Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 70 Entries. Sunday, March 27 View Page Back to growing in the ground this year. I have decided to double dig the entire 20' x 20' hoop house. 1 foot of soil is first put to the side. I then used a broadfork to break up the sub-soil 14" down. Completed first row today. � Friday, April 8 View Page 2nd row completed today � Monday, April 11 View Page Soil test results. � Sunday, April 17 View Page These are the three seeds I am starting: 1756.5 Howell/Jolivette 2014, 1781 Zywiec 2014, and 1374 Engel 2014 � Monday, April 18 View Page Seeds were soaked for 8 hours in distilled water. Cups were placed on a heat mat to keep the water warm. The seed edges were not filed. � Monday, April 18 View Page Seeds were then placed into 4" air pots and placed on the heat mat under fluorescent lights. � Sunday, April 24 View Page The 1781 (right) and 1374 (center) were the first to come up. Time to place into larger pots, roots were seen coming out the bottom. � Sunday, April 24 View Page 1781 and 1374 potted up. Added azos and mycorrhizae to the soil mix. � Sunday, April 24 View Page 3rd row done, time to pick up the pace! � Wednesday, April 27 View Page Rough start for the 1756.5 � Friday, April 29 View Page Getting some sun for the first time � Tuesday, May 3 View Page Left the plants outside in dappled shade for 4 hours. The 1781 flopped backwards either from wind or a bird sitting on it. Added more soil to prop it up. The 2nd leaf on the 1374 appears to have been scorched. � Tuesday, May 3 View Page 1374 2nd leaf, sun scorch? � Sunday, May 8 View Page The 1781 is the best looking plant, so it went into the hoop house today. � Sunday, May 8 View Page 1781 in the ground � Monday, May 9 View Page Hmm I think the fertilizer in the Miracle Gro potting soil was too much for the 1374. � Sunday, May 15 View Page The 1781 is starting out as double vine, note the wide base. � Sunday, May 22 View Page I fear the 1781 double vine will split in the future. � Sunday, May 22 View Page But it does appear a single vine has started to grow. � Thursday, May 26 View Page I mounded some dirt under the main to help it down. � Thursday, May 26 View Page Double tendril, then the main vine appears normal afterwards. � Saturday, May 28 View Page Root � Saturday, May 28 View Page The 1781 has been in the ground for almost 3 weeks now, main is down and running. � Wednesday, June 1 View Page The main on the 1781 is close to 5 feet today. Secondaries are starting to move. � Tuesday, June 7 View Page Main is now 7 ft on the 1781. Also tested the irrigation system. � Wednesday, June 8 View Page Started burying vines with a mixture of azos, mycos, and a compost/soil blend � Saturday, June 11 View Page Going to try a 30% white shade cloth over the hoop house � Sunday, June 12 View Page And here is the shade cloth installed � Sunday, June 12 View Page The 1781 has been in the ground for 5 weeks now. The main vine is 10 feet long. Added some elevated walking boards to each side of the plant. � Sunday, June 12 View Page And we have our first pumpkin showing up on the main vine. � Monday, June 13 View Page First male flowers opened today � Sunday, June 19 View Page Temps have been hot outside, near 90. Trying to prevent the new leaves on the secondaries from burning up. � Wednesday, June 22 View Page Pollination day is tomorrow for the first pumpkin on the main vine of the 1781. Its close to 15 ft from the stump. � Thursday, June 23 View Page Ready for pollination � Thursday, June 23 View Page 5 lobes, good symmetry � Thursday, June 23 View Page The pumpkin was selfed, only had two males to work with � Thursday, June 23 View Page Patch view panaorama � Saturday, June 25 View Page Anthesis applied two days after pollination � Saturday, June 25 View Page The main vine is about 20 ft long and curving to the left after the pumpkin, no more room in the hoop house. � Sunday, July 3 View Page 10 DAP � Friday, July 8 View Page 15 DAP basketball � Wednesday, July 13 View Page 1781 Zywiec 20 DAP, 118 OTT (34-35-49), estimated 40 pounds � Wednesday, July 13 View Page Patch panorama from stump � Wednesday, July 13 View Page 1781 stump, 1/2 PVC below for scale � Wednesday, July 13 View Page Patch panorama from pumpkin. Hoop house is full and nearly all secondaries are terminated. � Saturday, July 16 View Page Terminated the main vine on the 1781 today, somewhere between 25-30 ft. � Monday, July 18 View Page 1781 Zywiec 25 DAP, 165 OTT (47-47-71), estimated 105 pounds. A kid got into the patch and touched the pumpkin at 20 DAP. Lesson learned, lock the gate! � Monday, July 18 View Page Keeping the main off the kin using a bungee and pool noodle section. � Saturday, July 23 View Page 1781 Zywiec 30 DAP, 209 OTT (57.5-56-95.5), estimated 208 pounds. � Thursday, July 28 View Page 35 DAP, 241 OTT (64-63-114), estimated 315 pounds, averaging 21 pounds per day. � Sunday, August 7 View Page 45 DAP, 280 OTT (72-71-137), estimated 486 pounds. Its been really hot the past few weeks, averaging 15 lbs per day now. � Wednesday, August 17 View Page 55 DAP, 296 OTT (75-75-146), estimated 571 pounds � Sunday, August 21 View Page Day 59, close to 600 lbs � Monday, August 22 View Page 60 DAP, 301 OTT (76-76-149), estimated 599 pounds � Friday, September 2 View Page 71 DAP, 309 OTT (77-78-154), estimated 647 pounds. Growth is way down, only a few pounds a day. � Friday, September 30 View Page Day 99, one week to go until weigh off � Saturday, October 1 View Page Habanero and tabasco pepper harvest � Thursday, October 6 View Page Last day in the patch � Friday, October 7 View Page Leaves removed and cut from the vine � Friday, October 7 View Page The lift � Friday, October 7 View Page Bottom was concave. � Friday, October 7 View Page It barely fit in the trailer! � Friday, October 7 View Page Just about ready to go. � Saturday, October 8 View Page The 1781 made it to the weigh-off 120 miles away at Hee Haw Farms � Saturday, October 8 View Page Pumpkins entered at the weigh-off � Saturday, October 8 View Page Pumpkins entered at the weigh-off � Saturday, October 8 View Page The 1781 hitting the scales � Saturday, October 8 View Page My personal best, 672.5 pounds and a 2nd place finish at the Hee Haw Farms weigh-off. Final measurements at 106 DAP was 317 OTT (79-79-159), 3.4% light to chart. � Saturday, October 8 View Page Growth curve � Monday, October 31 View Page Happy Halloween! �