Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 60 Entries. Tuesday, April 20 View Page Guess it's time to get started. I had a knee replacement in January and it only took me three weeks to strain a tendon and a ligament where they meet the knee, Doctors said it should be healed by mid-summer. Knee is doing fine but tendon is coming along slow. So not sure how much i can do. This old fat guy hurts himself more than helps himself. So lets get on with it and see what happens!!   Tuesday, April 20 View Page I will be starting some older seeds today and see how I make out. I really don't want to start some of the nice seeds i acquired this year if I can't take care of them SOOOO I'm starting with some great older orange. Will be starting 11-777 Youngs and 2- 907 Youngs. 777s are white seeds so we soaked them in hydrogen peroxide solution for an hour. Following that up with an hour soak in Gibberilic acid solution and then soak for a couple more hours in water then plant in starting medium. 907s will get the same. Will see if anything germinates and if not I've got plenty of nice orange for backups. Good Luck to all and Orange Rules!!   Monday, April 26 View Page Science Experiment isn't going real well so far. Mr Young felt I would have a hard time getting any of them to germinate but you don't know unless you try???? So I started 7 -358 and 6 -318 Hoffmans a 600 Gansert 2020 DMG ( who in there right mind would plant a Gansert seed anyway) and a 681 Gansert and a 681 Dill McDonald. My knee is telling me to wait and just to waste my seeds and the Ganserts of course.   Thursday, April 29 View Page Science experiment failed terribly. Pullled all seeds and tips rotted on all. Had a couple with short roots but then died.   Thursday, April 29 View Page On a brighter note all 6 of my 358s are up...some 318s pushing dirt...and i forgot to mention I started a 1215 also and its up..happy camper here..see what tomorrow brings   Thursday, April 29 View Page Soaking and starting a dozen 328 Hoffmans 907 Young x self...prettiest of the patch a couple years ago. I should have enough to get started.   Saturday, May 1 View Page Started 5 of my 699s today. Stick a fork in me. I'm done.   Wednesday, May 5 View Page It took 15 days but I had a 907 Young ( 1059 V/M x self) up this morning. Happy Camper here.   Thursday, May 20 View Page Looks like it might be another 2nd half of a warm may. 2 years in a row!!! I Because of my knee replacement I'm only planting a few. Can't believe I'm growing two Gansert seeds. The man only grows ORANGE. I planted his 600 dmg from last year and a 681...can you say Orange. ( who in there right mind would grow a Gansert seed anyway..I grow more of his damaged seeds than he does!!) I also planted the 1215 Young...another Orange guy. It has potential as it grew a few beautys last year. Oh and I planted a couple of mine. Happy growing and like Norm says ORANGE RULES !   Saturday, July 3 View Page I missed two flowers that opened this morning. Pollinated with what i had available. All ORANGE so life is good. 4 lobe mishapen on 600 dmg Gansert and nice solid 3 lobe on 681 Gansert.   Monday, July 12 View Page pollinated 681 Gansert 5 lobe with 600 dmg Gansert this morning at 12'...expecting 600 to open tomorrow at 16'...and surprised by my 318 (666.5 Gansert x 775 dmg Gansert)opening this morning,.pollinated with 600 Gansert but will have to call it open pollination.   Wednesday, July 14 View Page Garden did not like last night. Never had a main snap at 1 1/2' from the end..snapped it on on my 318 (666.5 Gansert x 775 dmg Gansert). Glad I had a pollination just before it.I am going to take care of two plants and the other 3 will grow multiples with little care...1215 being a real bitch about 9' of twisted vine and an open pollination this morning along with being selfed. Many turned over side vines and a bunch of my zukes got tipped over. Most of it my own fault because I couldn't keep up with everything I've got growing. Veggie Patch takes precedence over kins for an old fat guy. I like to eat. Mother Nature is a wonderful creature. She throws something different at you every year. Gotta Love It. Keeps you on your toes and you learn a lot.   Thursday, July 15 View Page pollinated 600 dmg Gansert with my 318 this morning. Nice lookin 5 lobe..   Friday, July 16 View Page Had another main snap at about a foot from end. I grow a lot of plants and never really seen this before. 1215 snapped about 1' from end.my problem child this year..always seems to be a Young seed is always my problem child. Had a pollination on problem child just before where it snapped. Life is good!!!   Monday, July 26 View Page About cried when I culled this one a few days ago. 22 dap 681 Gansert..nicer one next kin out!!   Wednesday, July 28 View Page Culled the 600 Gansert which is about identical to previous pic..growing very slowly and does not look healthy. I have an open pollination on main at over 20'. Will go with that and the 600 just turned into a multi-pumpkin producer..have several babies on secondaries.   Wednesday, July 28 View Page My 318 open pollination has taken off the last several days. Approximately 17 days old with a 55 cc with a 131 ott. We'll see what happens.   Friday, July 30 View Page The 681 I culled. Yellow to orange in a week and darker to come...   Saturday, July 31 View Page 681 Gansert that I culled the other one for. 19dap 60ccx42x43+145 ott..like these numbers a lot better but they both sure are pretty   Saturday, July 31 View Page Also have my 318 at 19dap 64ccx45x45+154 ott...hate my cell phone for pics..she be pretty and will post a pic soon   Saturday, July 31 View Page Put the phone under the truck tire and ran over it a few times and now it seems to be working. Pic of 318 Hoffman 666.5 Gannsert x 775 dng Gansert. Both Ganserts were smooth skinned last year and baby looks the same. Hoping for nice dark orange like mama and papa   Sunday, August 1 View Page 20 dap on 318 Hoffman 70cc 47x45 ott 162..put 6" on for circumfrence in a day..I'm a happy camper   Sunday, August 1 View Page 20 dap on 681 Gansert 64cc 44 x45..ott153,, i gotta like it   Thursday, August 5 View Page He's been terrorizing my patch. Surprised he even fit into the 220 conibear. Took me five minutes to get him out.   Thursday, August 5 View Page 27 lbs..be eating on him for a week or more   Friday, August 6 View Page There ya go Flat Norm..beat that!!   Sunday, August 8 View Page My first mater off the 8.1 McDonald..1.15 lbs..was real good on the burgers. Nice Megabloom at about 5' that will get some special attention..18" cc right now..not bad for a 4 gallon pail   Sunday, August 8 View Page 25 day cc on 318 is 86"...25 day cc on 681 is 80"...I gotta like it   Sunday, August 8 View Page One of two 4 gallon pails my friend Cheryl is growing the 8.1 McDonald in. Couple nice single bottom dwellers on this one. The other one is the one that has the nice megabloom. I will officially withdraw myself from the 5 gal bucket challenge as I do not have a viable plant going. Looking forward to seeing what Cheryl can do!!   Sunday, August 8 View Page One of two 4 gallon pails my friend Cheryl is growing the 8.1 McDonald in. Couple nice single bottom dwellers on this one. The other one is the one that has the nice megabloom. I will officially withdraw myself from the 5 gal bucket challenge as I do not have a viable plant going. Looking forward to seeing what Cheryl can do!!   Wednesday, August 11 View Page 681 Gansert 30 dap..238 ott..was still hoping for Orange and better shape but it is what it is   Wednesday, August 11 View Page My 318 ..30 dap..all Gansert genetics 231 ott..another i wish would turn orange.time will tell   Wednesday, August 11 View Page 1215 Young..My Problem Child this year. Only have the main and one side vine. Kins on both..woodchuck liked the one on side vine. Still growing..I'm a Happy Camper! John Thank You for specially selecting my seeds. Another classic.   Friday, August 13 View Page Pulled some measurements today and am getting 27-30 lbs a day at 32 dap on two of my plants.. My 318=27 lbs a day ..681 Gansert=30lbs a day..3 day average   Monday, August 16 View Page My best gains ever the last 3 days!! 681 did 116 lbs in the last 3 days..46 lbs last night even with temps in the high 40s at night and 35 dap. Hoping I taped it correctly. Hope i can get her to hold together for a while longer. Grow season about over here in a couple weeks.   Monday, August 16 View Page 681 still hoping for orange   Sunday, August 22 View Page 681 40 dap 128cc 82x 81=291   Sunday, August 22 View Page my 318 40 dap 120cc 72x73=265 ott   Sunday, August 22 View Page 681 averaging 33 lbs a day last 10 days..318 averaging 16.5 lbs last 10 days..had tropcal storm Fred sit over me for a day when it stalled out. Soaked the patch and growth slowed considerably for a couple days. Things have picked back up and now we get Henri..3-6" predicted with up to 10" in some areas. River is already at spring level..we'll see what happens. Gotta love the Adirondacks!!   Monday, August 23 View Page Got lucky..storm went southwest of me and when it turned around and headed east it went south of me...some rain..hope everybody fared well.   Friday, September 3 View Page All good things must come to an end..RIP..318 Hoffman..50 day ott 278   Friday, September 3 View Page 681..only kin left..hope she holds together for a while longer..50 DAP Ott..317   Friday, September 3 View Page 681..only kin left..hope she holds together for a while longer..50 DAP Ott..317   Thursday, September 9 View Page Just put the plant in the ground and let her go. Taping just under 100 lbs with no care..well maybe watered it a couple times..believe momma is 184 Thorrington..could be mistaken on mommas weight butt   Thursday, September 9 View Page 681 Gansert..still hoping for ORANGE   Thursday, September 9 View Page pic of FP   Friday, September 10 View Page 60 Day Numbers on the 681 ...144cc..93 x89= 326 OTT   Sunday, September 12 View Page My grandnephew and his mom stopped to take a peek at my kin   Sunday, September 12 View Page be nice if i added a pic   Monday, September 13 View Page 2016 when he was 1 1/2 years old with a Prizewinner Kin   Tuesday, September 14 View Page I put vinegar on corners of my sheet. Believe I have another woodchuck and I know I have deer. Sprinkled vinegar around on weeds surrounding plants.   Monday, September 20 View Page 70 dap 681 Gansert 148cc x94 x91=333 ott   Monday, September 20 View Page A few nice days left weather wise so I'll pick the 681 on Wednesday before the rain starts. Been in the 40s at night so it's time to start the lawn display. The 681 should get a little bit of attention along with a couple 100 lb field pompkins. Just need a few cornstalk and I should be set. I'll weigh kin with 2 ton certified digital scale so I can see how she goes to chart.   Thursday, September 23 View Page Loaded both of us yesterday   Thursday, September 23 View Page We be heading for Saratoga on Saturday   Sunday, September 26 View Page Great day in Saratoga for the weighoff yesterday. Ended up getting 2nd place for HD Award. Winner was a real Beauty. I also ended up 2nd for Field Pumpkin. Had a great day seeing the other growers.   Monday, September 27 View Page Saratoga 2nd place hd   Monday, October 11 View Page Very warm here for this time of year. Normally everything is well frosted over by now. 70s for the rest of the week and I'll finish pickin. My 318 in foreground looks a lot better than the 700 lber behind her.   Monday, October 11 View Page Smells a lot better to!!   Monday, October 11 View Page Should have added that this is now 686.5 Hoffman..681 Gansert x 600 Gansert DMG ..Surprised it went so light but it is what it is. She sure is pretty!