Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 95 Entries. Saturday, June 26 View Page Saturday 06/26/10, pollinated 5 lobe 15' of 1 of 2 main vines. (Dills seed from Lowes). I am new to this and had no idea you could buy premium Dill seeds. I'm trying to pick up the ocabulary as fast as I can so bare with me. Saturday, June 26 View Page "vocabulary" Saturday, July 3 View Page Plant has left the garden. Started trimming secondary vines. Saturday, July 3 View Page Plant has left the garden. Little did I know what I was getting into. Tuesday, July 6 View Page 8 days in, looks like a space ship. Vertical circumference @13 inches. Tuesday, July 6 View Page Day 11 and growing fast for what I was expecting. Vertical circumference at 22.5" and horizontal at 34" - I think I have found a new yearly hobby. I have really been reading up on the preperations some people do and the amount of available space and realized I was way off. I started applying some of Neptunes Seaweed and fish fertilizer, but I think my soil is way off. Wednesday, July 7 View Page Well, I showed I am a true beginner today by breaking the stem of my 12 day old torpedo. Here it is on my wife's tiki bar with a couple of others I harvested today. I have a new one hopefuly setting tomorrow. Thursday, July 8 View Page Well here is the last of the Mohicans sitting pretty at 25 feet and one more at about 18 feet ready to go. You can see the fence on the left so I had to curve the main stem. It really needs to be cut soon. I guess I could try off a tertiary vine, but I doubt the wife will allow any more of the yard to be consumed since we are going to try selling in early Fall. Wishe me luck with one of these. Thursday, July 8 View Page More on myself, I'm an avid angler and outdoorsman. I moved to the Saint Louis area from rural Missouri and have been gardening the past 2 summers. You can kind of get a feel the size of my yard with the next couple pics that I am really using every square inch I can leaving room for my 2 Shepherds.I never thought I'd be building ledges on fences for pumpkins while trying to grow a giant at the same time. Thursday, July 8 View Page More white pumpkins on the fence. Saturday, July 10 View Page Spent some time on the river this week. The dogs sure were happy. Saturday, July 10 View Page Here's my Lowes 123XYZ 1 DAP. LOL, I need to get some real seeds next year. She's got good size though. Saturday, July 10 View Page And here is Medusa 6 DAP, also derived from the Lowes XYZ123 strain. What an ugly little guy, but I'll take it! Sunday, July 11 View Page Medusa is sure turning to be not the looker... I set another 4 lober today so I might off her. I am also tempted to keep her and enter her in the ugly competition. Sunday, July 11 View Page This is what I call easy and relaxing, pumkin growing is hard. Monday, July 12 View Page Good news and bad news. Medusa is getting uglier, but the 4 lobe missle I did Friday is getting big quick. At 3 days after pollination, she is already the size of a can. I can't do anything about being that shape since it is my only plant, but oh well. I set another 4 lobe female yesterday who looks good today and I plan on it being Medusas replacement by the weekend. I got a bit of powder mildew starting to show so I hit hard tonight with Fung-Onil and am going systematic in a few days. Here's my 3 DAP: Tuesday, July 13 View Page What's up everybody. Check this out. See the orange flat pumpkin I harvested a week ago on the tiki bar? Well check out what I pulled out as I noticed a strange lump and frass while inspecting the pumpkin tonight. I'll be lucky if my vines don't get it. Maybe that's a good sign that he had nowhere to go so he had to bore into a pumpkin? Lol I cut the vine borer out, and put some Daconil and a fan on the wound. I'd like to save the pumpkin so if you have any other suggestions please email me. It's one of only 2 pancakes for the year ([email protected]). Tuesday, July 13 View Page And Medusa met her demise. This is her next to my stem break from last week. Rough week and I was at the dentist today so time to go drink some whiskey. Thursday, July 15 View Page Got some miniature pumpkins about to flower tomorrow. Very easy to grow these little guys. Thursday, July 15 View Page Here's my Lowes XYZ123 only SIX days after pollination not even a week yet. It is much bigger than Medusa and the first one I broke on accident. She is going to be a long bench, but I expect her to be big (at least for me)! I think I need to slow down on the Neptunes. Thursday, July 15 View Page Utilizing limited space to make room for the giant! Sorry ghost pumpkins, but the ledge is the best you'll get... Saturday, July 17 View Page View from the gutters! Saturday, July 17 View Page Day 8 - I am a happy camper Sunday, July 18 View Page It's funny how moments like these now worry me. Fruit covered, and hopefully low winds an no hail. Monday, July 19 View Page Not sure what the heck I am growing here, but here's my Lowes XYZ123 10 days after pollination with a 43.5 inch CC. I have another 7 dayer on the plant I intend to keep as well. My goal is 2, 400lb flying saucers. Tuesday, July 20 View Page I have powdery mildew on my gordes. Does anyone know if that is what is causing these to all rot? I just thought the plant would break down, but it's not that bad of a case yet. Tuesday, July 20 View Page I am having problems up top torward the stump. I have lost most of my main leves so I have guided the terts up there to fill space. CAn anyone tell me what they think I might have with the next 2 pics? I know I have PM and am treating it, but why are these newer leaves either real green and krinkled up or they get tall and then yellowish and very flemsy. Could this be a burn, virus, result of PM? Thanks in advance Please email me at [email protected] if you have any ideas. Tuesday, July 20 View Page 2nd leaf problem with all new leaves I try to grow. Wednesday, July 21 View Page 12 days after pollination. 50" circumference, 25", 34". OTT = 109 - what a missle. If I can control the PM, I should have a bench my Fall. Friday, July 23 View Page If one pic could describe me and my pumpkin growing "skills"..... Friday, July 23 View Page Here she is at 14 days 54.5CC and about 40lbs according to the OTT off 117. She is very flat and long. I'm worried about the dull appearance. Perhaps she might be calling it quits? Friday, July 23 View Page Who ever moderates this, can you email me what I did wrong. I posted a pic of Curly from the 3 Stooges and my pumpkin at 14 days. [email protected] Luke Saturday, July 24 View Page Thanks everybody for great advice. I seem to be coping with the powdery mildew very well. I got many of my 2ndaries going again and 2 terts filling back space. Check out this leaf in comparison to a official size 5 soccer ball! Saturday, July 24 View Page Hit the water this morning, nothing of substantial size... Saturday, July 24 View Page Be one with nature, don't fight it! Sunday, July 25 View Page Ominous Sunday, July 25 View Page DA16 - very slow at 59CC Tuesday, July 27 View Page Growth is crawling along with my pumpkin on day 18. It's been hot, but she only puts on 2 inches CC a day max. Heading to Cape Cod, Mass tomorrow morning for some Striper fishing through the weekend. It'll be nice to get away for a bit. Inlaws are doing the watering in the garden. Saturday, July 31 View Page Back from Cape Cod today to good old Missouri. The northeast temps were great and the humidity is nothing. Now I see why the NE is prime country for pumpkins. We caught some great striped bass too and had the best lobster I have eaten! Sunday, August 1 View Page Day 23 and at 68CC - I've been using Natural Light Emulsions as a foliar daily. Wednesday, August 4 View Page Terts are going wild, and really fighting the powdery Mildew. I removed close to 25 bad, old leaves tonight to make room for new undergrowth to last hopefully till Sept or early October. Speaking of October, this is my number one hobby that time of the year... Thursday, August 5 View Page Pollinated a 5 lober this morning 12 feet down off a new secondary that started about 10 days ago. I am very excited since this is the 1st 5 lober my Lowes plant has produced out of the 7 total I have pollinated. It looks Like I will have 2 keepers this year. XYZ #1 - day 25 @69inches CC XYZ #2 - 1st day of pollintation - kept only since it was 5 lobes Friday, August 6 View Page Headed to Branson Missouri for some fishing on Table Rock Lake. Hopefully this little 5 lober (my 1st one yet) will hold up while gone. Everyone have a good weekend. Sunday, August 8 View Page Just got back from Branson Missouri, if you like Bass and Crappie fishing, country music and rednecks you should go. It is well worth it. I'm also happy to see the 5 lober, 3 days after pollination looking to have taken. This particular generic seed only grows these missle shaped pumpkins, next year I hope to get a proven seed. Sunday, August 8 View Page Typically I am a proud guy, but this weekend I was humbled by a man made trajectory. That is me screaming like a baby on "Powder Keg" when we were catapulted from 0-60 in 2.3 seconds. Notice my wifes composure. Enjoy on my expense... Tuesday, August 10 View Page Who knew I could grow a banana in just 5 days? Wednesday, August 11 View Page Check out these two Jackos at 12 days, now if that don't add a little testosterone to the patch I don't know what does. LOL Thursday, August 12 View Page Here's my Lowes banana 7 DAP and at 30CC - I really hope she doesn't mature like her sister at 20 days. Thursday, August 12 View Page Here's my XYZ123 Lowes at around 150lbs - This will be a perfect jacko to carve since it is so tall and a real nice orange too. She gets darker by the minute. Thursday, August 12 View Page When I say "tall", I meant if I stand it up. It's a rather flat pumpkin, but long. Thursday, August 12 View Page Vine Borers!! We don't need no stinkin Vine Borers!! I found these eggs tonight so the battle is still on. That's my tooth for scale - LOL Friday, August 13 View Page Turns out those are squash bug eggs and not the vine borer. Looks like I have both, but the plant is highly protected. Friday, August 13 View Page Very happy with growth. At 8 days after pollination the CC is at 34 and finally gainung height. I'm going Smallmouth fishing tomorrow down in the deep Ozarks - hope to cover 3 to 4 miles wading some creeks and streams. Sunday, August 15 View Page Did some night fishing and I get dinks... I'm a rook at pumpkins but not at fishing. WTF? This was all we caught all night. Still, so much fun to get out and fish with my buddies. Hope yall had a great weekend. Luke Sunday, August 15 View Page Here's another long one 10 days old at 40 CC. Sunday, August 15 View Page She is done, but quite good looking IMO Sunday, August 15 View Page Can I break the blossom button off of it to stand it up during Fall? Tuesday, August 17 View Page Well, I cut it today. If it holds to October, it will be a great carver. Tuesday, August 17 View Page Does anyone know what these green spots are? It is in the skin. Thursday, August 19 View Page Here's the patch as of 08/19. There would be many more gourdes and not picked yet, but they got some disease. Many more out on the plants and hope to keep em out there till September. The 2 smaller guys are culls that have kept well. I still have one giant out in the yard at 15 days old ond growing long like her sister. Thursday, August 19 View Page Guess what I am going to do this weekend??? Thank god for fishing and camping with the wife and dogs. Work sucks right now, but very happy to be employed still. Sunday, August 22 View Page Got home from fishing this weekend and heres my 2nd Lowes at 17 DAP at 55 inches. Sunday, August 22 View Page And here's one of my best Smallmouth from this weekend at 21 inches. Your typical long, and skinny river Smallie. Can't beat night fishing! Tuesday, August 24 View Page At around 58 inches today CC - these Lowes Atlantic Giants are crawlers. I am convinced these might not even be true Dill's AG's due to the banana shape. Maybe a hybrid? Friday, August 27 View Page Here's Lowes XYZ123 #2 on day 22 at 60 inches - very long just like her sister. Hopefully she will get dark orange too once it matures. Friday, August 27 View Page Here's a female I found this morning. This might be the longest and skinniest one yet. I have not decided if I am going to grow the boat yet since they mature in 25 days and would be another great one to carve. If anyone has room and wants a great banana shaped pumkin seed\plant for carving, let me know. I probably could have grown 10 or so up to 100lbs on this plant. Saturday, August 28 View Page Here's another Lowes #3 4 days after pollination. Another missle, and I am growing it since it will mature in 25 days at around 100lbs if like the others. I am also growing the boat above to see just how skinny it will be. Monday, August 30 View Page Just got back from moving granny to a new retirement home closer to everybody and she seems much happier - she gave me some vibrating slippers she bought for my grandpa right before he died. I thought that was pretty funny. I also culled this missle, and here's my last grower of the year at 21cc and 6 DAP. If history repeats itself, it will grow very fast till day 15 and then come to a full hault by day 25 at ~100lbs. Hopefully this is the last Lowes AG I ever grow again. And don't ever let your friends say pumpkin growing is easy cause that is blood! Monday, September 6 View Page Here is my 2nd 100lber grown on my Lowes plant - very long and goofy like her sister Monday, September 6 View Page Another view of my Lowes Atlantic Giant #2. The plant is still very healthy including the stump. I seem to have everything thing thrown at me this year and have controlled it all thanks to this site. I can't wait to grow a real seed next year and actually have a "big pumpkin". Friday, September 17 View Page Here is 1 of 2 left on my Lowes AG plant which is still ticking. She's about 95lbs and do you think she could win an ugly contest? Thursday, September 23 View Page I have heard of seeds germinating in pumpkins before, but these seeds were ready to go after I cut open a rotting field pumpkin. If you look close you can see a jacko thats 5 days after pollination on one of those plants... haha Sunday, September 26 View Page I was depressed I couldn't contribute to a weigh off so to make myself feel better I went fishing all night. Monday, September 27 View Page My 2nd Lowes AG Pumpkin just keeps getting a better color by the day. I bet if I had kept the other one on with a better shape on the plant longer, it would have turned this color too. Also, I got some 740 Washer seeds in the mail last week from some real nice lady down in Tennessee some of you might know. Next year is looking to be fun. Wednesday, September 29 View Page Even though the Cards have been eliminated from the playoffs, the Gateway Arch stands strong keeping an eye out for the lil guys. All these are from 2 plants derived from one Jack B Little grown in 2009. I really like the color variety. The one from 2009 was orange, so I assumed both the seeds I planted would have orange fruit. These might be the easiest plants to grow needing only 5-10 square feet and minimal attention.... great for kids. Wednesday, October 6 View Page Got some more seeds in the mail from a Texas pal, JDFan. Working on getting some decent combos for next year since I hope to tripple my patch size and grow at least one heat tolerant plant. Got one of Don Langevin's books, joined a growers club a bit west of me, and spend more time reading on here than I do working from my desk. I will be entering my bright red goofy Lowes pumpkin in a goofy shape contest in Saint Louis on the 23rd and after that it is sianara generic seeds! Thursday, October 7 View Page Shot 1 - the one on the far right will be in a goofy shape contest Thursday, October 28 View Page Well, I am already getting stir crazy and it's still October! I figured I could take some of my old Lowes AG seeds and make use of them. Last year, I just threw the generics into the ground. So today, I started practicing filing and germinating seeds so I don't lose any of my good ones next spring due to inexperience. I found an old heat rock from when I was a kid I used to use in my aquariums with pet snakes. I will upgrade when next spring, but this will do for now. Adios for now! Friday, October 29 View Page Well here is what I wake up to today, some little punks came through last night and smashed my pumpkins in the front yard. I awoke to my dogs going nuts and got out there before they could get them all. They weren't true giants like evrybody elses, but it is still disheartening after months of effort to grow them. If they want thrills, why don't they go walk around the woods with some antlers taped to their heads. Thursday, November 4 View Page Well we finally got an offer on our house and accepted. Closing is on 12/10 but can be pushed back no later than 12/30. We have a few homes in mind and look to make offers this weekend.I am very happy to be moving and finally start preppin the new patch! I just might need one of these bad boys to clear my patch since it will be the end of the year: Thursday, November 11 View Page Well I am really jumping the gun here since we haven't even closed on the new house and are getting the inspection this Saturday, but I'm stopping by there after work to take some soil samples to send to A&L. The current owners have already moved out and we are set to close the 10th, so if something falls through I'll be out $33, but it is worth it to me so I can start ammending immediately once we move in. Thursday, November 11 View Page Well, went over to the house I don't even know yet and got this soil sample. The can for scale, I hope it is enough for the lab. The soil is very light compared to what is in my backyard now. I am assuming this is a bad thing? Thursday, November 11 View Page Above was supposed to say "own", not "know". I hope I know it. LOL Friday, November 12 View Page More trial and error with the generics. I have a heat pad under the cooler (now moved inside)and am sitting righ at 85 degrees. Grow lights ready for post germination. I am yet to get a soil thermometer and am making due with a regular one for now. Big thanks to Dale Marshall and Dave Bhaskaran for setting me up with a couple great crosses for next year. I have more room to play with this year so more plants. Monday, November 15 View Page My wife says I already got cabin fever... I don't see it. Saturday, November 20 View Page It's ALIVE!! It turns out the Team Puricelli Germination Kit 3000 works... check it out on this 1161 Rodonis I practiced with. Saturday, November 20 View Page I forgot to mention I installed a flux capacitor on the bottom of the cooler. It looks like a heat mat but don't let your eyes deceive you. Working on a new light source as the one in the picture is too hot. Tuesday, November 23 View Page Got the soil test back from A&L Labs and they are not good. Problem is I can't even begin to make my new patch till the weekend of Dec 10th when we move in. What I don't get is the organic matter is high and everything else is low? N - 5ppm - very low P - 21ppm - very low K - 54ppm - low PH - 5.8 low Tuesday, November 23 View Page Can you say legs after just one day? Looks like an old ZZ Top video. This was more of an experiment on "what not to do"... make the plant grow towards the light which gives it the long skinny look. Thanks everyone for input and once I get my new grow light set up, I'll be keeping it just a couple inches from the plant and adjust up accordingly. Also, thanks Glenn and Tom for contacting me about my soil results. It's great to have plenty of you experienced people out there as well like Wayne, Wiz, Countryboy and Joerg helping a rookie like me out. I hope to contribute the same one day as well. Thursday, November 25 View Page After patch prep, be sure to have a little fun this Winter. Here's a Blue on the Missouri River 2 years back: Thursday, December 2 View Page More experimenting, this time I have an old florescent light just 2.5 inches over the plants a few days old. They are much shorter and stockier compared to 2 pics above when I used just a flood light. I also got a nice package from Extreme Pumpkins in the mail today with help from Tom P for my soil amendments. Lots of good stuff. Thanks Tom Tuesday, December 7 View Page Moving to our new hoese on Friday and next week I plan on ripping out and developing the new patch if the ground isn't frozen. My wife gave me this early birthday gift for the front of the patch. Hopefully there will be many years of growing in it and maybe even a couple nice ones. Wednesday, December 15 View Page Hello everybody, been MIA for a while due to moving. We bought a 90 year old home that needs some updating so I've been tearing up carpets, reviving hardwood, bringing down wallpaper etc... no patch prep yet. As for the patch, here is part of it. I am taking out a huge Ash tree just out of the picture on the right, but the woods over to the left will be a bit of a problem later in the summer days. I hope to get out and start working on it in the next 2 weeks. Sunday, December 19 View Page Got up to 35 today. The snow melted and was able to rake the patch finally. Here's my new start to a the compost pile on the backside of the property. I plan on building a big bin this weekend. Thursday, December 30 View Page Well, here goes my last entry of 2010. Again, I appreciate all the help and enjoyed the correspondence with multiple growers throughout the year. I'll be opening 2011 out on the river doing some wade fishing on Saturday followed by a lot of patch work into the next week.