Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 30 Entries. Sunday, July 8 View Page 1810 female x 2145 male day 18   Sunday, July 15 View Page 1779 werner x 2269 Paton day 29   Monday, July 16 View Page 2145 female x 2096 Meier day 24   Wednesday, July 18 View Page 2269 Paton x self day 30   Wednesday, July 18 View Page 2269 Paton x self day 30   Wednesday, July 18 View Page 2269x self day 30   Friday, July 20 View Page 1810 day 30   Saturday, July 21 View Page 2096 Meier x 1810 werner day 29   Tuesday, July 24 View Page Lost the 1779 to blossom split. Down to 4 Pumpkins   Monday, July 30 View Page Here’s the 1779 cut on day 40. Ended up weighing 853. About 10% heavy   Tuesday, July 31 View Page Here is the 1810. Growing great at day 40. I really hope this doesn’t split but I don’t like the look of the blossom   Tuesday, July 31 View Page 1810 day 40   Wednesday, August 1 View Page 2145 front, 1810 middle, 1779 back   Wednesday, August 1 View Page Another one bites the dust. Down goes the 1810. Estimated weight is right around 1000lbs day 42. I’m going to caulk it and see how big it gets.   Saturday, August 4 View Page I lied the 1810 taped 900lbs day 42 and is taping 1000 currently at day 45. I always figure day 45 is close to 1/2 grown. Would have had a good shot at 2000. I’ll probably get an actual weight next week some time.   Saturday, August 11 View Page Cut the 1810 day 50. Growth really slowed. Ended up weighing 1133 about 4% heavy.   Friday, August 17 View Page 2269 Paton day 60   Friday, August 17 View Page 2269 Paton day 60   Tuesday, August 21 View Page I found the biggest pumpkin in minnesota and it would be qualified as damaged.   Wednesday, August 29 View Page Here is the 2096. It estimates about 100lbs less than the 2269.   Wednesday, August 29 View Page 2269 plant in front 2096 in back still in good shape.   Wednesday, August 29 View Page Here are my three remaining pumpkins. 2269 front 2096 middle 2145 back. The 2145 had a weak plant starting in April and has always been behind the others. It currently weighs 1204. I kept it to see if I could learn more on how they grow by weighing it daily or every couple days. I was surprised how consistent growth was with varying conditions   Friday, September 7 View Page Here’s the 2096. All I can do now is keep it from freezing and hope it’s heavy. Down to around 10lbs per day.   Friday, September 7 View Page 2269   Friday, September 7 View Page 2145 at 1271 actual weight   Friday, September 14 View Page I measured the 2269 and got the same #s as I did 4 days ago. I couldn’t handle the suspense... lol so on the scale it went. Good news and bad news. Bad news is that it’s basically right to chart. Good news is it’s still growing 9#s per day. Tapes 440   Monday, September 17 View Page Pretty funny picture but not so funny situation. I noticed a small crack about 1/2” long by 1/16” wide by the blossom. Thought it was done for. Tried sticking a piece a grass through didn’t go. Cleaned it down to solid flesh then put on a fungicide and made a hole (not through) about the size of half of a marble. Put a fan on it checked it in a day had 1/8” of rot. Cleaned and repeated for a couple days and wasn’t stopping. I don’t think the air from the fan was getting into the 14” inch deep blossom. Then I got out the air compressor. Got the idea from the Paton’s diary. Couldn’t believe how fast it dried it up. Anyway I was a couple days late. Ended up being a 1” diameter hole about 2” deep with one tiny crack into open air.   Monday, September 17 View Page Here’s my lift rig. I got the A-frame supports from eastern jungle gym online. It’s a 4x6 on top and 10’ 4x4s on bottom. The come-along is rated for 4000lbs. Didn’t have any trouble lifting 1800+lbs. The weakest parts are the legs. I did have to shorten up the lift straps the lift it high enough. And no I didn’t crack my pumpkin lifting it.   Monday, September 17 View Page Here is what I used at the end of the air hose. I set it at 10 psi and it worked real good. the pump kicked on every half hour or so for 1/2-1 min.   Friday, October 12 View Page Tight fit. Headed to Stillwater.