Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 50 Entries. Wednesday, January 2 View Page Welcome 2019! The patch is all planted up with rye and ready to go.   Wednesday, January 2 View Page This year I am starting a second patch and have put down a thick hay/straw mulch over the winter.   Thursday, January 3 View Page We have plenty of compost in the making.   Thursday, January 3 View Page Here is the potential seed line up for the year. As always, the final selection depends on a lot of factors.   Tuesday, March 12 View Page Other seed options for 2019: 900 HWT 2018 (1761 Cutrupi x 2145 McMullen) 1752 HWT 2018 (2261 Wallace x 2145 Mcmullen) 1747 HWT 2017 (1975 Wallace x 2145 Mcmullen) 1078 HWT 2018 (1747 HWT 2017x 2145 McMullen) 1032 Stoeckl (1747 HWT 2017x 2145 McMullen)   Monday, March 25 View Page My daughter started these (UK grown) seeds today. I know it's a little early but she just couldn't wait to get started and it's warm and sunny. [Correction on the previous post: it is the 990.8 Heavy West 2018 (1871.7 Cutrupi x 2145 McMullen)]   Tuesday, April 9 View Page Here are the first ones, ready to go out tomorrow.   Wednesday, April 10 View Page Has anyone encountered the mottled appearance of the 1032 before? The 990 (1871 Cutrupi x 2145 McMullen) is looking the best so far.   Monday, April 15 View Page 3 x 2070, 1984, 1945 and 1752 are in the ground. Backup plants are still under the lights. After frost the last three nights it looks like we have some warmer weather ahead (the temps are in Celsius).   Monday, May 6 View Page Here are the 1984 and 2070 Paton. Still not sure which one to keep. Identical genetics and near identical quality.   Monday, May 6 View Page The 1798 was started a little later but is doing fine. I hope to use this one as a pollinator as it was quite heavy to chart.   Monday, May 6 View Page The main plant is in the middle with a pollinator plant in the corner. I have started another patch this year but there is nothing too exciting to see there yet.   Thursday, May 30 View Page 2070 Paton (A) is growing well. I culled the 1984 (hard choice but I had to make a it at some point).   Thursday, May 30 View Page Here is my daughter's 1364 Geyelin. She is growing it back to back with the 965 Oliver. Hoping for orange.   Friday, May 31 View Page And finally, my other daughters' pumpkins: 2070 (B) (2624 x 2145) back to back with (not pictured) 1752 HWT (2261 x 2145).   Sunday, June 9 View Page We had over an inch of rain in the last few days and some high winds. The plants look remarkably well considering. It has been unseasonably cold but warmer weather is around the corner. It is always just around the corner here in England.   Sunday, June 9 View Page Most plants have at least 1 if not 2 females showing. This one is about 8 ft out on the 2070 A). Hopefully we can pollinate two or three and then choose the best.   Thursday, June 20 View Page Pollinated a 6 lober today (2070 Paton x 1364 Geyelin)   Sunday, June 30 View Page I pollinated the 2070 Paton with my 1080. A day or two ago I culled the one that had been pollinated on the 23rd and ate it for breakfast. The kids loved it!   Tuesday, July 2 View Page These two opened on the 1798 Paton one day apart. Second one pollinated today with the 2070 Paton.   Monday, July 8 View Page 2070 A at 8 DAP   Monday, July 8 View Page 1798 at 6 and 7 DAP respectively.   Monday, July 8 View Page Here is my daughter's 2070 B at 10 DAP.   Monday, July 8 View Page And finally, my other daughter's 1752 (2261 x 2145) at 8 DAP. The main vine refused to produce a viable female flower so this one is on a side vine.   Wednesday, July 10 View Page Oh yes, there is one more: My daughter's 1364 Geyelin at 10 DAP; beautiful shape. It is at the edge of a pasture adjoining our back yard.   Monday, July 15 View Page Time for a little update. This is my new patch (although I won't be growing here next year). Two plants back to back. Ironically they are doing much better than the same seed growing in my old patch. More sun up here on the hill I suppose.   Monday, July 15 View Page 2070 B at 17 DAP with the one we culled which was 15 DAP. The keeper has some animal damage but it still seemed the better of the two in terms of vigour and position on the vine.   Monday, July 15 View Page Here is the 1752 at 15 DAP. I did something really stupid with this one. As we were putting the board underneath it and I was backing up, my foot kicked a stick right into the pumpkin! You can see the little mark below the blossom. We'll see if it heals over; it was pretty deep. I think we still have a backup on this plant   Monday, July 15 View Page Same one. You can see the nice colour (and shape), and you can also see the stick before it committed its crime. Where did that stick come from...   Monday, July 29 View Page 1752 HWT x 1364 Geyelin (with her owner) at 29 DAP, taping a modest 150 lbs. It seems to be surviving following the impalement on the stick.   Monday, July 29 View Page 2070 Paton x 1752 (with her owner) at 31 DAP taping 288 lbs. First we had searing heat and all the young leaves got scorched to a crisp. Then we had torrential rain and thunderstorms. No splits yet and growth is picking up: 28 lbs a day the last several days.   Friday, August 9 View Page 1752 HWT x 2070 Paton at 33 DAP. Est. 387 lbs and growing fast.   Friday, August 9 View Page My 2070 (not pictured) is taping just over 500 lbs. Here is my daughter's 2070 (B) at 42 DAP and close to 600 lbs. (not fair!)   Tuesday, August 20 View Page First the bad news: following a week of rain and cold weather, the stump of my 2070 gave out. After radical surgery here's how it looks.   Tuesday, August 20 View Page The good news is that the pumpkin is still gaining 25 lbs/day and is about 730 lbs.   Tuesday, August 20 View Page Our 1798 Paton is turning an acceptable shade of orange and is around 550 lbs (planted in a corner of the patch, and originally meant to be just a pollinator).   Tuesday, August 20 View Page Last but not least, our 1364 Geyelin. It has pretty much stopped growing around 350 lbs. but will be a nice colour and not a bad shape.   Sunday, September 1 View Page 2070 B taping 1035.   Monday, September 2 View Page 2070 A taping 955.   Sunday, September 15 View Page The 1798 is picking up a bit more colour. This one is going for a display at Malvern next week.   Sunday, September 15 View Page We picked my daughter's 1364 Geyelin and put on display along with two 70 lb. marrows: (220 Baggs and 173 Baggs)   Sunday, September 15 View Page 2070 A (now 1101 lbs.) is slowly catching up to 2070 B (now 1152). With the weigh off just under three weeks away, there is still time.   Wednesday, September 18 View Page Took a day off for fishing in the Channel.   Saturday, October 5 View Page We sort of swept the RHS weigh off, with the three biggest pumpkins there (one was exhibition only). My daughter beat me in the end but I was only 19 pounds behind!   Saturday, October 5 View Page Her comment was: "I couldn't be happier".   Saturday, October 5 View Page Here she is with the official weight (with little sister).   Saturday, October 5 View Page PB for me (2nd year growing competitively). Last year I grew two on one plant. This was the one whose stump rotted out half way through the season.   Saturday, October 5 View Page Exhibition only. Not bad as it was an after-thought, pollinated on a side vine of the 1752 HWT.   Saturday, October 5 View Page Here is where our 1798 ended up.   Saturday, October 5 View Page Here are all three together with their owners. That is a total of 4601 lbs for the year. It was a lot of fun but I think we'll take a break on the competitions next year and just grow a few orange ones.