Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 50 Entries. Wednesday, February 1 View Page 2023 will be my third official year growing AG pumpkin in central Arkansas on the 7b to 8a hardiness zone line. The first year in 2014, I used generic seeds from ParkSeed and scored my current PR of 215lbs on 400sq ft of vine in a 45DAPish pumpkin: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2014&grower=69841&action=L The second year attempt was a dud in 2015. I did get better genetics from a grower here on bigpumpkins.com, but I aborted that grow when the vine was very young in favor of filling the garden space with vegetables: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2015&grower=69841&action=L My true second year attempt was last year in 2022. Still starting on a whim, I tried last minute and got on a state 4H mailer and obtained AG seeds (the ones I saved from 2015 failed to germinate). Or what I thought were AG seeds; in fact turned out to be Florida Giant pumpkin seeds. That pumpkin only reached 125lbs on 200sq ft of vine in 55DAP: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2022&grower=69841&action=L At the end of September 2022, I cleaned out my 1,000sq foot garden patch. Gazing over the bare plot, I stood there proud of the work done and the lessons learned. What if, just; what if......   Friday, February 3 View Page The new growing season technically started when I added 20cu yd of compost to the patch last year in September. Along with 200lbs of pelletized gypsum, everything was tilled in deeply with my front tine tiller, and evenly raked out before sowing the cereal rye seed.   Sunday, February 5 View Page The cereal rye handled the December cold snap really well. We got down to 3F for the coldest night. It turns a dull dark green when temps go low, but bounces back a beautiful bright green when it warms up. I wont be long before it really starts to stretch. This is my first time growing cereal rye.   Sunday, February 19 View Page The rye is really growing aggressively. With all the rain we’ve had, I have to mow it every 5-7 days! Awesome stuff, the clippings have dried and formed this dried carpet layer. I cant wait to till it in next month.   Sunday, February 26 View Page The results are in! Not too bad at all!   Tuesday, March 7 View Page I spent some time using the Langely soil calculator with my test results. I got pretty comfortable with keeping the base saturations in the middle while lining up the micros ratios. I had the awesome opportunity to review it all with Cecil Weston, he got me dialed in on a lot of things!   Monday, March 20 View Page Spring break brought warm temperatures to the homestead. We took advantage of the good weather to plant native and fruit trees, blueberries, and other ornamentals. Using post hole digger for the first time made me feel like a pro; these 4x4s went down 3ft before getting cemented.   Thursday, March 23 View Page The hard reality is, this vine will be taking up the entire plot this year. Go big or go home. That means no maters for mama, so she insisted for a fairy flower garden instead. I was happy to oblige.   Saturday, April 15 View Page Got the 12ga cross wires tensioned, and the 40% shade cloth hooked up with D spring clips at each grommet. I’m able to extend and retract the shade using a leader rope with ease. Last year we hit 105F for a two week period and the vine didn’t wilt under this shade.   Sunday, April 16 View Page This years line up. I have a hot orange 1883 Bayuk as a plan C, but the 1885 Werner line is where I want to be at.   Monday, April 17 View Page The magic moment starts tonight. Filed edges with 120grit. 85F water soak (with a drop of kelp extract) for 8hrs, then moist paper towel inside of a ziplock for 48 hours and we see what happens.   Wednesday, April 19 View Page Both 1752’s have popped after 36 hours; into quart pots they went. My potting soil mix consists of oranic potting soil, worm castings, perlite, and a little dried kelp and mycorrhiza. Fingers crossed the 720’s show me a root.   Sunday, April 23 View Page The first 1/3 is ammended and tilled, the soil feels and smells incredible.   Wednesday, April 26 View Page You know how fast it goes : the Kisamore’s are already in 3 gallon pots and the Bayuk’s are 5 days behind breaking dirt.   Thursday, April 27 View Page I love the cotyledon swell. Switched to ProMix BX as I sized up pots, adding mycorrhiza, azos, dried kelp powder, and just a little worm castings to spice it up.   Sunday, April 30 View Page Both 1752’s hit the ground. We got 1.5” of rain earlier that morning and I was able to work the soil 6 hours later - a testimony to how well things drain.   Monday, May 1 View Page I have a clear frontrunner but I promise not to get too attached. They both are settling in nicely. 80s/60s comming up in the 10 day outlook.   Sunday, May 7 View Page A little second true leaf bloat but no worries, the kickstand will get pruned sooner than later. We hit 90F this past weekend, and it’s staying warm over the next 10 days.   Sunday, May 14 View Page Progressing well. They really appreciate the sunshade as we touch 90F. Keeping SEVIN on them for now. Fluffed the next soil permiter band, the weeds have sprouted so it’s time to get to work. Its holding moisture very nicely, smells of sea kelp and chicken litter, amazing. 1752 Kisamore.   Wednesday, May 17 View Page And then there was only one. The favored strongest vine kept growing directly away from the backup vine (planted way too close) and not in the direction I tried training it: so it was time. Roughly 45 degrees off still but ill correct that with more vine length.   Sunday, May 21 View Page Growth tip seems good!   Sunday, May 21 View Page Off to the races as she leaves the 5’x5’ starting area. First round of systemic (1tbsp Dominion 2L drench) going out but not seeing any bug pressure yet. At this rate I’ll probably be ammending and tilling the second 1/3 of patch next weekend.   Tuesday, May 23 View Page The patch is all weeded and I’m staying ahead of the growth with the broadfork. The alternating leaves did a wonky reset so I have 2 secondaries on the same side. Hope she’s settled into the stretch now. No rain forseeable in the 10 day forecast, looks like I’ll have to water soon.   Thursday, May 25 View Page Plenty of room for this vine!!!   Saturday, May 27 View Page Ammended and tilled zone 2/3. Im absolutely in love with the soil, it holds moisture but drain’s extremely well.   Sunday, May 28 View Page Happen to look down as I was tilling and what do I see : freshly pupated vine borer moth. I didn’t even kill it lol.   Tuesday, May 30 View Page Secondaries starting to bolt! She got a nice Maxsea and 5-2 Wonderblend drench this weekend. Painted my first nodes with CloneX, dosed mycorrhizae and azos, and covered with soil.   Wednesday, June 7 View Page Secondaries are not consistent in how they bolt : ill be lucky to have 12-15 behind a 20’ pollination it seems. Beautiful plant though! I broadcast 1lb of 10-20-10 granular to keep things moving, weather has been hot, consistently 90+/70 with zero rain for 3 weeks now.   Wednesday, June 7 View Page I have my first main vine pumpkin on at 15’. Another baby 4 nodes later. I am worried - since I dont have many mature secondaries, hoping I have enough males blooming at the same time as the kins. We’ll see eh.   Thursday, June 8 View Page Did a foliar spray of borax, calcium, 5-2-Kelp, and Bifen as we head into bloom. Lightly broadcasted 1/2 lb of 46-0-0 locally to keep the green moving.   Friday, June 9 View Page It’s funny how the night moves.   Friday, June 9 View Page First kin has me overjoyed to see confirmed AG shaped lobes. Some deformity on one lobe here with possible seed hemorrhage. Only had 1 male to pollinate with, so I sent it for practice.   Saturday, June 10 View Page First fruit swellin despite the lobe hernia.   Sunday, June 11 View Page DIY mister is finally complete. This thing works great. Only took $60 in parts to adapt my existing Stanley 4g backpack sprayer and hand held gas blower. No more walking into the vine in awkward balance moves to spray evenly under each leaf!   Monday, June 12 View Page 14 secondaries behind kin#2 (16’ out) and a potential 18 behind kin #3 (18’ out). I got plucky when nipping tendrils and nipped off the growth head of the secondary vine at kin #2 by accident… smh…. need to slow down. We’ll see what the pollination of kin #2 shows us this week.   Tuesday, June 13 View Page Kin#2 getting the royal treatment. We are back to a wet pattern and have skated by some serous bow echos as the jet stream blows by south of Arkansas.   Wednesday, June 14 View Page 5 males harvested the night before.   Wednesday, June 14 View Page Another twisted lobe this morning, but no apparent hernia. Potential keeper and treating it as such. Kin #1 does not appear to have set fruit, I think I see a slight shrinkage at 5DAP on it. Nice day today, 85/65 so perfect weather and plenty of pollen this time. I removed the petals tonight and have a fan on the blossom end. Kin #3 looking like Sunday morning. I (finally) have vine work to do.   Sunday, June 18 View Page Another malformed lobe this morning on kin#3. Some wierd growth into the lobe from the petal rim.   Sunday, June 18 View Page Fingers crossed kin#2 is viable, it’s my best choice. My main vine snapped more than halfway on it’s own accord, at 1 node past kin#3, at the friggin node. There is a secondary already taking over as main. This weekend I ammended patch zone 3/3, tilled, and evened out the soil. Caught up on node work, the secondaries are stiff, seen 2 other partial vine splits, all snapped right at the nodes. Did some beginning pumpkin positioning, need a few more hot days to finalize the location. Ill then put down my board, fabric and sand. Lots of nervous anxiety as we get things settled into final position.   Tuesday, June 20 View Page A lot more vine mass is finally setting in. Vine training is almost finished, the main vine snapping off last week caused the secondary at kin #3 to bolt aggressively as the new main; making for perfect positioning at both kin locations.   Tuesday, June 20 View Page 2 choices on the main vine, the rear kin is 6DAP and this one 2DAP. This will be my first year pollinating two and comparing progress to 15DAP. Seeing real AG genetics is awesome, both kins were 4 lobes and the yellow vine and stem characteristics really show up.   Sunday, June 25 View Page 7DAP and kin#3 showing growth like it means business. Kin#2 was a dud, stopped after 5 days. Had to undo a little main vine training and get things leveled and settled at the kin#3 location. The heat index today was a brutal 118F (99 with 78 dew point), I probably have some young leaf and growth tip damage. My fault because I let the soil surface dry out completely and lost some evaporative cooling. We got 2” of rain tonight with some strong thunderstorms and winds, some leaves laid down and a secondary or to blown over, but none the worse. Over the last two weeks we’ve dodged some catastrophic hail and winds, so I’m counting my blessings.   Thursday, June 29 View Page In the middle of a high pressure heat dome. Watering half an inch every day to help mitigate damage. Some secondary leaves that are running outside of the shade cloth shadow are hurting. Relief from the extreme temps starts Sunday.   Thursday, June 29 View Page Heat stressed leaves that are under the shade cloth are able to grow out of the heat crinkling. I will continue to apply foliar silicates to keep her strong.   Thursday, June 29 View Page 11 DAP and noticeably swelling. I will have to start removing foam board shims. I have the nodes immediately adjacent to the kin stem node propped up 6” with a plastic pot with no bottom, and filled with soil to allow the roots to grow into the ground at a pre elevated position.   Sunday, July 2 View Page 14 DAP and moving along well. Keeping on top of aystemic + contact insecticides, fungicides, and doing once weekly Urea Mate along with kelp, fish, cacium, silica, aminos, 5-2-W, and occasionally borax. Applying anything foliar with my DIY fogger mister is an absolute dream - 5 mins and 2 gallons and you’ve coated the entire vine leaves both upper and lower. The vine responds well and seems strong despite the heat.   Monday, July 10 View Page 22DAP and she’s gaining. Finally finished my drenching reservior and pump setup, now I can feed the plot microdoses of fertilizer every day.   Monday, July 10 View Page Very wide kin with great ribbing. Estimated at around 80lbs   Friday, July 14 View Page 26 DAP Slow but steady gains as we cross the 100lb mark. I have started and now increasing my daily drench dosage, and have noticed a small uptick. Slow. Steady. Make it to 90DAP…. I should have eased into the fruit feeding regiment 20 days ago, but that’s ok.