Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 178 Entries. Monday, April 6 View Page First tilling done. Soil sample sent into Western Labs. Applied 40 lbs gypsum to the 500 sq ft plot. Granddaughters helping out.   Friday, April 10 View Page Ready for the heating cables. Cables tested and working. Rain in forcast this PM. I am going to tye the heating cables to a 4x4 piece of hardware wire and attach with small wire ties. Next fall, the hardware wire, heating cables and all should come out in one piece and be ready for the next year.   Saturday, April 11 View Page Got my soil test back from Western Labs. Looks like things are progressing well at trying to get this plot in good tilth and productivity. I wish I would not have applied the gypsum. Went on hope of conditioning my clays and increasing porosity. An agronomist friend of mine said that gyspum really helped his plot, so I gave it a try. Time will tell. Already have too much Ca and have been having trouble getting my pH down. Sulfer in the gysum may help things balance a bit, I hope so. I am going to just procede with Western Labs recommendations and act like the gypsum was never applied. This is my fertilization list for this spring based on test results and a 500 sq ft plot. 7.5 lbs of 0-10-0, Bone Meal = .75 lbs actual P 3.0 lbs of 21-0-0 +24% sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate = .75 lbs actual sulfate + .63 lbs actual N 1.0 lbs of 46-0-0, Urea = .5 lbs actual N 4.5 lbs of elemental sulfur I have on hand, but need to research a little more before I apply. I want to apply in a 5:2 humic/kelp ratio, but don't really know how much to apply on the 500 sq ft. 20 lbs leonardite humic acid 50 lbs organic kelp meal   Sunday, April 12 View Page This will help flatten the curve on the spring fever.   Sunday, April 12 View Page April 11 last year. I'm startiing to see a pattern here.   Wednesday, April 15 View Page Cables attached to wire poultry fence. My idea is this is way easier than getting all that cable into formation when just loose on the bottom of the hole. Secondly, when it comes time to dig them back up, I can pull up the whole thing in one piece, then clean and roll up ready for use the next year. I don't know for sure, but with the heating cables being attached to the wire in many places, will it help disapate the heat into the soil better?   Thursday, April 16 View Page Cables are ready to cover. Amending the soil I took out with: humic, kelp, fish meal, myco, and worm castings. My alfalfa meal is on a slow boat from Amazon prime, will not be delivered until May 4. It is considered nonessential, so toilet paper takes a priority. Otherwise, the alfalfa meal would also be added.   Thursday, April 16 View Page First round seed lineup.   Thursday, April 16 View Page Ready to go   Friday, April 17 View Page Cables on and cloche in place. Beginning soil temp at 6 inches is 44 degrees   Monday, April 20 View Page The two 1211 Borgers have broken the soil. Soil temp in cloche at 6 inches is 59 degrees. Warming 5 degrees per day.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page Had one of my 11 year old 713 Winey germinate and even though not the most health looking, it is growing. Soil temp at 6 inches is 60 degrees inside the cloche.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page Giving them some sun.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page Outside soil temp 50 degrees.   Saturday, April 25 View Page Five days old, getting too stretchy, planning on putting out in cloche today or tomorrow.   Tuesday, April 28 View Page All amendments and fertilizers applied and incorporated. Heat cables have the soil in the stump area have been on for several days with the cloche over the top and ready for the plants. I have two 1211 Borgers that are looking real good. Both will be put in the ground tomorrow and the one will be culled later on.   Sunday, May 3 View Page Plants grown well since transplanting into the cloche.   Sunday, May 3 View Page Corner set up, going for diamond shape instead of xmas tree shape.   Sunday, May 3 View Page Used all my myco from last year when transplanting the 1211's. Purchased a pound of Rons WOW myco.   Monday, May 4 View Page Filed and soaked ten 337 Johnson 18's and have them in wet paper towel on germ mat. Scarified 8 long gourd seeds, soaked and have in towels on germ mat.   Sunday, May 10 View Page 20 days old, 10 days in the cloche. Looking good. One slightly larger, but both nice.   Sunday, May 10 View Page This is the better of the two.   Sunday, May 10 View Page This slightly behind. Did not take the transplanting as good as the other. The seed, 1211 Borgers 18, is something like five generations inbred, no wonder they are acting like clones.   Monday, May 18 View Page Should be landing later this week. One plant is still clearly ahead of the other, but want to make sure the better of the two doesn't have some kind of troubled landing.   Friday, May 22 View Page She has landed and off running. Going to wait a couple days and check for cracks once again. It lookis like a great bend with no kinks. If all is still good, the other will be culled.   Friday, May 22 View Page Found a bug that I do not know what it is.   Friday, May 22 View Page Another shot, pretty small.   Sunday, May 24 View Page Plants are looking good. Down and running. Will be culling soon, so hard to kill the runt.   Sunday, May 24 View Page 337 Johnson transplanted into patch. 150 sq ft.   Tuesday, May 26 View Page Culling done and down to one. Stretching long nicely. 1211 Borgers   Wednesday, May 27 View Page Growing a lot every day now. At least a week ahead of last year.   Thursday, May 28 View Page Growing several inches a day. Seems like it gets longer overnight.   Friday, May 29 View Page Built an awesome airated tea maker. Turned out great and works exactly as claimed   Friday, May 29 View Page A look at how it is constructed.   Friday, May 29 View Page Materials list.   Friday, May 29 View Page A couple starter recipes.   Saturday, May 30 View Page Got a batch of aerated tea going. Giving it 24 hour then a drenching is in order.   Saturday, May 30 View Page Vine is 70 inches.   Sunday, May 31 View Page Tea foaming ready for drenching   Sunday, May 31 View Page Not looking the best, but 337 Johnson is in place for 150 sq ft grow   Tuesday, June 2 View Page 1211 Borgers Been in the nineties the last couple days. Had some flagging on the newer leaves. Eighties the next several days, should be great pumpkin growing!!   Wednesday, June 3 View Page Buried some of the main today. Looking good. Fingers crossed.   Wednesday, June 3 View Page A flower fused to the leaf stock for about six inches.   Wednesday, June 3 View Page 337 Johnson in 150 sq patch. Pretty much just leaving her alone. Hoping she hooks up and goes soon.   Thursday, June 4 View Page First flower was on the fused stem I showed earlier. Already have one application of Merrit, so plucking them as they open to not kill so many pollinators.   Thursday, June 4 View Page Did some work this morning. Secondaries are starting to shoot fast. Put out a couple yellow sticky cards to monitor for the arrival of the cucumber beetles. Also put out two delta sticky traps with squash vine borer pheromone to monitor those annual bastards.   Friday, June 5 View Page 1211 Borgers looking good. Next post shows a secondary that seems stunted.   Friday, June 5 View Page In the center of the pic shows the stunted secondary. Nodes on both sides are growing normally. This same thing happened last year and I ended up with 4 stunted secondaries. I think this may correspond to the timing of removing the cloche. Cooler than accustomed to, this may be causing my problem. Hoping it takes off yet. Is this behavior somewhat common, or am I causing this by something I am doing?   Friday, June 5 View Page A shot of the whole plant showing the stunted secondary in center.   Sunday, June 7 View Page Mid 90's today, 25 mph winds, humidity you could cut with a knife. Got her in the shade. Started to flag around noon, put up the shade and now everything pert and alert.   Monday, June 8 View Page Looking good so far, keeping fingers crossed.   Monday, June 8 View Page Looking good so far, keeping fingers crossed.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Getting long, still no females.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Did a little clean up.   Tuesday, June 16 View Page Looking good still. Finally got a female,except it's on my second side vine......   Thursday, June 18 View Page Finally got a female in the main about 20 ft out. Have females on three side vines, going to pollinate one on the longest of the three, about 10 ft out, just for back up. I am a week to ten days ahead of last year, looking better for a June pollination, fingers crossed. Plant is growing phenomenally good. Weather has been almost perfect all spring, Had four days in the nineties, pulled a 30% shade over the top and they kept right on growing. Natural rain has taken care of most of the watering. I think I have the drip irrigation a little more under control this year. Bought a flow meter and a soil moisture probe to help eliminate guessing. I was really over watering last year which I am sure caused the root rot that ended my season. This girl is doing so good, I am considering tearing out my 150 sq ft pumpkin to let the big girl have more room?   Thursday, June 18 View Page Overhead shot of the 1211 Borgers   Thursday, June 18 View Page Side vines filling in nicely   Thursday, June 18 View Page The other sides side vines   Thursday, June 18 View Page About 8-9 feet out on a side vine. Will pollinate it just for a backup and hopefully cull later. Starting to see several females starting to show up. Got my hopeful female in the cobra head and may just make a June pollination.   Friday, June 19 View Page 337 Johnson in the 150 sq ft area. If the 1211 Borgers continues growing at the current rate, I may cull the 337 to let the 1211 have the room. 337 starting to shoot some side vines.   Friday, June 19 View Page This girl is a monster. Huge growth every day. Starting to S shape my main in preparation for my first pollination on the main. Doing same to the longest secondary that has a female that will open a few days before the one on the main. Planning on pollinating the side vine for a back up.   Monday, June 22 View Page 337 Johnson   Monday, June 22 View Page 1211 Borgers   Tuesday, June 23 View Page Applied a tank mix of 1 1/2 tsp Tree & Shrub (13.3 % active ingredient, same as Merit) plus 1 1/2 tsp Daconil fungicide.   Thursday, June 25 View Page 6:00 AM Pumpkin sex on side vine. First female on the plant, so pollinating for back up. Female on the main in a couple days.   Friday, June 26 View Page This is the first good female on the main. The first on the main aborted, was small and shriveled and I actually did not notice it until I was burying vines. This one will open tomorrow and is my hope that this is the one. I've got her set up perfectly as planned, so keeping fingers crossed. The side vine female I pollinated yesterday obviously took, twice as big this AM than last.   Friday, June 26 View Page 1211 Borgers in all her beauty.   Friday, June 26 View Page Pollination on the main tomorrow AM. Hoping for a 5 lober !!   Saturday, June 27 View Page Nice 5 lober on the 1211 Borgers, pollinated this AM. About 18-20 ft out with another on the main about 4 nodes up that will be ready in about a week.   Saturday, June 27 View Page Found a deformed male while selecting for the pollination of the 1211 Borgers. Obviously did not use this one.   Saturday, June 27 View Page Applied a mix of tree and shrub along with neem oil this evening just before dark. SVB seen flying around the plant again today. Was in low 90's today with very high humidity. About half dozen newer leaves got scorched pretty good. 90 degrees seems to be the threshold on when I need to pull the shade cloth over her.   Sunday, June 28 View Page Some shots of the leaves that got fried yesterday. Beings this all happened within one day, I am pretty sure it's not a disease. Hope not anyhow, if anyone sees anything different, please give me a heads up.   Sunday, June 28 View Page Some shots of the leaves that got fried yesterday. Beings this all happened within one day, I am pretty sure it's not a disease. Hope not anyhow, if anyone sees anything different, please give me a heads up.   Sunday, June 28 View Page Some shots of the leaves that got fried yesterday. Beings this all happened within one day, I am pretty sure it's not a disease. Hope not anyhow, if anyone sees anything different, please give me a heads up.   Sunday, June 28 View Page Side vine pumpkin. 3 DAP   Sunday, June 28 View Page Pumpkin on the main that I pollinated yesterday. Removed the petals shortly after pic taken.   Sunday, June 28 View Page Here is a shot of the damage in it's entity.   Sunday, June 28 View Page About to fill my 500 sq ft. Another week most will be ended.   Thursday, July 2 View Page 5 DAP my first pollination because it was the first female on the plant only about 8-9 ft out on a side vine. I have another pollination two days after this about 20 ft out on the main.   Thursday, July 2 View Page Been a perfect spring, only time I've run the drip irrigation was just to check everything is operational. I've terminated half of the side vines and will be finishing up all side vines within a week. Have a nice one set on a short side and a nice one set on the main. Pollinated another on the main this morning, but was really late in the morning, almost noon, and 90 degrees, hot and humid. Not holding my breath on that one, but have another female on the main about 4 nodes up that will open in couple days. Lost 4-5 leaves to a thunderstorm, but other than that she still has every leaf looking good. Putting out two more Viva SVB pheromone traps. Applied tree and shrub foliar twice, daconil once, neem once. Going with the new Sevin and organocide for the next rotation. Looking to buy some bifen to include in the rotation.   Friday, July 3 View Page Crack developing on the stem on the main vine pumpkin. 6 DAP Don't know if this is a serious game changer or not. Not enough experience to know. Will monitor and search for help.   Friday, July 3 View Page Here is whats going on under my "cow pies" on every node. I use straight peat moss made into a slurry the consistency of mud pies you made as a kid. I dust every node with Indol 3 rooting hormone powder using a paint brush, then a 50/50 mixture of Wallace WOW Myco and Azos is poured over the top. Then plot comes the cow pie burying everything around the node.   Saturday, July 4 View Page A shot from under the canopy.   Sunday, July 5 View Page This is the 1211 Borgers pumpkin only 8-9 ft out on a side vine. 10 DAP and 29 1/2" in circumference. This was the first female on the plant so pollinated it just for extreme backup. The main vine pumpkin was pollinated two days later and is about half this size. I really did not plan on this pumpkin being a contender, so I really don't know how will try to set this thing up. Would it be better to defoliate around the pumpkin, then put down my plywood over the top of the defoliated vines, or would it be better to just cut the vines in the way. Problem is, those vines that would need to be cut are my oldest secondaries, hence the longest. I could put a good layer of soil over the top of the in the way vines so the plywood would not be pressuring the vines underneath, Hoping the main vine pumpkin measures up in two days. Would lean toward the main if not really behind the other, just because of the location and set up. Can't wait until the 20 day measurement.   Monday, July 6 View Page Found this weird male while pollinating my fourth and final female. I have three on the main and one on the side. The side vine pumpkin is the oldest by two days and of course is the largest at this time. I will terminate the main in a couple days and what sides are still growing have 4-5 ft to go then all will be terminated.   Monday, July 6 View Page Here's my setup on the main. My plan is to cull the pumpkin on the side vine tomorrow even though it is very large, it is 2 days older. You can see that I am very near terminating all my sides, what you see is what is left, 3=4 days.   Monday, July 6 View Page Big thunderstorm on it's way directly through the center. Got the hail nets up and hoping I don't need them.   Tuesday, July 7 View Page Here is my main vine pumpkin 1211 Borgers at 10 DAP and a circumference of 31 1/2 inches. Nice ten day made it easier to cull the two day older side vine pumpkin that was 29 1/2 at 10 DAP. Got an inch of rain last night, so I just cut through 1/2 way on the stem of the cull pumpkin so as to not make the selected pumpkin surge and burst.   Wednesday, July 8 View Page Culled the side vine pumpkin. DAP 13, Cut her half yesterday and finished her off today. 42" Cir, 31 F-B, 31 s-s, for OTT of 104, 37 lbs by scale.   Wednesday, July 8 View Page Correction: 27 lbs by scale, not 37.   Friday, July 10 View Page 1211 Borgers x self, 13 DAP, 45 1/2 in circumference, estimated weight 35 lbs.   Friday, July 10 View Page Granddaughters finding a use for the cull pumpkin.   Friday, July 10 View Page The finished product,   Monday, July 13 View Page 1211 Borgers X Self, 16 DAP, OTT 148, Est Wt 80 lbs You can tell she's really starting to grow a lot each day now. Will be gone for a few days, but will be back for her 20 day measure. Main and all but about 6 sides are terminated. Rest will be terminated when I get back.   Monday, July 13 View Page What the hell??? If that pumpkin weighs 80 lbs, what's that say about me! LOL   Thursday, July 16 View Page Back from 3 days camping/fishing and the plant looks great. Pumpkin is up to OTT 179, chart weight 135 lbs, 19 DAP. Finding a few sucker vines that I need to wade into the plant to cut. All is good, fingers crossed.   Friday, July 17 View Page 20 DAP, OTT 191, Cir 80.5, S-S 56.5, F-B 53.5, Chart Wt 191, Gain 28 lb/day, Ailts/Landry Benchmarks in upper range for 1400 lbs.   Friday, July 17 View Page A shot of the whole plant, pretty much filled out the 480 sq ft plot. Sprayed a mix of the new Sevin along with neem oil. Been in the 90 for several days. Been giving her 50 gallons/day to maintain until we get a bad needed rain. My rain water collection tanks have enough for two more days. Will use tap water run into the tanks and let air for several days and also warm up to ambient temp. in the between time.   Saturday, July 18 View Page 1211 Borgers, DAP 21, OTT 198, cir 84, s-s 59, f-b 55, chart wt 181 lbs, 18 lb/day. Daily gain down, but was hot in the 90's,   Saturday, July 18 View Page How's this for a giant leaf.   Sunday, July 19 View Page 22 DAP, 89 cir, 61 l-r, 58 f-b, 208 OTT, chart wt 208, 27 lb/day   Monday, July 20 View Page 1211 Borgers, 23 DAP, OTT 218.5, chart wt 241, Daily gain 33, cir 92.5, fb 61 lr 65, 50 gallons/day   Wednesday, July 22 View Page 1211 Borgers, 25 DAP, cir 101, lr 68, fb 64, ott 233, chart wt 292, 5 day average gain/day 25   Thursday, July 23 View Page 1211 Borgers, 26 DAP, OTT 242, Chart Wt 327, cc 104, lr 71, fb 67, Daily Gain 35   Friday, July 24 View Page 1211 Borgers, 27 DAP, OTT 247, Chart Wt 347, Daily Gain 20, Ninties yesterday, cc 107, ss 72 fb 68 I just surpassed my personal best and only 27 DAP!!!!!! I guess that's not hard to do when you PB was 337. LOL Cut out about a dozen SVB larva. Drenched with tree and shrub yesterday through the drip, hoping to kill the little bastards before rot and damage sets in.   Friday, July 24 View Page Pic for last post.   Saturday, July 25 View Page Last post for awhile. Going to be gone for a few days fishing down in Nebraska on Lake McConaughey. Got a 1/4 inch rain last night, first rain in weeks. Automated watering system has been dripping 50 gallons/day, equal to about .20 rain. Put it on a days rain delay thanks to mother nature. Pumpkin is doing beyond my wildest dreams. Knock on wood, cross fingers, there's my rabbits foot over by the horseshoe above my 4 leaf clover. Slow and steady in the 30-38/day range right now. Been in the 90's the last 3 days and still getting 30 lbs/day. Weather is supposed to be in the 80's for about ten days after today's scorcher. Thinking I may get into the 40's with those temps. 1211 Borgers, 28 DAP, 253.5 OTT, 377 chart wt, 30 lb/day, cc 110.5, fb 69, ss 74   Thursday, July 30 View Page Got back from a 5 day outing to thankfully find everything all good with my pumpkin. She averaged 30 lb/day and for a little less than 500 sq ft, I am very happy with the gain. Had to dig out some more SVB larvae, Even after the T&S drench before I left, they were still alive, some looking like none the worse some almost black ??. Maybe the older ones take longer to die. Definitely going to be some damage to two of my oldest vines. Little bastards, I thought this year I had a grip on them, but obviously not. Got an inch of rain while gone, some stretch cracks are opening up on the stem end, but I don't think it's anything bad, I will post and ask advice. Planning on applying some Sevin and Daconil tonight. My cloth sewing tape is no longer long enough to measure the CC. 1211 Borgers, 33 DAP, OTT 284, Chart Wt 529, CC 125, SS 83, FB 76   Thursday, July 30 View Page One of the cracks starting on the stem end. I don't know if this is just normal growth marking or something of concern. Please let me know if this is a concern. Going to start a fan blowing on the stem. Washed out the cracks with peroxide. The little black spot is a spider.   Thursday, July 30 View Page Here is another of a different crack.   Thursday, July 30 View Page My first mega bud. One more on the same "bunch?" See that one on next post. Have never grown big tomatoes, but I bought Marv's ebook and I'm going give it a try.   Thursday, July 30 View Page My other mega bud.   Thursday, July 30 View Page Granddaughters checking out the pumpkin.   Friday, July 31 View Page 34 DAP, OTT 291, Chart Wt 569, 40 lb/day, CC 127, SS 85, FB 79   Saturday, August 1 View Page I have two mega buds on the same cluster that are nearing the point of choosing one. The one that appears to going to be bigger is situated where the stem is right against the side of the tomato and looks to my first time eyes would be a problem later. The other, slightly smaller, appears to me to be situated pretty good stem wise. Take a look and tell me if you would go with the bigger, weird set one, or the better set up one even though smaller. The next couple posts are pics from different angels. Thanks.   Saturday, August 1 View Page A different view.   Saturday, August 1 View Page A different view.   Saturday, August 1 View Page 35 DAP, OTT 296.5, Chart wt 602, Daily gain 33, CC 129.5, SS 87, FB 80 Applied Sevin and Daconil   Sunday, August 2 View Page 36 DAP, OTT 300.5, Chart Wt 626, Daily Gain 24. CC 130.5, SS 89, FB 81,   Monday, August 3 View Page The next few posts are for bluesilver. Here is the set up for using a 5 gallon paint strainer bag as a "tea bag" for the air lift brewer. When the batch is done. Clean up the bag in bleached water and it is ready when you do the next batch. Also on the lack of foam, you have to clean all the equipment in bleached water after every use, or you get a bio film build up that can spoil the next batch. Let thing sit for a day or so after cleaning in the bleach water and the bleach will all be evaporated.   Monday, August 3 View Page Out of the brew.   Monday, August 3 View Page Straining all done.   Thursday, August 6 View Page 1211 Borgers X Self, 40 DAP, OTT 319.5, Chart Wt 751, Daily Gain 41, CC 140, FB 85, SS 94.5   Thursday, August 6 View Page 1211 Borgers X Self, 40 DAP, OTT 319.5, Chart Wt 751, Daily Gain 41, CC 140, FB 85, SS 94.5   Thursday, August 6 View Page 1211 Borgers X Self, 40 DAP, OTT 319.5, Chart Wt 751, Daily Gain 41, CC 140, FB 85, SS 94.5   Thursday, August 6 View Page Damn cat. May have messed up my Howard Dill plans, hope not.   Thursday, August 6 View Page Damn cat. May have messed up my Howard Dill plans, hope not.   Saturday, August 8 View Page 42 DAP, OTT 326.5, Chart Wt 800.5, 2 Day Avg ROG 25, CC 142.5, SS 97, FB 87. Applied Organocide and still cutting out SVB.   Saturday, August 8 View Page Another from ground level. Cat damage healing over.   Monday, August 10 View Page Not a great morning. Scattered thunderstorms dropped up to golf ball sized hail for nearly 15 minutes. Got the pumpkin itself covered with a heavy comforter, so not so much damage on the pumpkin itself. At least half the leaf stalks are cut completely off. Will go in this afternoon and cut out all the damage and see what is left. Last measurement two days ago was 800 lbs.   Monday, August 10 View Page More   Monday, August 10 View Page Last one   Monday, August 10 View Page Initial clean up done. Not a lot left and those leaves a riddled. I'm afraid the first really hot day is going to fry the shit out of them. Going to apply Organocide and Neem to everything this evening. Along with getting hailed out, we have gotten 4 inches of rain this week. This is 44 DAP, OTT 335.5, Chart Wt 866, 10 Day Avg Daily Gain 30, CC 146.5, SS 100, FB 89   Monday, August 10 View Page Another after initial clean up.   Tuesday, August 11 View Page Riddled leaves from the hail storm.   Tuesday, August 11 View Page A look down the main.   Tuesday, August 11 View Page Some of the damage on the pumpkin.   Tuesday, August 11 View Page Close call on the main. Look at the lower right the chunks knocked out.   Tuesday, August 11 View Page Pumpkin damage. Don't know why first pic did not post.   Tuesday, August 11 View Page She gained 12 pounds yesterday even after the hail storm. Hope she holds together and keeps gaining although I know the 30 lb/day ten day average is a thing of the past. Applied daconil today as a preventative. I have to keep what leaves I have left in the healthiest condition as possible. Picked up loose leaf parts off ground to decrease disease potential a little. 45 DAP, OTT 337, Chart Wt 878, daily gain 12.   Friday, August 14 View Page Great news, she's still pushing sand after the hail storm. Appears like my 30+ lbs/days are over, but she still averaged 17.6 lbs/day over the last three days since the hail storm. Better news is that if she keeps on her current pace, I will break 1000 lbs on Day 51!! Here she is today from a different angle now that over half the leaves are gone and you can easily see the stem. Here she is today. DAP 48, OTT 344,, Chart Wt 931, 3 day avg daily gain 17.6, cc 150.5, fb 91.5, ss 102.   Friday, August 14 View Page Blossom view   Friday, August 14 View Page My try at trick photography   Sunday, August 16 View Page Hail storm really showing the damage now. Only 4 lb/day the last two days, I'm afraid she may be done growing, I hope to get to 1000 lbs by seasons end, but may be wishful thinking. This the the 50 DAP numbers. OTT 345, Chart Wt 939, CC 151, SS 102.5, FB 91.5   Sunday, August 16 View Page Growth curve is flattening out. Looks like 1000 may still be possible before 60 DAP, I sure hope so. Trying to resuscitate her a little, gave her a foliar of silica and Azos. Also worm tea plus Azos through the drip lines. Began watering again today for first time since the hail storm. Praying for a little jump in the lb/day. The remaining leaves look like shit and are riddled from the hail. Windy day yesterday broke over more stalks that had chunks blown out from the hail but were still standing after the storm. To be expected I guess. Suckers starting to shoot out all over, must be the opening of the canopy and sunlight having a direct shot. I was seeing some squash bug egg clusters just before the storm, so will probably follow up with a Neem application tomorrow. Still got plenty of roots, just so few solar panels to run the pump. Don't think they are going to hang on much into fall, so I have to get the most I can now.   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Granddaughters   Thursday, August 20 View Page Today is ten days since the Aug 10 hail event. She is 54 DAP with an OTT of 352 and Chart Wt is 994. She has gained 130 lbs in the last 10 days or 13 lb/day average. The average over the last 4 days has been 14 lbs/day, so I think she is recovering a little and may pick up a decent gain in the end after all. So YAY !!!! I"M GOING TO MAKE 1000 !!! By tomorrow night, I will have tripled my PB from 2018. Hoping 1200 my be possible yet, fingers crossed.   Thursday, August 20 View Page The scaring is showing more and more as the pumpkin continues to gain. Starting to get a lot of cantalouping and surface splits. Dusting with sulfer.   Thursday, August 20 View Page Got to have a butt shot.   Sunday, August 23 View Page Amazing how damn tough these plants are. After two weeks recovery from the hail event, she continues to put on weight at what I see as miraculous. Boy I would have loved to not got hit by the hail and had all my leaves, this thing would been in the 1300 lb range. Here she is today. 57 DAP, OTT 358.5, Chart Wt 1047, CC 158, SS 106.5, FB 94, 3 Day Avg 17.6 lbs/day   Sunday, August 23 View Page She is getting uglier as she grows. The scars grow with the pumpkin. This is on top which got hit a few times before I got her covered with big quilt. Hail stones must have been spinning fast, look at some of the "whirlpool" marks. Long marks are from the cat.   Sunday, August 23 View Page Here is how the lower side that did not get covered with the quilt. I am sure it would have been worse, but the leaf canopy took most of the beating slowing down the stones.   Sunday, August 23 View Page And the all important butt shot.   Tuesday, September 1 View Page The next few pics are what is left of my patch. The Aug 10 hail storm did serious damage. Still putting on about 4 lbs/day now that it cooled down a bit. Several days in the 90's last week had her at a standstill for 4 days, but she has picked up again. Cooler nights on the horizon. Hard to get a good measurement, but she is north of 1000 by chart. I would sure like to see another 40-50 lbs before the Sept 26 weigh in at the Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival in Rapid City. Amazing how tough and vigorous these plants are, I figured my gains would be done after the hail storm. Would loved to have grown this girl out without the hail, leaves were beautiful looking.   Tuesday, September 1 View Page Another view.   Tuesday, September 1 View Page Another   Tuesday, September 1 View Page Last one.   Tuesday, September 1 View Page The next South Dakota state record tomato. I hope!   Wednesday, September 23 View Page Got my King Ring delivered just in time. Forklift is scheduled to be here at 9:30 Friday morning to load for Saturday's weigh-off.   Wednesday, September 23 View Page Did a little prep work. Here are a few pics   Wednesday, September 23 View Page another   Wednesday, September 23 View Page another   Wednesday, September 23 View Page another   Wednesday, September 23 View Page another   Thursday, September 24 View Page Here is how my grow out of a corner in a diamond like shape turned out. Worked good and beings I have only one patch to grow out of each year, I am thinking about leaving the heating cables buried over winter and just shallow till over the top and put my pumpkin stump back in the same place.   Thursday, September 24 View Page A different angle   Saturday, September 26 View Page I have never seen a more poorly run weigh off in my life than today at The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival in Rapid City, SD. The site crew had three drops. they dropped Plains and Rocky Mountain Region GPC Representative, Andy Corbin's 11?? lb pumpkin twice from 8-10 inches before getting it on the scale, cracking the pumpkin to leakage. The next dropped pumpkin up was mine, 963 lb Howard Dill winning pumpkin, dropped onto the scale from a height of about two feet leaving two cracks through into the middle and surface damage from hitting the fork lift on the way down. The site crew was not done yet, we had two broken pumpkin necks that got weighed with the pumpkin, indicating it was site staff that broke it. I don't think there was even going to be a HD award, because there was never any ballots passed out to the contestants like in other years. After no more ceremony than hollering at the top of their lungs your name and to come get your ribbon was completed with the handing out of only 5 places of site ribbons and top three cash, I asked about the HD award and was told "Oh, ah, you won that. After a three stooges routine pointing fingers, I was told they had no HD plaque nor ribbon. I don't think they intended to have HD until they dropped my, only orange pumpkin at the weigh off, and was trying to cover for that??? It doesn't end there. Once the fork lift accidently pushed the scale platform nearly a foot, the answer was just pick up the platform and put it back in the general area, no relevel involved. After dropping Andy's pumpkin twice, and mine once, directly onto the platform, no rebalance or releveling of the scale. I looked, and truly could not find any type of certification sticker on any of the equipment which appears to be the exact same scale system used at that event for years. I really question the charterability of this weigh off site. Old unsafe equipment and unexperienced, untrain.ed site personell, This was a true debacle. The true bummer was I got no sorry, if feel bad, how's your mother or shit. They acted as though nothing at all happened and did not even acknowledge that they damaged the pumpkins. Accidents can happen, but most are avoidable and this certainly should have been. I don't know what to think, all that work, time, money, and pride all down the shitter in one big avoidable drop by the site weigh off crew. There were only 11 AG's there, 25 percent drop rate, I think a new site record. I have video of them dropping my pumpkin but don't know how/where to ;post online, send me an email and send you a copy. I got home and put sulfer in the cracks and silicon to fill in, here is before pics of the damage followed by "fixed" damage.   Saturday, September 26 View Page more   Saturday, September 26 View Page more   Saturday, September 26 View Page fix attemt 1   Saturday, September 26 View Page fix2   Saturday, September 26 View Page last fix   Saturday, September 26 View Page b   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Finally got my HD Award in the mail from the the Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival.   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Wrapping up the 2020 season, I had a phenomenal year. My 963 Johnson 20 placed fifth and nearly tripled my 337 PB and was the winner of the Howard Dill Award. I think that without being hailed out in Aug., I would have achieved 1400. I was benchmarking mid 1400's up to the hail. A big shout out to all the people that helped and encouraged me along the way. Special thanks to Robert Borgers for the seed, this gentic line is truly special.   Tuesday, October 20 View Page dill   Tuesday, October 20 View Page https://youtu.be/SB9w7V6Dk-w The perfect ending to 2020 year.