Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 78 Entries. Saturday, March 2 View Page A look at current patch conditions, temps are running below normal for this time of year, oh well, I got the snow removed from around the green houses to get ready for the coming season   Saturday, March 2 View Page The one thing, about the current cold temperatures, is the greenhouse plastic, turns into glass like, kinda like the skin of a drum, making the snow slide off easier   Saturday, March 2 View Page The rally wagon is still running , as we put some screws for studs in the tires, lol kid loves it   Sunday, March 3 View Page One of the problems with having a greenhouse up in the winter months, a lot of wood seems to accumulate, during the off season   Sunday, March 17 View Page The start of the new season has begun, Starting early this year , hoping for better results , one nice thing about starting early if things go , not as planned , I still have time , seeds sanded and soaked for about 3 hours ,going with my crosses this year , hard to argue with 2183,2365 and 1885 genetics-bred into them , there so many good seeds out there, but why make crosses if you aren't going to grow them   Monday, March 18 View Page And into the germ box they went , after 4 hour soak, I don't use the paper towel method, straight into 5 inch sq pots, heat-mat t-stat set at 89 degrees and hopefully 3 or 4 days later we are in business   Monday, March 18 View Page A better look at the box , by starting 10 days earlier than usual, I will, depending on the weather, carry the plants for may be 3 weeks inside , as I get things figured out on the outside   Tuesday, March 19 View Page Digging out a trail, so I can get to somethings that I going to need to get the frozen soil in the gh thawed , Anchorage so far has gotten over 10 ft of snow this season, between keeping the gh roofs clear and all the plowing , I am really tired of snow   Friday, March 22 View Page Day 4 of the germination process, things went well, the 2023.5 was really strong breaking ground in just under 72 hrs and the 2147 was not far behind , so far so good Let the games begin .. lol   Saturday, March 30 View Page Day 8 of under the lights , they growing pretty good, as you can see I already transplanted into the breakaway boxes, hoping to get these into the ground in a week or so   Saturday, March 30 View Page So for me , it all starts here on the ground thawing process, I use a small boiler to heat a 75 gallon Amtrol tank up to usually 120 degrees or so , then circulate that water thru the pex tubing buried in the gh soil, which is basically a 2 ft raised bed,alot goes into this process as you have to blow the glycol out of the tubing then repurge every thing with water, luckily today the temp was above freezing , makes it easier   Saturday, March 30 View Page Here is one of the manifolds for the pex, it is divided in 3 loops or sections in the gh , for all you plumbers out there, this was all stuff I got from different jobs , so the price was right lol   Saturday, March 30 View Page And then I pull the insulated concrete blankets up over the-poly thats on top of the gh soil and wait , the heat transfer isnt that great with tubing just buried in sand, so it takes a little longer, hopefully be ready in 5 or 6 days   Monday, April 1 View Page This bath exhaust fan ,which is thermostatically controlled , pulls hot air from the peak of the gh roof and blows it underground thru 4 inch perforated pvc pipe buried about 12 " down or just below rototiller depth, each gh has 65 ft of this , it a good way of using the free heat of the sun, to expedite soil warming, of coarse it only works when the sun is out, which isnt to often so far this year...   Tuesday, April 9 View Page This is day 18 or so on my starts , they are at the 5 th leaf stage , so I need to get these into the ground   Tuesday, April 9 View Page The ground is all thawed, soil amendments added and tilling underway   Tuesday, April 9 View Page The 2023.5 ready to hit dirt, it took a lot just to get to this stage , I decided to use the green SRM plastic mulch again this year, for both soil warming and weed control,so the drip tape has to be installed and tested before the poly mulch is laid on top, then the walk boards , then the mini house on top of those   Tuesday, April 9 View Page Top view of the 2023.5 the main vine is already starting, so it should be done and running soon , that is if I can keep it from freezing as it going to be 24 tonight, the next 10 days or so are-the most stressful for me, April 23rd , is when the average night time temps hit 33 degrees ...lol   Tuesday, April 9 View Page 1 st plant , In the ground and in the game , Tomorrow plant 2 goes in   Wednesday, April 10 View Page This is a look at the mini gh inside, something I really need in the early part of the season,its 10ft long in the back 13ft along the sides and 6 ft in the front by 32 inches high   Wednesday, April 10 View Page Inside view, it has a hydronic unit heater,with a line voltage thermostat to control the fan, its set to 60 degrees for night time temps   Wednesday, April 10 View Page A couple of moose are browsing on tops of the branches of a birch tree I took down , if you look close , a magpie has landed on his back,just for fun   Thursday, April 18 View Page 2023.5 main is down and starting to move,around 3ft mark   Friday, April 19 View Page Soil temp looking good   Friday, April 19 View Page My 2147 is also on the move   Friday, April 19 View Page The 2147 main is down and at 4 ft ,day 28 above ground , with more favorable weather in the forecast , hoping this plant really takes off   Monday, April 22 View Page A little surprise showed up on the 2147, around 7 ft mark , way to early to consider using, but pretty sure I have never had a female showing on a plant that is only 31 days above ground , crazy ....   Monday, April 22 View Page A look at the 2147, sun is finally coming out a little   Monday, April 22 View Page The 2023.5 now on the move Day 31   Monday, April 29 View Page Patch update on my 2023.5 , its growing good main is around 10 ft or longer , I am thinking day 38 , but pretty happy with it so far   Monday, April 29 View Page 1st female on the 2023.5 showing   Monday, April 29 View Page The 2147is growing great , main at 14 ft , with 2 females showing , almost out of the mini which was extended to 18 ft , hard to see but side vines are reaching the perimeter, then the problems start,its so much easier for me to control the environment in a smaller space, after all still mid 30's last couple nights   Monday, April 29 View Page 1st female off the 2147 , about 9 ft out   Monday, April 29 View Page 2nd female off the 2147 , right around 14 ft out , this might be interesting as it could be my keeper . Which could give the most grow days after pollination ever , umm, also around day 38 since sprouting   Monday, May 6 View Page The 2 nd female opened on the 2147 today , its at least 16 ft out , with alot of side vines behind it , but the position in the gh is not ideal as far as getting the pumpkin out goes   Monday, May 6 View Page It looking like a normal shaped blossom   Monday, May 6 View Page A look at the 2147 plant , growing good only 7ft of room left to the end of the 30 ft gh, probably going to have to turn the main at 45 degrees to pick up some more room, 3rd female already showing , should be my earliest pollination ever   Monday, May 6 View Page The 1st female on the 2023.5 also opened up to day ,along with a couple males, but going to pass on pollinating   Monday, May 6 View Page A closer look at the 2023.5 female   Monday, May 6 View Page A look at the 2023.5 plant , growing good also   Friday, May 17 View Page Finally got this put in place after all these years, a normal atmospheric vacuum breaker on your normal hose bib Isn't rated for continuous use, and I don't shut it off every night. My wife started noticing some stuff in the kitchen faucet. The problem is when you're on a well on a hot sunny day the pressure in a garden hose can be greater than the cut in pressure of your well pump creating a backflow situation anyway it's code up here to have at least a pressure vacuum breaker on all your irrigation lines   Friday, May 17 View Page The third female on the 2147 open today on the 16th, was pollinated by the 2023.5 making it my earliest pollination ever by over two weeks   Friday, May 17 View Page The 2147 growing good , the pumpkin was pollinated around the 20 foot mark, I didn't measure it exactly, the side vines are looking good, so far so good, hopefully this pollination takes and it go time!   Friday, May 17 View Page The the 2023.5 plant is also doing really good. Move along nicely. Hope to pollinate in the next four or five days, which should be also nice. So far just a nice plant to grow with minimal problems   Tuesday, May 21 View Page 2nd female on the 2023.5 opened today on the 20th   Tuesday, May 21 View Page Closer look at my hopeful keeper   Monday, May 27 View Page Day 10 on the 2147 marshall   Monday, June 3 View Page It looks like the early pollination on my 2147 is good , pumpkin is starting to ramp up , so for now ... game on   Thursday, June 6 View Page Patch update on my 2023.5 plant , the 1st pollination seemed to take , and things looking ok   Thursday, June 6 View Page Side view of the 2023.5 potential , so far so good , but I do have another pollinated down the line, my 2023.5 was crossed with my 2147   Sunday, June 16 View Page 2147 Marshall, now at DAP 30 on the 15 th, things seem to be moving along, supposedly using florel your day 30 numbers will be smaller. I'm hoping that's true.   Sunday, June 16 View Page A side view of the 2147   Sunday, June 16 View Page My 700 sq ft of gh , is full, now just gonna keep these leaves healthy for another 60 days or so   Thursday, June 20 View Page Dap 30 was the 19th, on the 2023.5 plant looking ok so far   Thursday, June 20 View Page Side view of the 2023.5   Thursday, June 20 View Page That time of year , would of got some better pics but they snuck up on me and I spooked them   Thursday, June 20 View Page   Thursday, June 20 View Page   Wednesday, June 26 View Page The 2147 Marshall, still in the game and starting to move   Wednesday, June 26 View Page Side view of the 2147 , it gained 149 lbs in the last 3 days, really hoping I can sub-stain the growth curve for a couple more weeks, it weighs north of 650 lbs , according to the tape   Friday, June 28 View Page A cool looking 7 lober , pruned off my 2147, a 1st for me   Wednesday, July 10 View Page The 2147 was looking good then reality set in   Wednesday, July 10 View Page Nasty stem split   Wednesday, July 10 View Page Split the stem after getting some good advice   Wednesday, July 10 View Page I never had a stem split this aggressive before , in hindsight, probably too late when I sliced the stem, game over for this one,dap 54 about 1100 pounds with 48 days to go....crap   Saturday, July 13 View Page My Pumpkin crew sitting on the 2147 Marshall, even though it's damage done for the year still looks good from the front   Saturday, July 13 View Page Of course mom had to be in the shot, they are grandson Wyatt ,granddaughter Eva and my daughter, Kayla   Saturday, July 27 View Page My 2023.5 at dap 68 is still in the game and chugging along, No world beater here , but still has a shot at a new PB , not the nicest shape on it but the color is right, 30 days to go , will be interesting to see how things play out in august , usually a pretty a wet month for us ,with little sun   Monday, August 26 View Page The 2035 Marshall (2023.5 marshall x 2147 marshall, it went 12% heavy   Wednesday, September 18 View Page Got this in the mail today , totally unexpected , how cool is that !...everybody loves pumpkins ...   Monday, September 30 View Page Last look at the 2035 before we cut it open , has been on display for the last 3 weeks or so   Monday, September 30 View Page I called in my seed extractor , to get the job done , the 2035 was 12% heavy and the seed count was very good   Monday, September 30 View Page My 2 year old granddaughter, helping also   Saturday, October 12 View Page Had to fire my lawn service ...just to slow   Saturday, October 19 View Page That time of year , after munching on the back he is checking out the front, the magpie in the tree above is on watch   Sunday, October 20 View Page The pumpkin is showing how big mama moose really is   Thursday, October 24 View Page This time of year you have to careful, never know whats around the corner   Tuesday, October 29 View Page Now that the growing seasons done and snow is set in, time to start cranking out holiday gifts I hope my daughter likes this because she's getting it anyway lol