Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 43 Entries. Thursday, February 16 View Page Missed out by 8 seconds on the AVGVG auction, good to have a plan B. Going to plant all of these babies and go with the three strongest.   Tuesday, April 18 View Page Started 14 plants, although I’m only keeping 3 or 4 of the most vigorous. 4- 603 Kenneally 3- 822 Dill/ MacDonald 3- 497 Dill 2- 1133 Yohe 1- 829 C. Ansems 2- 675 Maydan* x Blue Moon offspring F1   Tuesday, April 18 View Page Too soon?   Wednesday, May 31 View Page I was tilling today and struck what I thought was a tree root. Instead I found this thing. Asking around, the loose consensus is a part of a farm implement, possibly for haying, but I don’t know.   Thursday, June 1 View Page I added about 17 yards, five or take, of aged compost to the patch. This plant is a late edition 497 Dill that deserves a shot.   Thursday, June 1 View Page These two “divas” are both 822 Dills which should throw nice orange. Only one is staying. They were the fastest growers by far but don’t like the heat very much.   Thursday, June 1 View Page Mother Nature must be having a hot flash. After several weeks of cold temps the warm weather finally arrived- 91 F today, 69 F tomorrow and 51 F on Saturday! Cold frames going back on I guess. This plant is a cross between a Blue Moon and an AG squash. Easily the most hardy, doesn’t seem bothered by heat or cold. Will be interesting to see what it produces.   Thursday, June 1 View Page Another 822 Dill, who like it’s sisters, doesn’t seem to like the heat. We’ll see, a back up may be needed if it doesn’t start playing ball.   Saturday, June 3 View Page Oh Mother Nature, you’re a fickle one. Two days ago it was 91 F, today the daytime high is 44 F. Cold frames back on, although I’m grateful for the rain which is very much needed.   Monday, June 5 View Page Time for some perspective. Temps only in the 50’s all week, a ton of rain and the ground is saturated, plants still in cold frames. BUT- we desperately needed the rain and it has helped with the forest fires in the Province. It’s still early and September is more like August now so I’m being an optimist.   Tuesday, July 4 View Page This is my healthiest and most robust plant by far, despite the unending rain. The cross is a “ hybrid” Blue moon x 675 Mayday AG squash. It doesn’t seem bothered by heat, rain , bugs or swamp like conditions.   Tuesday, July 4 View Page The stream that goes around our property has crested, something it only does when the snow melts in March or April. Still rising, it rained almost every day in June and so far every day this month. I’m grateful for the rain but enough is enough. The other two plants, both 822 Dill aren’t doing well but still here.   Tuesday, July 11 View Page Well, although we are at least two weeks behind, all of the plants have recovered and headed in the right direction. This one is the 822 Dill A   Tuesday, July 11 View Page This one is the 822 Dill B. A small plant but healthy nonetheless. I done expect a whole lot but hopefully it will be a looker like it’s mother.   Tuesday, July 11 View Page This one is a hybrid- 219 Hamilton *, which is 675 Maydan* x blue moon. The plant is much bigger than the pic shows. Very vigorous growth, I can hardly keep up with vine burying.   Tuesday, July 11 View Page First female pollinated yesterday on the AG* x blue moon. Last year the same cross grew 4 fruit on one 100 sq. foot plant, ranging from 100 lbs. to 30 lbs. This year the plant is much bigger and growing and with much better soil. Don’t know how big it will get but I hope the fruit grows as fast as last year.   Thursday, July 20 View Page 10 DAP, not a bad size, that’s good……   Thursday, July 20 View Page But the plant is suffering due to record rainfall which unfortunately has returned.   Thursday, July 20 View Page It appears that this pumpkin is patriotic. I had a T-shirt covering the fruit, guess what was printed on it.   Thursday, July 20 View Page The 822 Dill A plant is officially a large plant. It’s difficult to believe, but the very first female on the main has yet to open. It should in a day or two.   Thursday, July 20 View Page This little short stemmed female is the first one on the main. The plant is healthy but it obviously went dormant when the weather was at it’s worst. There will be a lot of main vine manipulation.   Wednesday, July 26 View Page Pollinated two days ago on the first female to appear on the main, I kid you not. I like the egg shape and even though this is a late pollination, I’m thankful to have something going. The cross is 822 Dill B x sibb.   Wednesday, July 26 View Page This is the first viable female on the 822 Dill A, again, I kid you not. Should open tomorrow. Late pollination on a large plant so here’s hoping.   Wednesday, July 26 View Page This is one plant, 822 Dill A and tomorrow the first viable female should open. There was another female about 3 feet before but it was a skin tag that withered. Still hopeful for a good fruit.   Wednesday, July 26 View Page R.I.P. AG x blue moon hybrid. Too much rain but it put up a good fight. Thought we had it beat but a another 2 inches of rain did it in. We were lucky though, less than an hour away some parts of the province received 2 months worth of rain in a 24 hour period.   Saturday, July 29 View Page In Ontario for 5 days and the catching a Jays game. Helping my daughter and fiancé with their new home in Paris. Hope the plants have a nice surprise for me when I get back.   Thursday, August 3 View Page This is the one and only fruit from the AG* x blue moon. The plant was a trooper but I put it out of its misery this morning. This one is 70 lbs. after 24 days, nothing spectacular.   Thursday, August 3 View Page 892 Dill x sibb, pollinated July 26, very late.   Thursday, August 3 View Page Another 892 Dill x sibb- pollinated July 27. Big plant but way too late for much.   Sunday, August 6 View Page Day 10 for this one on the 822 Dill A plant. Don’t know why I called it the 892 earlier, anyway, late pumpkin pollinated on the first viable female on a large plant.   Sunday, August 6 View Page Small pumpkin, big plant. Hope it stays warm.   Sunday, August 6 View Page Day 11 for the 822 B   Tuesday, August 22 View Page Long gourd plant finally kicking in right? Wrong.   Tuesday, August 22 View Page First female on the long gourd plant but look at the female. That’s not a long gourd. I purchased seeds from a very reputable company and I’m not complaining but this looks like a bushel gourd to me.   Tuesday, August 22 View Page Another female non long gourd. Guess I’ll be making a hammock for the keeper.   Tuesday, August 22 View Page This was the first of two viable females on an 800 square foot plant. The first female withered and died. So I’m thinking, no biggie, I have a large plant behind this one. The plant had other ideas, it aborted after two weeks.   Tuesday, August 22 View Page Well, I have one crop that seems to love the never ending rain. I have scarlet runners up the ying yang.   Tuesday, September 5 View Page This is the one and only fruit to set on a small plant and late pollination. I’m not bummed out though, it’s the way it goes sometimes.   Tuesday, September 5 View Page This is the 822 Dill plant that refuses to stop growing. It also refuses to set a pumpkin. It wouldn’t surprise me if there is a pathogen in the soil. I terminated all the vines yet third stage growth is popping up all over the place.   Tuesday, September 5 View Page Why not celebrate successes, the mini pumpkins, scarlet runners and cherry tomatoes are all doing fantastic although none of the beef steak varieties have made it to maturity.   Wednesday, September 20 View Page At the beginning of the season I felt like the guy on the left. By the end of July I was feeling more like little guy.   Monday, October 2 View Page Not many victories this year except for the face that I still haven’t seen ANY powdery mildew, none. This is the first time I’ve ever used neem oil so I’ll be using it again.   Saturday, November 18 View Page Looking for an extension cord under the stairs and found this old dirty frame and post cards from the Dills. My ADD hasn’t always served me well but it did today! This baby is going on the pumpkin wall.