Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 29 Entries. Wednesday, January 1 View Page Happy 2025 everyone! Crazy how fast the years are going by. This will be my 10th year growing. Crazy to think about. It’s time to step on the gas this year. I’ll be growing 2 plants again. The 2465 Sperry and the 2080 Lopresti which Charlie grew his 2365 and 2070 this past year off his 2080! Just a few more months until it all begins again   Wednesday, March 12 View Page And it begins! Time to wake up the patch for the 2025 growing season. Less than a month away until seed starting   Friday, March 14 View Page I am headed to the Alabama to chase a major severe weather outbreak with a level 5 out of 5. This will be the most dangerous storm chase l've ever done but have a team of 3 people to do this safely! Another 9 hours to go with a total drive time of about 20 hours. Stay tuned for updates tomorrow   Wednesday, March 19 View Page My tornado chase over the weekend is a chase I won't ever forget. Still processing the devastation over the weekend across Alabama on the first tornado chase I've ever done. It's all excitement and anticipation driving down to chase our first tornado until the aftermath.... Seeing the damage to these communities was absolutely heartbreaking. Houses being completely destroyed with debris spread over a half of a mile in each direction. Cars, trailers, and a school bus and more being lofted up. Straight metal being bent and ripped apart like it was plastic. Trees being shredded and thrown. People impacted by this had very little time to prepare as an EF-3 tornado came plowing down their community. 2 people got killed in Plantersville, Alabama with one of those people being picked up and thrown half a mile away. Devastating. These poor people will struggle to rebound. Poverty is a real issue in these small communities and it's heartbreaking to see. Pictures don't do justice. My thoughts go out to these communities that got impacted by this devastating event over the weekend   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Wednesday, March 19 View Page   Tuesday, March 25 View Page Got the hoop house up for the 2025 growing season! The patch is super wet this spring from the rapid snow melt we had plus a lot of rain over the last week. Need to dry the planting area out. With the significant disease pressure I have I plan to drench the patch with hydrogen peroxide soon. Seemed to help last year.   Sunday, March 30 View Page Let the 2025 pumpkin season begin for my 10th year. Man time flies. Pit dug. Will be putting in the heating cables soon. Won’t be long till seed starting   Wednesday, April 2 View Page A hydrogen peroxide drench was done today in the hoop house. With the significant pressure I have, this seemed to help a lot last year in the patch. I will add the good stuff back in. I will be drenching the rest of the patch in the next few days and then add the good stuff back in.   Wednesday, April 2 View Page My 2025 lineup is set! I’ll be starting my seeds this weekend. I’ll be growing the 2465 Sperry along with the 2080 Lopresti which grew Charlie Lopresti’s 2070 this past year and his 2365 both off the 2080. I’ll be starting two 2465s and 2 2080s and will choose the strongest. I’ll germinate a 2237 Sperry as a backup in a pot just in case. Let the season begin!   Wednesday, April 2 View Page Added Lobster shell powder, azos, MYCORRHIZAL, kelp, chicken coop poop, seven powder to kill the bugs into the pit and hoop house area. This should get the plants off to a great start hopefully!   Wednesday, April 2 View Page Soil cables installed. Also added some pro mix to the pit to loosen it up. After 12” it’s all clay so I didn’t go past that point   Wednesday, April 2 View Page It’s all coming together….   Saturday, April 5 View Page And it begins! Planted 2, 2080 Lopresti’s, 2, 2465 Sperry’s with a 2237 just in case something happens to the 2465s and a 2365 Lopresti for extra backup. I’ll choose the strongest 2465 and 2080 after a few weeks in the patch. Let’s do this   Sunday, April 6 View Page A mini hoop house has been built inside the larger hoop house. This will help keep the plants warmer as I’ll put plastic over the pvc arches at night to keep them comfortable   Monday, April 7 View Page We have life! The 2025 season has officially begun. Both 2465s have germinated with the 2080 Lopresti’s and a 2365 Lopresti as a backup just in case. Always cool to see the cots rapidly grow in size for the first few days after they pop. I’ll be transplanting them into 2 gal pots in a few days   Tuesday, April 8 View Page The plants have been transplanted into their 2 gal pots! They are looking good out of the gate. Hopefully that continues. I’ll have them in here for about 2 weeks. I’m planning on planting around Earth Day this year on April 22nd. Let’s do this