Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 109 Entries. Thursday, March 17 View Page It's time to get started on The Pumpkins for 2016. Here are the nine biggest that I have grown to date. 1223, 899.5, 819.5, 814.5, 636, 631.5, 593.5 540.5 and 444 pounds. The goal for this year will be to grow (2) 1000 pound pumpkins. I have decided to take the area that I had been dedicating to the 150 SF contest and grow a larger pumpkin there. I will be adding a larger hoop house and a soil heating cable to that location as well.   Friday, March 25 View Page My soil tests are done, the cover crop has been tilled under on Patch 1 and the amendments have been added to the soil. The new house that was built next door will not onnly affect some morning sun but I also had to remove a portion of the planting bed because it was over the property line.   Friday, March 25 View Page The Frame is up for the greenhouse. Plastic will go on tomorrow.   Saturday, March 26 View Page got the plastic on the greenhouse for patch 1   Sunday, March 27 View Page Today I started the seeds for the Puyallup Fair. The 2109 Zywiec is the seed of choice and I also planted three of my own 1223 Radach seeds as back ups. I am planning on growing the 1223 as my second plant which will be started in a couple of weeks. So if something goes wrong with the 2109 I can just plant one of the 1223s and switch to a different seed for patch # 2.   Sunday, March 27 View Page I filed and soaked the seeds and now they are in the germination chamber planted in seed starting mix. I should have some pumpkin plants in about 4 days.   Saturday, April 2 View Page I am going bigger and better than ever before on patch 2. This hoop house is 9' x 10'   Saturday, April 2 View Page This should allow the pumpkin to be in the green house until July.   Saturday, April 2 View Page I also added my new heating cable to patch 2. I have never had a heating cable on this patch before. I am really gunning for two 1000 pounders this season.   Saturday, April 2 View Page The 2109 Zywiec and one of the 1223 Radachs have sprouted and been transplanted into 1 gallon pots. The other 2 Radachs are pushing up the soil but haven't broken through yet.   Thursday, April 7 View Page The seedlings are doing nicely under the grow lights. I am planning on transplanting the 2109 Zywiec into the green house on Sunday.   Sunday, April 10 View Page The Time Lapse Camera is up and running again. In case you missed it here are all of my previous efforts with the time lapse camera. I am up to over 285,000 views. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ZxzDp6xaU&list=PLXIo7RsOAQZ2DwRnu8BZyz4x1C6y8ZxFV&nohtml5=False   Sunday, April 10 View Page The 2109 Zywiec is in the ground in the green house.   Sunday, April 10 View Page I am going to supplement with a grow light for the first week or so that it is outside.   Sunday, April 10 View Page The seeds for the second plant have been chosen filed soaked and planted. 6 1223 Radachs are in the germination chamber. This seed grew the Wyoming State record last year.   Thursday, April 14 View Page The first 2 1223 Radach are up transplanted into 1 gallon pots and under the grow light. The other 4 are poking through the dirt but not completely out yet so I will leave them in the germ chamber one more night.   Sunday, April 17 View Page the 2109 Zywiec in the ground. It always seems that they move slow to start and then they take off.   Sunday, April 17 View Page Six 1223 Radach seedlings under the grow light. One of these will be my second plant.   Sunday, April 17 View Page The final batch of seeds is started. They are all orange. Four 444 Radachs, one of which will be for my third planting area and Two 942 Kampfs which will be grown at my Dad's house.   Sunday, April 17 View Page Here the 675 Kampf which was grown last year using a 942 Kampf Seed. This pumpkin weighed 685 Pounds and was grown on 150 SF. I plan to cross this into my 444. Should work well because the 444 was a second generation 150 square footer.   Saturday, April 23 View Page The 2109 Zywiec is doing well.   Saturday, April 23 View Page I planted the most robust of the 1223 seedlings in the big hoop house today.   Saturday, April 23 View Page Two of the 444 Radach seeds are up and under the grow light.   Saturday, April 23 View Page The 942 Kampfs are struggling. 1 did not germ and the other is having a hard time getting out of the dirt. I have started two more as backups just in case.   Saturday, April 30 View Page The 2109 Zyweic is about ready to vine out.   Saturday, April 30 View Page Unfortunately the 1223 Radach developed a mutation. The third leaf fused into the 2nd leaf and wasn't growing. I ended up pulling it out. I wanted to get my backup in the patch before it was too late.   Saturday, April 30 View Page I replaced it with this other 1223 which I had planted outside just in case. The transplant was kind of rough because it was tough to keep all the soil stabalized around the base of the plant as I moved it. Hopefully it is resilient.   Saturday, April 30 View Page The two 444 Radachs are doing well under the grow lights. I will probably be transplanting one of these outside tomorrow.   Saturday, April 30 View Page I had to help the 942 Kampf out of the ground and manually remove the seed. The ends of the Cots were rotten and fused together so I had to do some surgery. I was hoping the plant would pull through, but the first true leaf is not looking to good. The one ion the right was a backup started a week later. It is looking good so far. I think I will give them both to my dad and let him make the decision on which to keep.   Sunday, May 1 View Page For the 150 SF contest, I am wedging it into a trapezoidal section with the rhododendron right in the middle of it. I will start the plant in the lower right corner and try to end up with the pumpkin in the shady area to the right of the rhody.   Sunday, May 1 View Page Last year i tried running my third plant in between the apple tree and the rhody and it was just too shady. This configuration should give plenty of morning sun on the front of the rhody and plenty of afternoon sun on the left side of the rhody.   Sunday, May 1 View Page The boards mark the boundaries of the trapezoid.   Sunday, May 1 View Page The trapezoid is 14' wide at the bottom.....   Sunday, May 1 View Page The trapezoid is 4 feet wide at the top....   Sunday, May 1 View Page And The trapezoid is 16 feet long for a total area of 144 Square feet.   Sunday, May 1 View Page I added a small hoop house where the plant will start.   Sunday, May 1 View Page I went ahead and planted both 444Radachs. I will keep the strongest one and pull the other after a few weeks. This will be a the third generation of this seed line in the 150 sf Contest. The 814.5 Radach which was the contest winner, grew the 444 Radach last years contest.   Saturday, May 7 View Page The vine on the 2109 Zywiec is on the ground and running. Our warm weather has not been kind to the plant. I thought I had things well ventilated but still managed to get some leaf burn.   Saturday, May 7 View Page The 1223 Radach is growing after its transplant. That third leaf doesn't seem to be opening though which has me a bit concerned.   Saturday, May 7 View Page The 444 Radachs are both doing well.   Saturday, May 7 View Page got the compost tea brewer up and running again.   Saturday, May 14 View Page the 2109 Zywiec is a shade under 6 feet long and growing well in spite of the leaf burn. 2 more leafs got scorched in yesterday's heat. This particular particular pumpkin farmer is not used to temperatures in the high 80's in May. I also buried vines for the first time today with a bit of Mycho and Rootshield at each node.   Saturday, May 14 View Page The 1223 Radach is coming along slower than I would like. I discovered today that the heating cable is not working. The soil temp was at 60 and when I dug down to part of the cable it was not warm at all. I am thinking it may have been out of commission for a while but the warm weather was keeping the soil temps up.   Saturday, May 14 View Page the 444 Radachs are doing pretty well I am going to have to choose one to keep pretty soon.   Sunday, May 22 View Page The vine on the 2109 Zywiec is at 8'-6" long. It looks like there is a female blossom in the tip cluster. That means it will be a couple more weeks until pollination time. I started burying the first of the side vines today.   Sunday, May 22 View Page The vine on the 1223 Radach is on the ground. I'm Really disappointed with the pace of growth on this one and am pretty bummed that the heating cable is not working.   Sunday, May 22 View Page I had two 444 Radachs going side by side and this is the one I decided to keep for the 150 square foot contest. The other one seemed a bit stronger but it started throwing double leaves so I pulled it.   Sunday, June 5 View Page We came back from a week in California and the Pumpkins have really taken off. The 2109 Zywiec is about 4 feet out the end of the green house.   Sunday, June 5 View Page Here is the future state record pumpkin on the 2109 Zywiec. It's at about 13 feet on the vine. I have started to put a curve in the vine. I am guessing 5 more days to pollination.   Sunday, June 5 View Page The 1223 Radach is looking good. A little over 6 feet long. I started burying vines today.   Sunday, June 5 View Page The 444 Radach in the 150 SF contest. It's on the ground and running.   Friday, June 10 View Page Pollinated the first female blossom on the 2109 Zywiec this morning. Nice 5 lobe flower. Hopefully this is the keeper.   Sunday, June 12 View Page Applied Anthesis This morning. To the 2109 Zywiec. I am interested to see what affect this will have on the fruit.   Sunday, June 19 View Page The 2109 Zywiec continues to grow. I have added a tray of soil over the driveway again.   Sunday, June 19 View Page I pollinated this second one a few days ago but it's in a weird position.   Sunday, June 19 View Page he 1223 Radach has mostly filled up its hoop house but still a little ways out for pollination. There is something weird going on with the leaves though. It looks like it could be some spray damage.   Monday, June 20 View Page Unfortunately it's looking like the first pollination on the 2109 Zywiec did not take. I was hoping that the slow progress was just from the cool weather but it did not grow at all in the last 24 hours so it's not looking good. The most disapointing thing is that I wasted a dose of Anthesis on it.   Monday, June 20 View Page I pollinated this second one a few days ago but it's in a weird position.   Monday, June 20 View Page The 444 Radach on the 150 SF patch.   Saturday, June 25 View Page the plant on the 2109 Zywiec is doing great.   Saturday, June 25 View Page The Pumpkins are not doing so hot. This was the first polination that I thought had aborted. It still looks like a failed pollination to me but it is growing slowly about 1/4 inch a day. This is day 15 and it should be at least twice this size by now. The last two weeks of weather we're terrible. Barely breaking 60 the whole time. I am wondering if the cold in combination with the Anthesis has something to do with super slow growth.   Saturday, June 25 View Page The second pollination on the 2109 is looking similar to the first. They just don't have that full smooth look that they should have at this stage.   Saturday, June 25 View Page The third pollination from 2 days ago had a deformed blossom with seeds in it. I don't have much hope for it.   Saturday, June 25 View Page This is the next in line on the 2109. It's going to be about 20 feet out on the main vine.   Saturday, June 25 View Page The 1223 Radach is coming out the ends and both sides of the hoop house. The hoop house will probably come down next weekend.   Saturday, June 25 View Page The first pollination on the 1223 radach pollinated 4 days ago. Unlike the 2109, this one looks to be developing normally. It's only about 7 feet out on the vine though so it's not likely the keeper.   Saturday, June 25 View Page This should be the keeper on the 1223. It's about 10 feet out on the vine pretty much exactly where I was planning on having the fruit grow. It looks like pollination day will probably be Monday.   Saturday, June 25 View Page I removed the hoop house from the 444 Radach on the 150 square foot patch. It has some nice big 24 inch wide leaves on it.   Saturday, June 25 View Page This should be the keeper on the 444 Radach in the 150 square foot contest. It's about 8 feet out.   Saturday, July 2 View Page The 2109 Zywiec is getting close to maxing out patch 1.   Saturday, July 2 View Page I am still having problems setting a pumpkin on the 2109. The first two on the main did not take. This is the third. It had some seeds in the blossom and it now has some weird bumps on the skin. I am not sure this one is going to make it.   Saturday, July 2 View Page This is the 4th on the main vine. 20 feet out on the vine and pollinated on June 29th.   Saturday, July 2 View Page This one is on a side vine. It has a wierd shape. Not too sure it took.   Saturday, July 2 View Page This one is also on a side vine. If this ends up being the keeper, I will have to do some negotiating with my wife because it will end up blocking her access to the garage.   Saturday, July 2 View Page Here are two more on side vines. These are around the corner of the garage. Not exactly the best spot to grow but I'll take whatever I can get at this point.   Saturday, July 2 View Page I took down the plastic from the hoop house on the 1223 Radach today. I also tilled in the rest of the cover crop. you can see the earlier spray damage on the center part of the plant.   Saturday, July 2 View Page Here are the first two pollinations on the 1223 Radach. The one closer to the camera is the one intended to be the keeper.   Saturday, July 2 View Page Here is the 444 Radach on the 150 square foot patch. You can see the first female flower out towards the end. It is looking like it will bloom on the 4th.   Monday, July 4 View Page I pollinated a beautiful 6 lobe blossom on the 444 Radach this morning. One year to the day from when I pollinated it's mother. I used pollen from the 942 Kampf that my dad is growing at his house. The plan is for this to be the keeper for the 150 SF contest. 6 lobes on a Pumpkin are fairly rare most have 4 or 5 lobes. This is the first 6 lobe that I have pollinated.   Thursday, July 7 View Page 2016 The Summer that never came. We have had one day above 70 in the last month. This is not doing the pumpkins any favors.   Sunday, July 10 View Page I have two primary candidates for the keeper on the 2109 Zywiec. This one is on a side vine and is measuring at 20.5 inches in circumference.   Sunday, July 10 View Page This is the 4th pollination on the main vine of the 2109 Zywiec (the first 3 failed). It's about 20 feet out on the main vine but I like the shape and will probably make this the keeper if it doesn't abort. It's measuring at 11.0 inches in circumference.   Sunday, July 10 View Page Here is the keeper on the 1223 Radach. it is measuring 16.5" in circumference.   Sunday, July 10 View Page Here is the first pollination on the 444 Radach in the 150 SF contest. I am trying to coax it over onto the other side of the vine so that the pumpkin ends up growing where I need it to.   Sunday, July 17 View Page I am down to two contenders on the 2109 Zywiec. Here is the biggest. It's on a side vine and is measuring. 43.25 inches in circumference on day 24.   Sunday, July 17 View Page This one is on the main vine of the 2109. It's measuring at 26" circumference on day 19. I want this to be th e keeper because it's on the main but the narrow shoulders and wrinkly skin have me concerned. Both of these are about 2/3 the size that my pumpkins usually are at this age. This is the consequence of cool weather.   Sunday, July 17 View Page This is a cull that I cut from a side vine on the 2109 today. It measured 35.75" in circumerence and weighed 20.5 pounds on the bathroom scale.   Sunday, July 17 View Page Here is the keeper on the 1223 Radach. It is measuring 35" in circumference on day 20.   Sunday, July 17 View Page This is the first on the 444 Radach in the 150 SF Contest. It's going to be very Orange. Measuring at 16.75" on day 13.   Sunday, July 24 View Page Here is the keeper on the 2109 Zywiec. Day 30 Circumference =59" OTT= 137" Estimated weight = 61 pounds. This season is turning out to be a disaster. Technically it's not as bad as the 2012 season yet but to put things into perspective, last year on Day 30, my big pumpkin was estimating at 261 pounds.   Tuesday, July 26 View Page Things are not looking great on the 2109 Zywiec. The back half of the pumpkin is wrinkled and deformed and the growth has slowed down to 1" per day.   Thursday, July 28 View Page Day 30 on the 1223 Radach. It's measuring 66.25" in circumference. 151" OTT for an estimated weight of 81 pounds. Still behind previous years but looking more promising than the 2109 Zywiec. Its looking a lot like its mother low and wide.   Thursday, July 28 View Page I'd feel a little bit better about it if the plant was bigger. Unfortunately once the pumpkin set, the vines sort of self terminated. Now I have a big patch of dirt in the sunniest part of the patch with no vines on it. I did apply Anthesis to this one though so I have that hope in my back pocket.   Monday, August 1 View Page The pumpkin on the 2109 Zywiec aborted. I sliced it open and there was a pretty severe dill ring. You can see it on the left side of the photo. Chances are that even if it had continued to grow it would have split. It weighed in at 78 pounds on the bathroom scale.   Monday, August 1 View Page Fortunately I have one last hope on the 2109 Zywiec. This one is 30 feet out on the main vine and is very young but it has a good shape and has been growing like crazy the last few days. It's at 41" on day 20. Maybe I will have to go to a later weigh off like Terminator in Oregon.   Monday, August 1 View Page You can see by this photo that it's in a very tight spot. I am probably going to have to prune the bottom limb off of the apple tree as it grows.   Tuesday, August 2 View Page Day 35 on the 1223 Radach. 78" circumference 171.5" OTT Estimated weight 118 #s 5 day average 7.4 pounds per day. Not great but picking it up recently with the warmer weather. Hoping the Anthesis has it primed for big time late season growth. Whenever I want to stay humble I just check in and see how Ron Wallace and his 1100 pound on 38 day old pumpkin.   Thursday, August 4 View Page Things are not going well for the 444 Radach. The plant is the worst I have ever grown. It's small and spindley. I guess that's what you get when you try to grow under a tree. Our cold month of June didn't do it any favors either because it didn't get a chance to get established like the other. Two dis. The first set aborted on me. This is the second. It's at 31" circumference on day 21. It look like its starting to take a little bit of a peanut shape like it's mother.   Thursday, August 4 View Page This one is on a side vine and is looking a little better at 38.5" circumference on day 23. I don't think the other 150 square foot contestants will have to worry about me this year.   Friday, August 5 View Page Day 25 on the 2109 Zywiec. 59" circumference 138" OTT 63 pounds estimated weight. It picked up 18" in circumference over the last 5 days. Not quite as good as my 1223 pounder in 2014 but better than my 899.5 pounder from last year on the circumference gain from day 20-25. I really like this pumpkin. I just wish it was July 4th instead of August 4th.   Wednesday, August 10 View Page The 2109 Zywiec is putting up respectable (for me) numbers. Day 30. Circumference 73.5" OTT 169" Estimated weight 113 pounds 5 day average 14 pounds per day. We're supposed to have some temps in the 80s coming up. The pumpkin should be well poised to pick it up to 20 pounds or more per day. I really love the shape of this pumpkin.   Friday, August 12 View Page Here is my biggest so far although the 2109 will probably pass it up in the next week or so. Day 45 on the 1223 Radach. Circumference 91" OTT 193" Estimated weight 166# 5 day average 5.4 pounds per day. The plant is in pretty bad shape and she is growing sloooooow. All of the older leaves in the middle of the plant are dead because of some spray damage earlier in the year and all of the secondaries self terminated once the pumpkin set. I'll be lucky to get this one to the scales at 400 pounds.   Saturday, August 20 View Page Day 40 on the 2109 Zywiec Circumference 95.5" OTT 212" Estimated weight 217 pounds 5 Day average 9.2 pounds per day I am pretty disappointed that the daily gains didn't pick up with the warm weather but that seems to be par for the course for me this season. It is tracking better than my 636 pounder was doing at day 40 in 2013 so I think I will set 700 pounds as my goal. This is my only shot as the 1223 has pretty much stopped growing at day 55 and only around 200 pounds.   Tuesday, August 30 View Page Day 50 for the 2109 Zywiec. Circumference 104.5" OTT 229" Estimated weight 272 pounds 5 Day average 5.4 pounds per day. Pretty terrible numbers but at least she is still growing. I am not sure why I didn't get better growth. The plant is the most robust I have ever had The Stump is easily 4" in diameter and the vine at the 14 foot mark where The intended keeper aborted is about the size of my wrist. I think she may be too far out on the vine. 30 feet is too far away from the heart of the plant which is on the good soil. The part of the plant out where the pumpkin is in shallow rocky soil. All those failed pollination in June did me in. This Pumpkin has a very unique shape though. It's super long and narrow. It would make a great pumpkin regatta entry if it was large enough for me to fit in.   Thursday, September 1 View Page with all my pollinations being late, I was planning on skipping the Puyallup Fair. However, since the 1223 Radach has pretty much stopped growing. I decided to take it tomorrow. This is the smallest pumpkin I have taken to a weigh off since 2012. It is at 100.25" circumference 218" OTT for an estimated weight of 235 pounds. I stuck a bathroom scale under each end and it showed a little bit over 250 pounds so I am thinking it will go heavy. This is not a very big pumpkin at all but with the fair being earlier this year and with the super cool June and early July that we had I could have an outside shot at the top ten and some prize money. Last year a 250 pound pumpkin would have placed 9th at the fair.   Friday, October 7 View Page I took my last two pumpkins to the weigh off at Christiansons Nursery a couple weeks back. My 2109 Zywiec weighed in at 278 pounnds. which was good for 8th place.   Friday, October 7 View Page I also took my 444 Radach and weighed it as an exhibition. This was my 150 SF contest plant and it weighed in at 177.5 pounds. Nice color but again the shape is terrible. I think its time to abandon this genetic line.   Friday, October 7 View Page My Dad also weighed in his pumpkin. It weighed in at 224 Pounds and took 10th place. This was off of the 924 Kampf   Friday, October 7 View Page I pulled out all of the pumpkin vines yesterday. Take a look at the size of the main vine of the 2109 Zywiec. This is easily the thickest vine I have ever had and it should have been more than able to produce a monster. In the end I just aborted too many pollination's and missed my window.