece. Daisy was grown on a big and beautiful 1885 Werner plant.   Monday, October 10 View Page Crazy Daisy and Tiger Lily in the yard display. On the left is Daisy........the new 1977 REA 22 (1885 Werner x 2350 Gienger). On the right is Tiger Lily........the new 1634 REA 22 (2350 Gienger x 1885 Werner). A great big thanks to my friends for their support the entire season.........Chuck Greathouse, Doug Kisamore, Rick Kisamore, Jerry Snyder, and Quinn who always has great advice when you're in a pinch! And then there's Nick Harp, who helps load my pumpkins and hauls them to and from the weighoff. And he does all the computer work for the weighoff! Look closely at the cornstalks. That's actually sorghum..........grown by Nick Harp!!   Sunday, November 6 View Page There are a lot of fun times throughout the pumpkin season. A highlight, of course, is the weighoff. And it is a thrill seeing the smiles on visitor's faces at our front yard display. Many many people have stopped to take photos. Fun!   Sunday, November 6 View Page The girls love to pose!   Sunday, November 6 View Page 3 week old baby and proud mama!   Sunday, November 6 View Page And great-grandma too!   Sunday, November 6 View Page Lots of pretty girls.   Sunday, November 6 View Page What's more fun than sitting on a giant pumpkin?   Sunday, November 6 View Page Family fun!   Sunday, November 6 View Page Older folks love it as much as the kids!   Sunday, November 6 View Page Great fun. I love it!!