Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 390 Entries. Friday, January 1 View Page Happy New Year!! I just started my 09 diary! now it's 2010 & I'm going to start it over so you don't have to go back to 09 to see it's start!! Oh well, only a couple entries. Sunday, January 10 View Page some pictures of my 09 1052 beauty Sunday, January 10 View Page more pictures! Sunday, January 10 View Page she's a beauty- nice bottom !! Saturday, January 16 View Page 5-25-09 my set-up for early growth. patch size= 36x26. 2 plants ,too close to edge & too small !no heating cables, coolers & hobby lamps w/35w bulbs.soil temps avg. range between 62 & 74 deg. This year cables!! Saturday, January 16 View Page more pictures of early on. 5-25 09. I've added 20 more ft. of length for this year. allready tested & ammended! wow, I should be in better shape this year from the start! Sunday, January 17 View Page 6-7-09 taking advantage of a nice sunny day.Removed portable greenhouse. Sunday, January 17 View Page Bigger plant is my 1075 Haist, other is my 939 Richards Thursday, January 21 View Page I was training my plants w/ cheesecloth & sticks. Very little pressure was applied daily. Thursday, January 21 View Page OOPS!! Rookie !! cool morning, & that's all it took! This plant didn't want to lay down. Hey Tom, what do I do now? just one of many questions I had for Tom Privitera last season !! E-mail me a picture, he said. Then the knife came out! still managed 575 lbs on the secondary of my 939 Richards. Thursday, January 21 View Page My 575 at Holloween out in front of the house. Thursday, January 21 View Page chainsaws are cool !! kitchen knife was a joke- Rookie !! Tuesday, January 26 View Page 6-15-09 things starting to take off, here we go !! Thursday, January 28 View Page this summer has been a long time coming for this.... A big ole garage. Garage before babies/ or no garage at all !!!!My wife is due this May !! close call! Thursday, January 28 View Page the near finished product -36w x 40d x 13' 6" ceiling w/ attic truss. Thursday, January 28 View Page = storage space !!! = clean house !! Friday, January 29 View Page The sun came out on 7-8-09 ,14 ft out. ended up being my 1052. Friday, January 29 View Page 7-17-09 lots of things happening very quick. thank god for noodles. Friday, January 29 View Page it's a race !! Friday, January 29 View Page sorry guys, you lose ! Friday, January 29 View Page 7-25-09 still not sure, but I think she's a keeper! Friday, January 29 View Page 7-28-09 finished culling on this plant,put mat down, 1st ott measurement-135" =60lbs ! Wednesday, February 10 View Page a view of my patch w/ my wind barriers up & my sunscreens shading my babies. !! Wednesday, February 10 View Page This picture was taken 8-8-09 of my 1052. 255 ott -345 lbs. many 30 lb days! wow, things are happening fast ! I love to measure w/ my wife, she enjoys looking up the estimated weights. I was already fighting PM at this stage! next year- early prevention!!! Wednesday, February 10 View Page Me &,I don't know what I created ! Thursday, February 11 View Page Offroading is another one of my many hobbies, no road, no problem !! Thursday, February 11 View Page Destination- Buck Mtn. overlook, upstate NY Friday, February 12 View Page Tree trunk ! I had some problems in the early summer w/ foaming stump. I made little tables to cover them at night & when it rained. When it was nice & sunny I left them uncovered. I also didn't drench feed on the stumps. My early problems disappeared. Friday, February 12 View Page 8-20-09 313 ott =636lbs, my goal was 500lbs !ok,now let's see if I can squeak 1000 ?? !avg gains in the mid 20's. Friday, February 12 View Page Another 8-20-09 picture. Sunday, February 14 View Page You can see the rookie in me by those 2 previous pictures. The pumpkin was set on the inside of a bend. I thought when I set it that I would have enough room to make it fly. Not really, things got tight in the end ! Another reason the patch has grown this year! space ! 55x 25 now! Wednesday, February 17 View Page Oh my god, what did I do? now what? is it over? all questions I had for Tom P. His response- e-mail me a picture, is it into the cavity- no, good. Get out the knife !! do this! A managed to save my 939 Richards plant.phew, close one! I had too much tension on the vine- live & learn. Thursday, February 18 View Page everyone wants their picture taken w/ the giant pumpkin! especially kids. 8-26-09 Thursday, February 18 View Page 8-30-09 The weather here is changing quickly, low 70's during the days, & 50's & 40's at night. decision time- keep pumpkin temp elevated? remove 10 good leaves to do it ? I hacked the leaves & got out the greenhouse I started my plants in. The weather has been cool & rainy- no good! I wanted to maintain the pumpkins temp as much as I could. Thursday, February 18 View Page 8-30-09 To install my mini greenhouse into my garden I had to elevate it above the main vine. I placed cinder blocks at all 4 corners & maintained level height. Then, to keep the heat in & the cold out I cut foam & lined to the ground around the main vine. Thursday, February 18 View Page 9-04-09 There, now my pumpkin doesn't know that it's not in Ohio!!I covered the pumpkin at night w/ sheets & installed a borrowed electric oil heater for cold nights. I mostly vented on sunny warm days & closed every night. I could maintain 70-75 deg. easily till the season ended this way. Thursday, February 18 View Page Home sweet Home. On the 30th I was measuring 798 lbs, I really wanted 200 more lbs to hit the 1000 benchmark. I must go weed some more !! Sunday, February 21 View Page I was having problems all season w/ my leaves not staying healthy? Brown blotches on the leaves is how it started. I also noticed blackened veins, mostly where the leaf began in the middle, & holes in the leaves at times. I tried everything to control it.Eventually, removal of the leaf was the answer ! Sunday, February 21 View Page A few things that might have been wrong in my patch causing my problems: 1. soil diversity- I started this patch from a lawn,(4-16-09) removed 12" of sod, filled w/ aged horse manure,& amended.(w/a soil test) but very little time for the soil structure to develop. 2. overhead watering at 1st & lots of rain. 3. brewing tea, but not keeping equipment clean. Sunday, February 21 View Page The previous picture is from a corner of my patch w/ not so aged manure! Very high in nitrogen. Sunday, February 21 View Page Another weird looking thing? The only thing I found close to my leaf problem is Angular leaf spot (How to grow vol. 4) which states good sanitation habits is your best combatant. Anyone w/ some insight on this problem please contact [email protected] This year my soil should be on track & any sign will result in a tissue sample for answers! Sunday, February 21 View Page Enough w/ what's wrong w/ last year's patch & more on what's good! The pumpkin closest under the shade tarp was my 939 Richards. I saved it from an early main break & A stem split! It measured 299 ott in the end. unofficial 566lbs. The far pumpkin was my baby in it's Florida house! Not fare huh! I was determined to get my better pumpkin to 1000lbs. Sunday, February 21 View Page Amazing to me & everyone that looked at it: prehistoric looking stump. I covered every night w/ small table I built, & every time it was raining( alot!) When it was dry & sunny it was uncovered. Friday, February 26 View Page 9-19-09 -open house weekend,last weekend before weigh off. I made signs & invited all that wanted to see!! many people showed(75!!) & newspaper. nice day, removed g-house for all to see. many pictures taken! Friday, February 26 View Page 9-19-09 weekend before weigh off & pumpkin measuring 361.25 & growth has slowed considerably! est. =964 lbs. 6 to 10 lbs every 2-3 days. Don's new chart in vol. 4 says a bit heavier than the chart in vol.3 ! 988 vs. 964 I'm hoping for the later! this weeks forecast- sunny, mid to high 70's, phewww!! one close call w/ frost on 20th - 34deg. plant covered & made it. Friday, February 26 View Page 9-25-09 HARVEST DAY!!! what lurks inside making that shadow?? Friday, February 26 View Page 9-25-09 plant made it to the end ! but just barely. really showing it's age! Thursday, March 4 View Page 9-25-09 removed greenhouse for the last time! Sunrise hitting the pumpkin just right! I love this picture. Many people showed up to watch the pumpkin get loaded. I'm a little nervous! I haven't done this before. Thursday, March 4 View Page 9-25-09 Had to modify pallet to fit skid steers fork width. My cousin owns a skid steer, thank god! Thursday, March 4 View Page I had to purchase a lifting device! last day ott = 366.5 = 1006 on old chart & 1031 on new chart. Go new chart! Go! I hope to get a lot of use out of this lifting tool in the future! Thursday, March 4 View Page WELL, HERE GOES NOTHING! Please hold together, no holes, no rot, PLEASE. Thursday, March 4 View Page O.K. Put her down! easy, on the pallet. PHEEWWWW!! I'm glad that parts over! Thursday, March 4 View Page To the truck we go. Thursday, March 4 View Page Almost there, easy does it. Thursday, March 4 View Page Made it!! Thursday, March 4 View Page Boy, I could really use a drink too!! Pre- road trip prep. Thursday, March 4 View Page Cooperstown here we come! Friday, March 5 View Page 9-25-09 Friday- made it to the hotel just fine! Cooperstown is a very nice place, wow! 1st time here. 2hr drive just putting along the back country roads. Truck felt a little top heavy !! Friday, March 5 View Page 9-25-09 Got settled in to the hotel & parked in the shade to protect my summers ambitions! It wasn't too long & the Giants started rolling into the parking lot! 1st I met Tom Privitera, who has been my guide through this pumpkin growing experience! Great to finally meet him & his wife Kim. Very nice to get to hang out w/ someone you have spent so much time on the phone with & just casual talk!! Friday, March 5 View Page Cooperstown weigh off 9-26-09 The night before the weigh off many growers hung out in the lobby & drank a few beers & talked pumpkin- great fun, great people. I met Andy W, Ron G,Ron's wife Janelle, Bill Bobier- wow!,Joe Pukos- double wow!& many more. Friday, March 5 View Page 9-26-09 They just kept rolling in! Biggens! Friday, March 5 View Page O.K. At this point, I'm very nervous! Will it go heavy? Will it make 1000 lbs? Will mine be the one they drop?!! Do I have to go up & talk to the guy w/ the mic.? Friday, March 5 View Page take it easy! Friday, March 5 View Page O.K. I'll talk, but keep it short! Not big on public speaking! Friday, March 5 View Page Holy cow, I made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Friday, March 5 View Page Hangin out with the Big Guy! Tom P.- Extreme Pumpkin Friday, March 5 View Page Tom's 1401.5 - Great job W/ a new PB. Friday, March 5 View Page Tom again, just before the crowds rush him like a rock-n-roll star!! Friday, March 5 View Page Uh Oh! Who's this guy? He's not from NY! No he's not, He's Dave Hilstolsky from PA. That baby looks BIG! Friday, March 5 View Page Oh yeah it's Big! & a new PA state record. Friday, March 5 View Page I guess they're Happy??!!!! Friday, March 5 View Page Dave & his son proudly showing the Big Guy for pictures. Friday, March 5 View Page In the end, it was great fun to grow one of these giants. Plus,meeting many great people, overcoming many challenges & obstacles, & achieving my goal weight. (500lbs!) I can't wait to do it again! I'm hooked! & my bar has been raised! COOL. Friday, March 5 View Page The real end looks something like this. THE END! Sunday, March 7 View Page I want to give thanks to all that helped me achieve my goal in 2009. I went into this not as prepared as I should have & worked very hard to meet my goals. All of this would not have been possible w/o the support of my wife Becky & the help of family & friends. I also want to thank Tom Privitera for the guidance he has given me to participate in this wonderful hobby I now enjoy as much as him.Thankyou Sunday, March 21 View Page My latest creation for germination & early growth. I plan on using it for some cuttings also. Sunday, March 21 View Page I made it from 2x4's & 1 sheet of high-R insulation, plexi-glass,& plywood. Fairly cheap to build too(I love Lowes!) Sunday, March 21 View Page The heart of the system is the Hydrofarm thermostat. I have that controlling a small sunbeam space heater. My heatmat is going to be left on all the time.I purchased a thermometer that reads humidity & min/max temps so I can keep a close eye on things. Sunday, March 21 View Page I've done some testing & the little heater comes on very little, & when it does come on, it's for a short time! So the electric bill should remain decent! Sunday, March 21 View Page Picture of the digital thermostat(wallmart 6 bucks) & the temp probe for the hydrofarm stat. Sunday, March 21 View Page I made spin vents out of a small separate pieces of plexi-glass to better help in controlling moisture & I put them in all 4 corners of the mini greenhouse. Sunday, March 21 View Page Another thing I'm playing around w/ in my basement is a worm farm! I've had it since before winter & I'm just getting the hang of it just about now!! The big thing is that I've been raising them in a cool basement climate. Not a bad climate for their health, but not very speedy in making vermicompost. Cool makes damp, & the plastic house makes moisture- too much. I'm now learning how to get air into the house & better control moisture. Sunday, March 21 View Page I talked w/ Ron G. about my worm farm at Niagara & he suggested a couple of things that will better help my farm & production. The big thing is temperature. I'm too cool to make things thrive. Between 75-80 is far more suitable for things to really liven up & happen. So, an insulation hut is in the makings! My basement is generally around 55 deg.!! Sunday, March 21 View Page Oh yah!!!! I went to the Niagara convention w/ my wife. I took this picture from our room, & it's one of two pictures total that we took! We had a great time, met tons of wonderful people. I met most of the big name growers & shared some laughs w/ them too! A great learning experience that I suggest all to do at least once. I learned a lot about growing & took notes to better help retain info! & there was tons of info to be had. Monday, March 22 View Page March 20th -upstate NY.....no snow!!!! What's up w/ that?? My patch is looking very good this year. Drying out very well. Monday, March 22 View Page Looking good enough to till!! March 20th! Mark that on the calender! It tilled in perfect, no gobs of wet mud at all.I e-mailed A&L labs, & they told me to till before I got my soil sample. O.K.! Monday, March 22 View Page Finished product! Fluffy & dark- sweet! It's been unseasonable warm to say the least(60's & 70's) for a couple weeks, no rain! My patch has grown a bit this year - 55'x25' from 36'x25' I will be growing 2 plants again this year.The extra space will be nice. Monday, March 22 View Page Don't be jealous of my bad boy tiller!! It's old, borrowed, & it gets the job done! Monday, March 29 View Page Latest Toddmod w/ the wormfarm! Completely boxed farm in w/ 2" foam, duct taped in the corners, & off the cold basement floor Too. Started w/ 1 lamp a couple inches over top cut out hole.(36 watt bulb)Maintained a little warmer temp(70) from 55! Then I added a 2nd 36 watter at the bottom. Whala! 80 deg. maintained temp. That should speedy up things! worms look a lot more active now also. Monday, March 29 View Page Getting ready for test run! 2 pots w/ soil mixed up & tops covered for 12 hrs to heat the soil. I'm also going to test 1 seed soaked,& 1 seed soaked then dipped in azos. I will soak w/ soluble kelp at the rate of 1/2 tsp to 1qt warm water for 2-3 hrs. Monday, March 29 View Page Thermostat that controls small ceramic heater is doing its job as you can see from the digital thermometer. I may have to have it control the heat mat also because the mat is on constant & it may warm the soil too much. Tuesday, March 30 View Page Soil temp w/ heat mat on all the time- 98 deg. I removed the plastic for a couple hours to see if soil temp would drop enough, no it didn't. (92) Next, I hooked the hydrafarm thermostat to both, the heater & the mat. Now, when the temp drops low enough to turn on, it turns both on at the same time,& both off at the same time. Air temp avg. = 86, Soil temp stays at 80. I like that better. Tuesday, March 30 View Page Here's both seeds I plan on testing. They are from the same pumpkin. Both are already sanded around the edges.I let them soak for 3hrs, flipping each seed 1 time about 1/2 way to equally soak each side! Tuesday, March 30 View Page The azos test is ready! Tuesday, March 30 View Page Between dipping the damp seed into the azos bag & the spoon method, I got good coverage! Tuesday, March 30 View Page The race is on! We should have some results in 4-6 days on germination. Then I plan on letting these little guys grow for a couple weeks. Maybe we'll notice some other results on early plant development also? Another thing I want to test is my bulbs height from the plants. I don't want them to leggy. Tuesday, March 30 View Page I've been pretty busy lately! My wife & I are expecting our first child May 17! Baby room must be done! I painted the whole room including the ceiling & trim.(1st time painter!) Installed a new rug w/ a friend, new baseboard trim, assembled a dresser & a crib. Besides my hobby! A friend & I ran a new outside power outlet next to my patch w/ an overhead floodlight,w/ a new breaker. I bet I use that flood! Tuesday, March 30 View Page Ahh, so cute! Tuesday, March 30 View Page Hopefully that will keep my wife at bay for a while! Yah right, baby shower this weekend - more stuff to put together! Here's the bulbs I'm using in my mini greenhouse.(hydroponics store). Tuesday, March 30 View Page The basement is mine to play in! My wife hates it! Too cool, dark & has spiders! God bless spiders!! Tuesday, March 30 View Page I try to keep it clean & organized. Here's some of my pumpkin stuff for this season & leftover from last. Wednesday, March 31 View Page I put the plastic wrap back on my test pots to retain moisture. Otherwise,I would have to keep misting them to keep the soil moist. A tip from Tom P. !! Wednesday, March 31 View Page Also, I put my lamps on a timer- on at 6am off at 11pm for the greenhouse. & on my worm farm I had to remove the top 36 watt conventional bulb & replace it w/ one of those energy saving tube bulbs because the reg bulb was cooking the top bins soil! the tube bulb is much cooler & my temps surrounding the farm are the same. Sunday, April 4 View Page My 1st test at germinating in my new greenhouse failed! 2 major flaws- 1. I made up my starting mix fine,warmed up fine for a day before putting in seed,had the mix covered w/ plastic wrap, put in the soaked seed & I shouldn't have removed the plastic- I did! dried out,I caught too late. 2. bottom heat hooked to thermostat wouldn't maintain high enough temp. left on all the time too hot(95-98!) I finally got that at 87 (heat mat on all the time-insulate bottom of pot w/foam.oh yah 3.! light too far away- 10" Sunday, April 4 View Page After 7 days I pulled the seeds- reg seed seemed rotted- when soil dried out I misted (too much) plus I was having a hard time w/ maintaining my soil temp( I cooked it too) The azos seed did germinate! had a 1" root emerging! left in to see what will happen. So, nothing is conclusive on that test. I will try again! that's why we do this testing early! Sunday, April 4 View Page So here's what hillbillies due! they take their BIG trucks Sunday, April 4 View Page To a muddy hillclimb - free for all! Sunday, April 4 View Page Where there's also a Bar! Sunday, April 4 View Page A few of these! Sunday, April 4 View Page couple of those Sunday, April 4 View Page Lots of these! Sunday, April 4 View Page A lot of good fun to be had by all. Sunday, April 4 View Page Here's my hillbillie toy! I love to 4x4 = another hobby! Sunday, April 4 View Page O.K., back to pumpkins! Here's my spring soil test from A&L labs - not too bad, I can work w/ that. Sunday, April 4 View Page Here's my soil test from Western Labs- not bad either! I wanted to compare. Sunday, April 4 View Page After talking w/ Tom , this is what we decided it needed.- so far! Sunday, April 4 View Page This is my second tilling of the season 4-4-10 Sunday, April 4 View Page I then got out the molasses,water pump & hose. I spayed the whole patch w/ this to liven up those micros! 3oz to the gal is what I did, 45gals. Sunday, April 4 View Page That darkened it up nice. Warm weather this week should get things going. Thursday, April 8 View Page Germination test #2- I raised my table closer to the light,within three inches. I filed seeds & then pre-soaked in 3% h.peroxide 1-10 ratio w/ water for 7 hrs. then I used the paper towel method. within 36 hrs the little root emerged & I put them in my pre-warmed media. Thursday, April 8 View Page I put the seeds in the soil,this time I'll keep the plastic on the top until the seedlings emerge. The soil should be the right moisture level,temp level, & now the rooting seedlings are pretty close to my lights. Time will tell! Thursday, April 8 View Page A picture of the latest Toddmod germination chamber- table raised- lights lowered- heat maintained! Monday, April 12 View Page Correction, table raised, lights lowered = temp raised back up again! man, I'm having a hard time making the perfect temp happen! plastic wrap off, heat mat off, table lowered an inch = perfect soil temp- 86-87 deg. I'll try that!!! Monday, April 12 View Page Back to the patch! marking out for my heating cables. Two 40ft. cables for 2 plants! I plan on growing in the center & going back to back w/ 4ft between opposing stumps. Monday, April 12 View Page I marked it all out w/masonry string & bamboo stakes.Then I dug down to hard soil (8-10") Monday, April 12 View Page Another shot - many worms,killed a few- bummer! Monday, April 12 View Page Time for a ToddMod! I don't want a couple lead cords running on top of my soil, so ,I went back to lowes! Purchased a couple of 25 ft. outdoor lead cords & a couple underground splice kits. Monday, April 12 View Page I slipped the shrink tubing on the lead, plugged them together, slid tubing over connection, propane torched the shrink tubing - whola, weather tight,under ground, extended, soil heating cable! Monday, April 12 View Page A closer view of the connection. P.S.- I used a little black tape at the ends of the shrink wrap where it met the lead cord. Monday, April 12 View Page A picture of the layout. Bamboo stakes holding all in place. Monday, April 12 View Page Another shot, cords run right at my outside outlet. Monday, April 12 View Page Another shot. Monday, April 12 View Page Covered up the heating cables, pulled the stakes out, & raked in a bag of this! There, that's done, now hoop house tomorrow! Tuesday, April 13 View Page Hoop house layout- 5.5'W x 16' L for 2 plants back to back. Soil cable area- 5'W x 4'L x 2 Materials for hoop house- 1/2 pvc pipe x 10' $1.36 each at lowes! cheap! & 3/8 x 24" rebar. Tuesday, April 13 View Page Another shot- I did my best to keep them even! Not as easy as it looks! stakes don't always pound in straight! Tuesday, April 13 View Page Here's a shot of my top connecting piece. It's a 1/2 slip T cut in half at the top & then ground out w/ a grinder for a nice U shape. I glued these on the ends of 4' pieces of pipe, then zip tied the connections together. Cheap, simple, & easy! Tuesday, April 13 View Page Here's where the middles meet- again, zip tied. Tuesday, April 13 View Page While I was out there w/ the camera, this is a picture of my neighbors yard- nice huh? they're retired! Tuesday, April 13 View Page Another shot of their perfectly manicured yard w/ stone gardens, mixed trees,shrubs, & other nice stuff that makes my yard pale in comparison! It will come in time! Wednesday, April 14 View Page Finished my hoop house frame, I was missing 2 pieces! Added the rest of my amendments - 6 lbs blood meal, tilled in, then added a quart and a 1/2 of liquid gypsum over entire patch. Wednesday, April 14 View Page Germination test #3 actually went well! Filed,soaked, paper towel till root, warm,moist media (left uncovered)misted w/warm water to keep top from drying out. soil temp 86- air 84 went into pot 4-12-10 at 10 pm, sprouted today by 6pm! Finally, I think I got it!! Wednesday, April 14 View Page Well, here's my line up! I will start 2 of each seed, & keep the best one of each. I've filed & have them soaking now for an April 24th in the ground goal date. I will plant all 4 plants on or near that date. Then, after a week or two I will pinch off the least likely to succeed! Here goes everything! Thursday, April 15 View Page Day three in starting mix - green seedlings! Thursday, April 15 View Page Tom's seeds & Hunt's seeds are coming to life! Thursday, April 15 View Page Finished hoop house frame. I'm going to put the plastic on this weekend after it rains. I want the blood meal & liquid gypsum to be drenched by the rain on the entire patch, including where the hoop house is. Friday, April 16 View Page Test plants well on there way! Friday, April 16 View Page The real deals are just getting started! Paper towel method- 36 hrs-made up my seed starting batch, Pre- moistened peat pots, sprinkled actinovate into seed holes, put rooted seeds in! Double checked every thing twice! Temp check & lower lamps! & cross my fingers!! Sunday, April 18 View Page I did more work in the patch today! Put up wind barrier, rounded up everything inside of barrier, & covered hoop houses w/ plastic. Tomorrow I turn on the cables & install my min/max thermometer. Sunday, April 18 View Page Another shot of my fenced in patch! Tuesday, April 20 View Page A little slower than expected, but they are all showing green! Tuesday, April 20 View Page Another visit to Wallmart!! Hobby lamps, extension cord, outside timer. First test w/ my min/max thermometer showed 41 as the low! & 103 as the high! It was a sunny 70 deg day. I plan on using heat lamps at night & leave them on according to the weather for the mornings. I leave for work by 7am & must open ends of hoop house. Next, I have to figure out the cooling! Tuesday, April 20 View Page I bought this transparent cloth material at wally world too! in the knitting section! I'm going to use it for hardening off my plants. Last year I used cheesecloth & it was hard to handle & you didn't get much for your $$!! This large sheet cost me 5 bucks! Yeah, go wally! Wednesday, April 21 View Page Timer I purchased, I set it to turn on the heat lamps at 6pm & off at 8am. Today's min/max temps w/ just open hoop house ends was 105! 35! & soil maintained 70. I need to better control my temps! I have about 5 days to that! Wednesday, April 21 View Page I hung the heat lamps, & duct taped the plastic ends of the hoop house. (restricting air flow) I watered inside the hh to help put moisture back into the soil. Wednesday, April 21 View Page Here's a night picture of my lamps inside my closed up hh that are on a timer. My neighbors must think I'm crazy !! Wednesday, April 21 View Page O.K., the cool temps are being addressed, now for the high temps! Here's a picture of a Toddmodded no tip fan! Wednesday, April 21 View Page This is what my house looks like while making a Toddmod! My wife loves me! Wednesday, April 21 View Page This is the key to my cooling problems. It's an adjustable cooling/heating thermostat. It will control my toddmodded box fan when temps get above where I set it. 85 sounds good to start? I bought it at a hydroponics store. Wednesday, April 21 View Page Another shot of the thermostat while inside testing how it works. Very simple to use, w/ day & night settings separate. I just set day & night at 85 & put the switch to cooling instead of heating. Saturday, April 24 View Page Fan hooked up inside to cooling thermostat. I have since raised the fan, moved the temp probe, Questioned my min/max thermostat! All for pumpkins! Where does it end! I think I'm getting a handle on things now! Saturday, April 24 View Page Latest shots of my plants. Pretty small for 7 days old. I want to transplant tomorrow? I gave them their 1st feeding today w/ a small amount of fish & sol. kelp. Monday, April 26 View Page I transplanted my seedlings yesterday. Nice sunny day, I was glad to get them in the ground. Now the babysitting begins! Monday, April 26 View Page Side entry into my hoop house. I loosened the soil & prepared for transplant. Monday, April 26 View Page Here's some ingredients I used during transplant, along w/ RTI's pumpkin pro & granular Companion. Monday, April 26 View Page I did several stages of mixing to come up w/ a nice media for planting. Monday, April 26 View Page When I was done mixing I ended up w/ a nice, raised bed of soft soil. Monday, April 26 View Page When done transplanting I draped my translucent cloth over the plants to aid in hardening off & aid in retaining heat during the cool spring nights. Monday, April 26 View Page My under the canopy view shows my seedlings in their new home, along w/ my small heater,heat lamps,timer, fan & cooling thermostat! I watered them in w/ 1 oz to 2 gal neptunes fish & the same amount neptunes seaweed. Tuesday, April 27 View Page I added A new toy to my arsenal! I saved all winter for this one. I love it already! Tuesday, April 27 View Page Along w/ my new toy is some barrels I'm Toddmod'n to catch rainwater. I cut the tops off & plan on putting them on a hinge so I can put valves in the bottom easier & also so I can mix up cocktails better!( should be a lot easier to clean too!) Monday, May 3 View Page Still playing around w/ temperature control - I cut some roof flaps in top of hoop house for added security on real hot sunny days. Monday, May 3 View Page Plants are starting to settle in nicely. Tom's 893 is charging ahead of the 1678 so far. 1 of each of my backups didn't make the 1st week! ( both where runts, temps? shocked?) so I started 2 more backups just in case! Monday, May 3 View Page This is the Hunt plants side. I think it's healthy & is just a little behind, it'll be fine. Monday, May 3 View Page 893 was getting a little tall & Tom made the suggestion to bury up to the cot leaves & support w/ stakes for random wind gusts- good idea! I've been watering the plants every other day & feeding them lightly (kelp & fish) every 4 days for now. Outside temps coming around w/ night temps in the 60's, that makes controlling hh temps a breeze!(compared to 30's)!! Tuesday, May 4 View Page My 893 plant is adapting well - hopefully there will be no need for my backup! 1678 in background, is doing well also. Tuesday, May 4 View Page Inside my hh was a mess! I removed everything, raked the weeds, watered the whole inside, & put everything back in a neat fashion! My hydrafarm t-stat turns the heater on when temps in hh drop below 72 & my cooling t-stat turns on my box fan(pointed outwards) at temps above 85. This system is working well for me. Sunday, May 9 View Page Happy Mother's Day! Here's my latest picture of my plants. It has been brutally windy here in upstate NY! It's been a full time job keeping everything in line. Yesterday I lost power (heat) at 5:30pm & didn't regain it until 3:20 am! Yes, I was inside my hh at 3:30am checking things out! Soil temp had dropped to 71 from 79, & air to 45. Tonight it's 33 at 8:45 already. Next couple of days cool & windy! Oh yah,it was snowing when my power was out too! Sunday, May 9 View Page I've been busy this last week moving my portable shelter to a friends house, moving my fire wood piles so I can rid a few acid needle dropping, sun blocking, no good trees to me !! Sunday, May 9 View Page I had the wood between these trees. I didn't have plans of moving the wood until it was splitting time! Pumpkins,Pumpkins,Pumpkins! Sunday, May 9 View Page This is the side the sun comes from & the trees have no effect on my patch until late evening. (besides needles!) Sunday, May 9 View Page & here's the view from the field behind my house. Soon to be gone are those trees! Mostly spruce & pine, & a few small oaks. I love to look out into the field & watch deer, turkeys, & other wildlife. Monday, May 10 View Page Despite the cooler weather, plants are doing very well in HH! Monday, May 10 View Page 893 enjoyed the nice sunny day today! 1678 is also happy in the Mariot HH!! Thursday, May 13 View Page Today's picture of my 1678 Hunt plant. A little small for an April 25th plant date. Cooler than normal temps are the main reason for the hold back, plus little sun! Plant is healthy & that's good. Last year my plants went into the ground on May 18th! I should have established plants by that time this year. Thursday, May 13 View Page 893 in background shows size comparison. 893 is ready for touchdown within a few days. I water the soil in hh every 2-3 days to prevent soil from powdering up from being to dry. I drench plants separately every 2 days w/ light soluble mixes of seaweed & fish & rotate w/ straight water. Thursday, May 13 View Page Another shot inside hh after a water down. Monday, May 17 View Page 5-16-10 picture taken. 1678 Hunt- wants to grow up yet! after last year & my broken main adventure! I'll watch & wait, with any minor adjustments done in the heat of the day! She'll come down soon. Monday, May 17 View Page 5-16-10 both plants hanging out! Monday, May 17 View Page 5-16-10 my 893 is closer to touchdown every day! Monday, May 17 View Page Removed 2 trees over the weekend! Monday, May 17 View Page I cinched up close to the butt of the trees w/ the big bad Dodge & pulled the whole tree like a skidder would! Closer to where I will burn the limbs, the rest will be split for campers firewood.(you might be a RedNeck if........!!) Wednesday, May 19 View Page It's a BOY!!!!!! Porter Richard Brownell- 8lbs 3oz! 20" long! Wednesday, May 19 View Page A relieved mom w/ her new son! cute little pumpkin!! Thursday, May 20 View Page Our new little Pumpkin!! Thursday, May 20 View Page He's a blessing to us........so cute !! Thursday, May 20 View Page 893 has touched down! now the fun begins! Thursday, May 20 View Page 1678 in background has grown up to the sky while daddy was gone! I removed a leaf/stem that was holding it from laying down. I now have it on it's way back down. bamboo stakes & light pressure. Tuesday, May 25 View Page 5-22-10 1678 Hunt plant skybound! Tuesday, May 25 View Page one day later, getting there! Tuesday, May 25 View Page 2 days later- 25th, she's down!! I put soil under the main to support & ease her down gently! Now it's time to run! Tuesday, May 25 View Page 893 on the 22nd- things are good! Tuesday, May 25 View Page 893 today, buried main out to 5 ft, secondaries 1ft long, overall length 7ft - I'm happy w/ this! Tuesday, May 25 View Page backup 893 never made my garden! healthy & I feel bad that it's not going to be grown to it's potential, same w/ my backup 1678. Tuesday, May 25 View Page Maters,Hosta, & backups in last years greenhouse all doing well. Tuesday, May 25 View Page I'm a little behind! my irrigation system is next!! Tuesday, May 25 View Page Garage floor is a much better place to assemble this! Tuesday, May 25 View Page Hours of back pain later! near done! Tuesday, May 25 View Page Not complete yet, but this is my manifold made of pvc. I plan on capturing rain water & selectively use what barrels I want w/ ball valves. Tuesday, May 25 View Page Testing one, two! gas powered echo transfer pump works well. I also hooked system up to a garden hose - that worked, but not as well, still good though! Tuesday, May 25 View Page Good for now! I should get it finalized by Memorial Day weekend. Monday, May 31 View Page Major problems: 893 has drooped? can't figure it out? noticed the stump in a little trouble (slightly soft)5-28-10 the 1678 is fine? I do everything the same for both plants? Monday, May 31 View Page Dug under the stump a little to let air in/ no water/ I'll wait a day and see what happens. Monday, May 31 View Page 5-29-10 the next day the stump has worsened!??? dug deeper & I got mush! Plant looks terrible? Well, there's still time for my back up! This really stinks because this plant was my best so far! Monday, May 31 View Page Stump shot- thought about trying to still grow plant w/ no stump, but w/ condition the plant was in, no!! I have a healthy backup 893. Monday, May 31 View Page Might be a little root bound, but it sure looks healthy! Monday, May 31 View Page It wasn't until I transplanted my backup into the patch that I found out what my problem was w/ my original 893. The soil felt HOT??? weird??? Come to find out, the thermostat that controls my soil cable for that plant must have failed! my soil temp was 95 deg! The other plants soil was 80! I unplugged both! I don't know how long the soil was like that? I wasn't paying close attention to soil temps anymore! Oh well- lesson learned. Move forward! Monday, May 31 View Page Planted backup 893 tipped & running already !! By the next morning the soil temp was back in check! Tuesday, June 1 View Page Back on logger duty! Let there be light!This tree was big & had many needles - yuck! Tuesday, June 1 View Page Big Ole Stump! Tuesday, June 1 View Page Time to play w/ the skidder again! Tuesday, June 1 View Page I took sections of the tree away, bit bye bit, & brought them from my neighbors field to my open lot next to my garage. I will make burn piles & wood piles from it soon! Tuesday, June 1 View Page Good for now! only a couple more to go! Tuesday, June 1 View Page 1678 is doing well, 1st female out at 8ft. I'm keeping the soil loose & burying the main & the secondaries every 2 days. Tuesday, June 1 View Page 893 playing catch up! WE got a much needed rain here today. It's about time- over a week- no rain!! Saturday, June 5 View Page 6-4-09 1678 plant- doing well. I foliar sprayed both plants today w/ eagle 20 & TKO. When I got home from work the plants looked spruced up! I'm going to try & keep on top of my fungicides this year, last year I struggled w/ pm all season. Saturday, June 5 View Page My little 893! just starting to get it's feet wet!! Saturday, June 5 View Page Inside my tomatoes,pumpkin,hosta greenhouse! It's starting to get a little crowded! Time to remove the tomato plants & re- support them. They are growing pretty fast! I think?!! Saturday, June 5 View Page Made a trellis from bamboo stakes for my mater plants. This should help support them for the time being! Saturday, June 5 View Page Patch today - rained hard last night! just what they needed, then they got warm sun all day. Sunday, June 13 View Page Patch update - things going well, a little foliar burn from a morning application- not again! just a couple leaves. I've been using azos, co2, nept f& sw, along w/ actinovate, companion, tko & eagle 20. insecticides are merit & sevin & now talstar.Hardly any bugs seen -weather has been a little cool. Starting tea this week. Sunday, June 13 View Page 1st female pollinated on the 1678 at 8 ft on 6-11-10- selfed. Sunday, June 13 View Page Putting some eggs in a basket on this one! 1678, at 11 ft! should be ready on or near the 16th. Might have to have males shipped through the mail to prevent another self & make a great cross!! 893 isn't ready to mate yet! Sunday, June 13 View Page In preparation, I removed the leaf & the secondary where the pumpkin will set. Not everyone would remove the secondary, but most would remove the leaf. Sunday, June 13 View Page My little stump table is used to protect the female against the elements. Sunday, June 13 View Page 1678 plant- starting to stretch out a little. Burying every 2-3 days.(rti- m.fungi & granular companion mix) Sunday, June 13 View Page Welcome to the jungle! Time to take tomato plants out of greenhouse!This weeks to do! Tuesday, June 15 View Page My female today on the 1678 plant. Healthy, but weather has stunted her open date. By the looks of her she still has a few days. Tuesday, June 15 View Page I finally moved my tomato jungle outside! I spaced them 3 ft apart & pounded metal posts in between them, then I ran twine in & out of the posts to create a weave.(Tom's advice!) Tuesday, June 15 View Page Another shot. Some small tomatoes seen! Sprayed w/ Daconil today to help prevent blight. Thursday, June 17 View Page 6-17-10 she's getting close! my bet is for sat. the 19th. Thursday, June 17 View Page This is something new! Shipping males through the mail! I don't want to self my 1678 so I got some heavy hitter males sent to me from a friend. All within a day or 2 of opening. I'll try it! My 893 doesn't have any mature flowers yet! Thursday, June 17 View Page Labeled cups,removed from viles, put near window where sun shines in morning.Yes, water is in cups! Tuesday, June 22 View Page lazy opener! opened on the 18th, 1 day away from mailed males!-selfed! another one is following,hopefully I'll have 893 males by then. Tuesday, June 22 View Page 1678 plant is looking good, shot taken on the 19th. Tuesday, June 22 View Page 3rd female on the main of the 1678. I S shaped the vine to set pumpkins on outside of curves. Tuesday, June 22 View Page Sun burned my leaves w/ my timer running my irrigation system on 90 deg sunny days! lesson learned! Only hurt a couple of leaves. Changed timer settings! Tuesday, June 22 View Page Maters doing well. Tuesday, June 22 View Page Time to bury again! Tuesday, June 22 View Page Running out of room! I will turn vines, but then I'll have a clumped up mess! Deadhead soon?!! Play this by advice given! Tuesday, June 22 View Page This is my selfed 1678 2nd pollination. 6-19-10- looks like she might go! Tuesday, June 22 View Page Thing of Beauty here! 893's 1st female- 7ft! I pollinate her tomorrow w/ the 1678. Tuesday, June 22 View Page Another shot of her! Fat at the flower end? I've never seen that look before? Tuesday, June 22 View Page Yet another shot! This flower is a Star! Cool angle! Tuesday, June 22 View Page Another shot, cool angle! Tuesday, June 22 View Page My wife & I have been very busy lately! Super Cute! Tuesday, June 22 View Page 3rd female on the 1678 going off tomorrow! May have to self it,only 1 893 male to open- risky! Tuesday, June 22 View Page Later everyone, Dad's time to watch me!! Sunday, July 4 View Page o.k.- catch up time! on the 23rd I pollinated a nice 5 lobe on the 1678 plant w/ the 1 male flower from the 893. I used the paperclip scrape method that Tom told me about. Sunday, July 4 View Page I made my tea brewer! Sunday, July 4 View Page Lots of air bubbles w/ this setup! Sunday, July 4 View Page 24 hours of brew time & walah! Foaming tea- nice! Sunday, July 4 View Page 1678 plant - 2nd pollination, selfed -picture taken on the 27th. Sunday, July 4 View Page Same pumpkin on the 29th. Sunday, July 4 View Page Same pumpkin on the 4th. Sunday, July 4 View Page I don't like the blossom end & the fact that it was selfed! Sunday, July 4 View Page This is my 3rd set on the 1678 -5 lobe- June 23rd- crossed w/ the 893. 14 or so feet out. Sunday, July 4 View Page 3rd of July - 3rd fruit on 1678 - nice blossom snout! Sunday, July 4 View Page July 4th- 3rd fruit- another shot -11 days old -21" circ. A little behind, but I need to cull the selfed one ahead of it. I need to act soon! Saturday, July 10 View Page Dad, I think we should cull this one! selfed,2nd set on 1678 is gone! Saturday, July 10 View Page 7-8-10 -Didn't take long & the #3 set became the Boss! Saturday, July 10 View Page Then I was in a panic to get this fabric down before it got to heavy!-done! Pollinated on the 23rd w/ the 893- beyond 12 ft -5 lobes -at 16 days old circ. was 50". maybe a little behind because of a late cull on the # 2 set, but it's growing good now! Sunday, July 11 View Page 1678 plant- day 18 =60 circ. a little behind, but she'll do fine! She's just getting acclimated to her new home! Sunday, July 11 View Page 7-8-10 Now this is my 893 plant. I've been having some troubles w/ this guy all season! Not all the plants fault! But it does tend to have weird females w/ seeds in the flowers & twisted flowers too!?? Sunday, July 11 View Page 7-11-10 Anyways, I did manage to pollinate a normal female 5 lobe at around 9 ft on June 25th w/o any seeds in flower! Nice round shape - I like it! I'm Keeping her! Plant is still small yet, but early pumpkin growth is o.k. - circ. on day 16 =47. Sunday, July 11 View Page Final site preparation time! Sunday, July 11 View Page I'm sorry but you had to go! Sunday, July 11 View Page I make the ground that the pumpkin will be on as flat as possible. Sunday, July 11 View Page 893's stem & main shot. I'm happy w/ this. Sunday, July 11 View Page I must always have my wife involved in this step. I lift, she positions the fabric! Sunday, July 11 View Page My 893, all nestled into her new home. O.K. - you can grow now! Wednesday, July 14 View Page 7-13-10 1678 pumpkin- 20 days old! here's the #'s -173.25 ott =120 lbs- here we go! Wednesday, July 14 View Page 7-13-10 893 pumpkin 18 days old -147 ott= 77 lbs. This plant still needs to grow a bit yet. 300 sq ft left to fill. Saturday, July 17 View Page 1678 stump is foaming a little - too much watering near it, I will start covering it when it's going to rain & overnight. I will also fan it, turn irrigation runner off that runs by stump, & when it's sunny, let it bake! Saturday, July 17 View Page 893 pumpkin coming along nicely now! 22 days old -184" =142 lbs. 28 lb gain Saturday, July 17 View Page Meet Mr. Bubba! my 1678 pumpkin is stacking on the pounds. 23 days old w/ daily gains in the 30's Let's hope things continue to go well. Ott= 212 =210 lbs. Saturday, July 17 View Page My mater plants are slowing down now that they have reached 5ft tall. I think I need to trim suckers. Saturday, July 17 View Page I bought this nifty pruner for under the canopy 3rd stage growth. It shears by moving the handle in the middle or by pulling the ball on the end. Works sweet! Monday, July 26 View Page Despite a recent stem split setback, my 893 pumpkin has recovered well & is putting on consistent 30's. 31 days old today = 273 ott =434 lbs. Plant is almost all deadheaded - 1 more wk or so - plant is healthy. nice round shape! Monday, July 26 View Page 1678 pumpkin is doing well- recent heavy rains made me nervous! Small stretch cracks seen in skin! Plant is decent, main has 4 ft until final plant deadhead. Most all growth since 20 days old has been in the 30's! Early #'s are good, but there's a long way to go! 33 days old = 294 ott = 543 lbs. Wednesday, July 28 View Page latest shot of 893- still looking good. Had my dad help me move it today for a better vine/ stem relationship. Double mat trick works well! 33 days old = 496 lbs. Wednesday, July 28 View Page 1678 plant broke 600 today! stem & blossom end look very good. Growth has been steady. Moved this pumpkin today also w/ my dad. a little tougher though!! Thursday, July 29 View Page 893- 34 days old today -293 ott= 533 -37 lb gain! Thursday, July 29 View Page side shot of 893! Thursday, July 29 View Page 1678 today-36 days old -312 ott =641 lbs -39 lb gain for today!- easy does it! Thursday, July 29 View Page 1678's stem/ main shot. I just moved this big boy w/ the help of my dad. It made things better. Thursday, July 29 View Page 893 plant is still young & healthier than the 1678 by a little. Many secondaries to terminate yet & the main. Thursday, July 29 View Page 893 plant. Thursday, July 29 View Page 1678 plant is older. All but the main is terminated. Thursday, July 29 View Page This is where I plan on terminating the 1678's main. I plan on using a lot of m. fungi here so there is plenty of roots for back feeding the pumpkin. Sunday, August 8 View Page Stump area for both my pumpkins.I'm o.k. w/ this! I removed a few bad leaves & made room for access & air flow. I drench a little here, not as much as last year though! Last year I had foaming stump a lot more! Sunday, August 8 View Page A very healthy 893 plant! I'm pleased w/ how healthy this plant is at this stage of the game. Sunday, August 8 View Page Some of my 1678 plants leaves are old & ugly! Sunday, August 8 View Page Some are young & good looking! Sunday, August 8 View Page 893 pumpkin - nice shape & color. 43 days old #'s - 337.5 ott =807 lbs. avg daily gains in the low 30's w/ a large gain yesterday of 42 lbs!???? I'm happy w/ this! Sunday, August 8 View Page Here's the broad shoulders of my 1678 beast! circ is 154" yesterday. Sunday, August 8 View Page Another view of my 1678 pumpkin. This pumpkin is 45 days old w/ avg gains still in the mid 30's. I hope it continues?!! It's ott yesterday was 352 = 915 lbs! There's a fine line between coasting & wanting to juice it! I'm leaning towards not juicing it! Sunday, August 8 View Page Here's a tool I made out of 2x8's to clamp the mill fabric so I can move my pumpkins when needed. I will attach my jeeps winch cable to the eyelets. Manual pulling days are over!! Sunday, August 15 View Page tool, when opened. Sunday, August 15 View Page tool, when hooked up! Sunday, August 15 View Page To my jeep! I can move the pumpkins w/ inch by inch control, or less if desired. Sunday, August 15 View Page Future grower! Sunday, August 15 View Page Not sure about heights yet! Sunday, August 15 View Page I found this open main, before the pumpkin, on my 1678 plant. It was full of mud & water! I made a knife drain hole in the bottom of it, cleaned it w/fresh water, placed a small stick through the bottom of it to allow for future drainage, then I applied sulfur powder & a fan. I will pay close attention to how it heals. The main is still stiff & strong, not spongy. Sunday, August 15 View Page Another shot of the main. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one! Monday, August 16 View Page Overhead shot of my patch. We got some much needed rain today. Monday, August 16 View Page 1678 pumpkin seems to be doing just fine. A little scare for me w/ the main & some lower gains per day. But now that I have that under control the gains have picked back up. This pumpkin is 54 days old today, it did 22 lbs yesterday & 26 lbs today! It's ott is 378.25 = 1132 lbs. I'm going to let third stage growth grow a little to make up for damaged leaves & hopefully that will carry this pumpkin to the end. Monday, August 16 View Page Now this pumpkin is a different story! This THING is on some sort of mission to prove itself! The plant is extremely healthy & the pumpkin has turned aggressive! It's 52 days old & yesterday it gained 33 lbs & today it gained 41! Everything looks good, we'll just have to see where this ride ends! Today's ott-372 =1078 lbs. It's closing the gap on my 1678! & no, I'm not doing much?!! Monday, August 16 View Page Maters everywhere! I need to learn how to jar em! Sunday, August 22 View Page 1678's leaves getting old & don't like foliar feedings w/o this! soon after they get slightly brown, then it rains, & they look like this! The only foliar now is fungicides only. Sunday, August 22 View Page Another shot of a 1678's damaged leaf. All 3rd stage growth is being kept now to sustain the plant! All feedings now are through the irrigation only. Sunday, August 22 View Page The 1678 pumpkin is now 59 days old w/ avg gains in the mid teens. ott = c-171, sb-104.75, ss-111= 386.75= 1210 lbs by my chart. I,m going to try to mustard 1500 out of this baby??? Weather may be key! Pumpkin is solid & healthy. If soil has leached- it will hopefully be replenished. Sunday, August 22 View Page 3 days of rain expected- I expanded shelter & on the right side of pumpkin I trenched a little to keep water from settling where pumpkin is. Sunday, August 22 View Page 893 is closing the gap! avg gains have slowed to around low 20's this week. Time to replenish the soil I hope! I have done very little to the soil & it may need some nutrients? I will soon know! Plant is still super healthy, pumpkin looks good too. Sunday, August 22 View Page 893 has developed some large ribs lately! It's turning into a beast! I don't know what to expect from this thing! Again, the 1500 mark is what I'm shooting for. This pumpkin may be the one that has a better chance?? Sunday, August 22 View Page 893's latest #'s - c-170, sb-105.25, ss- 107.5 =382.75 =1171 lbs. ?? We'll see? Sunday, August 22 View Page Latest overhead. 893 is on the left. Saturday, August 28 View Page Cool nights, Time for warm days of full sun- no protection till evening. (893) Saturday, August 28 View Page Same goes for the 1678. This week the 893 has taken over the patch w/ consistent gains. The new king of the patch! Saturday, August 28 View Page the 893 1s over 1300 lbs & avg gains are in the high teens. I measure every 2-3 days now, & this weeks weather looks really good. I'm hoping for 1400 lbs by the end of this week & we'll see where this all ends up.??? Sunday, August 29 View Page Growth has slowed down for the 1678? I just hope I can keep the plant healthy enough to make the fruit to weigh off. W/ good weather ahead I should really know if there's any potential left by its gains?? It will be fine. Sunday, August 29 View Page Another angle of the 893. Come on baby! Thursday, September 2 View Page The last time I measured the 1678 caught up w/ the 893 within a 1/4 inch!(cooler weather) June 30th it's ott was 397.75 & the 893 was 398. 13 lbs a day avg. gains. Today I measured & it has slowed to 8 lbs a day avg. for 3 days- ott =400.25 = 1339 lbs. Not bad, but I think the 1678 likes cooler weather & it's been in the high 80's low 90's all week! Thursday, September 2 View Page The 893 on the other hand, likes the heat! Over the last three days this pumpkin has averaged 21 lbs a day!!!! It's ott is like this: c =182 sb =110.5 & ss=112 -404.5 =1382 lbs. It should be into the 14's soon! Cooler weather is headed our way & we'll see what happens.?? Thursday, September 2 View Page Another view of the 893. Plant is still super healthy w/ very few weeds under its canopy. Sunday, September 5 View Page Late season 3rd stage growth! Man, these things pop up out of nowhere! Sunday, September 5 View Page Labor day weekend, cool in upstate NY ! Sunday, September 5 View Page This is 3rd stage growth that I'm supporting on my 1678 plant. The 893 doesn't have or need any of this. Sunday, September 12 View Page While checking things out in the patch I noticed a distinct smell & some flies! Further investigation led to a nearly gone,rotted stump! I dug out the bad,applied sulfur powder, covered, & put a fan on the damp part. 1/4 of the stump is left. Next year I will not have an irrigation sprinkler that close! Sunday, September 12 View Page Which led me to the 893's stump! I dug under that one & aired it out. It was just starting to develop a problem. Sulfur powder , cover, & fan also! Late season w/ cool, damp, days & nights can create problems rather quickly. Note to self- pay attention daily, especially late season! Sunday, September 12 View Page Here's a shot of the 1678's main. I weeded heavy over the weekend to keep airflow around the vines. Next year I'm not going to bury the vines like I did this year. W/ todays insecticides the need to bury is for tap root reasons, & my uncovered vines had no problem, top or bottom, growing roots. & they are way less likely to rot. Sunday, September 12 View Page 893's stump toward the pumpkin. Yeah, it's close! maybe 7ft! Sunday, September 12 View Page Stem shot of the 1678. This pumpkin likes the cooler weather & continues to grow. I've thumped on it all season & it's finally starting to thump heavy! Sunday, September 12 View Page Side shot of the 1678- pretty tall! Sunday, September 12 View Page Behind view of the 1678- wide load! Sunday, September 12 View Page With ott measurements nearly identical to Phil's original 1678 pumpkin, Porter & I hope it goes as heavy! (19 %)!! Sunday, September 12 View Page Stem shot of the 893. Yes, that stem is split! Early season mishap! It healed. It's been a tough road w/ this pumpkin but it out to prove something! Damn thing is mean! Sunday, September 12 View Page Latest shot of the Bad Boy! Still growing. This pumpkin has thumped like a rock all season. Ott is now 408.5 I hope it goes heavy! Isn't that what everyone hopes! Sunday, September 12 View Page Porter gets his picture taken, AGAIN! Sunday, September 12 View Page Latest overhead from deck. You may not be able to tell, but I weeded heavy this weekend! 1678 had some rotted ends on secondaries - I pulled out the bad. Sunday, September 12 View Page The 3rd stage growth I'm allowing on the 1678 is coming along rather nicely. Sunday, September 12 View Page My tomato plants just won't stop! Sunday, September 12 View Page Maters, maters, & more maters! Sunday, September 12 View Page My wife has had enough! No more! Friday, September 17 View Page It's been a long week! I've been covering the pumpkins w/ blankets & tarps every night, watching the weather, having my sister help w/ uncovering during the days w/ sun! I'm watching everything closely. I've been fighting off aphids! (talstar) I continue to foliar & some drench. Everything is hanging in there & I think they are still growing by looking at them. I'll measure tomorrow. I got some large hardwood pallets for transport & some high density foam for the tops of the pallets. One more week to go! Besides tonights frost threat, the rest of next week looks great until weigh off- Good! Tomorrow I have a patch tour for the local community to come & see the pumpkins. I did it last year too & everyone loves it! lots of pictures, & even more questions! Friday, September 17 View Page Here's a copy of the flyer I posted at a few of the local stores & diners. Last year it was great fun & I must of had 80 or more people show up! This year should be the same! I love to see the expressions on peoples faces when they see a giant pumpkin - Priceless! Kids & adults! Sunday, September 19 View Page Patch tour was a success! Weather was great, apple cider, donuts, & cookies. Many friends & family & neighbors all came to see the Giant Pumpkins! Many pictures were taken by all! 120 people showed up throughout the day total! Not bad! Sunday, September 19 View Page 893- Growth has slowed considerably. Plant is still healthy, cool weather week. Pumpkin is still in good shape w/ no real concerns. Only measured gain was 1/2 inch in circumference. A gain is still a gain! Better week ahead before weigh off. An inch or two would be nice! ott is now 409! I'm very happy w/ that. Sunday, September 19 View Page 1678- Plant is hanging in there! 3rd stage growth has helped w/ survival! Now this plant is being hit heavy w/ aphids! I'm fighting back w/ talstar! All I need is 4 more days! I'll watch closely. The cool weather has kicked this pumpkin back into gear! It grows better in cooler weather! It gained 3 inches this week! Ott is 408.75! Wow, I'm impressed w/ it's cool weather ability to grow! Now, a 1/4 inch separates my 2 pumpkins! I couldn't be happier. Wednesday, September 29 View Page Last Friday was harvest day for both pumpkins. Wednesday, September 29 View Page This is me checking the bottom of my 1678 Hunt pumpkin. All was perfect. The same couldn't be said for my 893 pumpkin! It had a leak, we brought it to be weighed anyways! Wednesday, September 29 View Page Here's the 1678 pumpkin at the Cooperstown weigh off - ott was recorded as 410.5 The 893 was the same ott!!!! Wednesday, September 29 View Page Mine was the last pumpkin weighed! & when the #'s stopped, I couldn't believe my eyes! 1541.7!!!! WOW! Wednesday, September 29 View Page I was a little excited! Wednesday, September 29 View Page It's been a great growing season for me & I can't wait till next! Wednesday, September 29 View Page It's just starting to set in on what an accomplishment I've done in just 2 years of growing. I owe all the credit to all the growers who share their information on this site, & Of coarse- Tom Privitera & his wife Kim. Not only did they sell me the products to grow, they explained their uses & helped steer me towards my goals. & that they would do for anyone! Thursday, September 30 View Page I love this shot from the weigh off! It looks HUGE!! Thursday, October 7 View Page Before I got home from the Cooperstown weigh off I looked in my rear view mirror & noticed my damaged 1271 had a blowout! Thursday, October 7 View Page YUUUCCKKK!!!!!!!!PHEEEEEWWWWW!!!!!! Thursday, October 7 View Page The whole bottom of the dump trailer was full of pumpkin guts! Thursday, October 7 View Page I planned on salvaging some seeds, but soon found out that they were not any good! All soggy & mushy. Thursday, October 7 View Page Everything had turned to liquid mush. I don't know how long this process takes? but I'd have to say from my measuring that it took a couple weeks. Thursday, October 7 View Page Further dismantlement revealed some mold that was growing inside! More evidence that this pumpkin had been hurt for a while. Thursday, October 7 View Page More mold! Thursday, October 7 View Page I don't blame the pumpkin for this. After the weigh off while looking over my patch, I noticed a piece of blanket insulation under where the pumpkin was. It was under the mill fabric? I either tilled it or it stuck to the fabric when I laid it down? It was wet & smelled just like my dump trailer! I think it held the moisture that would normally disappear. Oh well, live & learn! I would have liked to have seen what this pumpkin would have weighed un hurt! Thursday, October 7 View Page I'm already planning my strategy for next year! I know of at least 7 things I will change or modify to have healthier plants & heavier pumpkins. This years weigh off results have me spinning w/ potential seeds to grow! I will continue to learn more about growing these Giants in my quest to achieve higher goals. I love this hobby! Tuesday, October 26 View Page O.K. -season is all most over! I tilled, then sent out my soil sample. while awaiting my results I put 1 dump trailer load of mulched maple leaves on half the patch & spread. Then 1 dumptrailer load of aged pig poo! Tuesday, October 26 View Page A second load of mulched maple leaves should be good. Now, after getting my results back, I will spread the 1 load of poo over the whole patch. (I was going to do 2 but it looks like it won't be necessary) My organic matter is 17% !!! Tuesday, October 26 View Page Here's my spring 2010 soil sample. Organic matter was 13.3% & cec was 9.8 & ph was 7.5 Tuesday, October 26 View Page Here's my soil test after the growing season w/ just a till. Note- my organic matter is now higher (17%) cec is higher too (14.4) & ph has fallen to 6.5 I called Mike Buttress at A&L labs to discuss my soil test & he said that maybe the reason for the increase in om was that last falls leaves may finally have broken down through my growing season & that it was an overall good soil structure that needs only minor tweaks. He also said that one load of broken down manure would be all he would add. The manure would help bring up my potash which he suggested I raise, along w/ my nitrogen a bit. Saturday, November 6 View Page My patch after I spread all my mulched maple leaves. Saturday, November 6 View Page Another shot. That's 2 dump trailer loads of mulched maple leaves & 1 dump trailer load of aged pig poo! Saturday, November 6 View Page I hand spread the pig poo over the entire patch! (2 hrs & 1 blister!) I will till all this up together, then add my fall amendments, then till 1 more time. In the spring, it is soil sample time again to see how it looks! Tuesday, December 14 View Page Now that hunting season is behind me, it's time to get back to pumpkins! Tuesday, December 14 View Page I don't want to offend anyone, so I'll keep the hunting pictures to 3! Tuesday, December 14 View Page I was close, but my buddy Scotty was in the right spot! Nice Buck ! Tuesday, December 14 View Page Back to pumpkins! Sorry about that! Here's my 1541 being cut open. (Nov 6th) Nice thick walls! 9% heavy! Tuesday, December 14 View Page Another cutaway of my pumpkin. I'm happy w/ everything about this. Tuesday, December 14 View Page And yes, lots of seeds! Good deal! Now I can trade, donate, & barter a little ! Saturday, December 25 View Page Merry Christmas! Saturday, December 25 View Page What? are you laughing at my high waters ?