Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 84 Entries. Tuesday, February 19 View Page 2019 garden helpers. Haha fingers crossed these little buggers don’t get into my garden and eat everything.   Monday, March 11 View Page Drilled some holes around my stump sites. Think I got deep enough? Lol   Tuesday, March 19 View Page Drilled a couple dozen holes with my auger and filled them with perlite. 8 cubic feet of perlite.   Tuesday, March 19 View Page Then I piled on a yard or so of old horse poop. It was full of red worms.   Tuesday, March 19 View Page Then I murdered all the red worms with my Kubota. Haha   Tuesday, March 19 View Page Finally I set up two hoop houses to hopefully start warming the soil. So far I’m miles ahead of last year when it comes to drying out the patch. I hope it continues.   Friday, April 12 View Page 1/3 of amendments ready to go into big patch.   Friday, April 12 View Page Spread and tilled. Put hoop houses back in place as well but not pictured.   Saturday, April 13 View Page Started backups. Threw my cracked 2152 in as well for 10 minutes. If it germs it will replace my 1971.5 Wolf. I’ll start my main seeds next week but will have these in case something goes wrong with the others and I won’t be behind schedule. 582 House 742 House 1421* Jutras 1445* Jutras 2152 Gantner   Saturday, April 13 View Page Amendments added and tilled my small patch. Plans are to grow a squash here this season.   Monday, April 29 View Page Plants are in the ground. Added worm castings, perlite, Pumpkin Pro, Super Starter Paks, Azos and blood meal to each planting hole. Squash competing for my small 400 sqft spot.   Monday, April 29 View Page 532 and 742 House plants competing for a very small space. Probably only around 300 sqft but never actually measured it. Guess I should do that. Can’t wait to see what one of these plants can produce. The genetics are outstanding. Thanks for the seeds Joe.   Monday, April 29 View Page 1421* Jutras and a 1600 H/J. The 1600 will be pulled if the 1135* Jutras I started looks good. It’s just starting to pop through the dirt. This spot is what I believe is the best spot in my patch. My main effort this year will be on the 1421* Jutras squash plant. Go big green!!!   Monday, April 29 View Page Second best spot in the patch will hopefully grow the 1810 Werner. Backup here is a 1969 Haist. These two are planted back to back with the 1421* Jutras and 1600 H/J. I should mention these plants and the plants in the last picture will be getting around 750-800 sqft of growing space.   Thursday, May 23 View Page Off to my best start ever. Plants are all just about to outgrow my hoop houses. I put extensions on the ends but the sidevines are starting to take off now. My 1810 Werner and 1421* Jutras are in this one.   Thursday, May 23 View Page 742 House in here   Thursday, May 23 View Page 1445* Jutras resides here   Thursday, May 23 View Page 1810 Werner is a week younger than the rest of my plants and is trying to play catch-up   Thursday, May 23 View Page 1421* Jutras   Thursday, May 23 View Page 1445* Jutras   Thursday, May 23 View Page 742 House. Didn’t realize at the time that I caught my goats napping under the big wire spool when I snapped this picture.   Thursday, May 23 View Page Yesterday 5/22, I started burying vines and put up this to catch some rain water. If it works well I’ll move my 250 gallon water tank over here.   Sunday, May 26 View Page Very happy with my plants. This my 4th season growing giant pumpkins and these are by far the best looking plants I have ever had. Big thank you to Cecil Weston for my soil amendment recommendations. Shown is the 1445* Jutras. It only has 380 sqft to grow and first female showed up about 5 days ago. Hoping the 3rd female will be a good one and will try to go with it.   Sunday, May 26 View Page 742 House. This plant has already reached the spot where I need to turn the main because of space limitations. 280 sqft for this plant. Second female showing and will try to set it and go with it. Only has 11 secondaries behind it but with the limited space I don’t have much choice. Too bad because I’m loving this plant and would love to see what it could do full size.   Sunday, May 26 View Page 742 House. Hopefully the chosen one. It’s on the right side of the vine for the bend in the main which will be perfect.   Sunday, May 26 View Page 1810 Werner in front. 1421* Jutras in the back. 1810 is playing catch up and secondaries are just starting to grow. Leaves are really close to the ground on this plant. The color on all my plants is really good this year. Cautiously optimistic that this year will bring something special from our little piece of property.   Sunday, May 26 View Page 1421* Jutras. Gave this plant the best spot in the patch and it’s performing as such. Removed plastic on Friday and secondaries are bursting out now. First female showing as well. Again, cautiously optimistic that something big and green will be headed to Altoona PA in the fall to challenge the current state record.   Thursday, May 30 View Page Put this seed in the potting soil a couple days ago and it’s pushing dirt as of today. Excited to grow this one.   Sunday, June 2 View Page 1810 Werner is very slow with secondary growth.   Sunday, June 2 View Page 1421* Jutras is the leader at my house   Sunday, June 2 View Page 742 House making the turn to head down along the fence. Depending on where I get a fruit set, I may terminate the main vine on this one.   Sunday, June 2 View Page 1445* Jutras has very spindly vines. Hope that’s not a bad sign.   Sunday, June 2 View Page Settled on our own 242 Yohe BG plant for this year. Hope it starts picking up the pace soon. My backups which are still in solo cups are much bigger then this one.   Sunday, June 2 View Page Giant maters and LGs here. Looks like a bunch of first truss megas forming but nothing huge so far. Seeds planted were some of our own, some from Lee Zappa and bnot. The LG are both 149.25 Checkon.   Sunday, June 30 View Page 742 House x self. 18 DAP   Sunday, June 30 View Page 1421 Jutras Squash x self. 6 DAP   Wednesday, July 10 View Page 748 house x self 219 ott day 28 243 lbs plant is around 300 sqft so I’m happy with the growth so far   Wednesday, July 10 View Page 242 yohe BG is stretching it’s legs   Wednesday, July 10 View Page 211 MacKinnon also running now. Very narrow spot for bg and fp   Wednesday, July 10 View Page 1421 Jutras at 16 dap. This plant has filled its 700+ sqft and all but two sidevines and the main have been terminated. I still have a backup on a sidevine that needs termed but I’m waiting til day 20 on my keeper before cutting off the backup   Wednesday, July 10 View Page 1810 Werner x self at day 15. This plant has not quite filled its 700+ sqft but pretty close.   Tuesday, July 16 View Page 1421 Jutras x self 22 DAP est 232 lbs   Monday, July 22 View Page Day 40 for my 742 House. Ott is 297.25” for 606 lbs. For a 300 sqft plant I’m very happy with her growth. She is on pace to be a new PB for me if I can just keep her going.   Tuesday, July 23 View Page 1421 Jutras x self. 30 DAP. 281.25” OTT. 514 lbs   Tuesday, July 23 View Page I’m loving the coloring on my 742 House pumpkin   Tuesday, July 23 View Page Not loving the shape though. Was hoping for an HD contender with this one.   Wednesday, July 24 View Page Day 30 for my 1810 Werner   Friday, August 2 View Page 1421 Jutras 40 DAP 786 lbs   Friday, August 2 View Page Front side   Friday, August 2 View Page 742 House 51 DAP 895 lbs   Friday, August 2 View Page Front side   Friday, August 2 View Page 1810 Werner 39 DAP 674 lbs. Currently the best grower in the patch.   Thursday, August 8 View Page 742 House taping 1011 at day 57   Thursday, August 8 View Page 1421 Jutras taping 902 at day 46. May have an issue though. See next pic   Thursday, August 8 View Page Pin hole in blossom end. Ugh   Thursday, August 8 View Page 1810 Werner is taping 817 at day 45   Sunday, August 11 View Page Day 60 on my 742 House pumpkin. Taping 1066 lbs with cc of 170.25”. Gaining steady 18 lbs per day so looking at a new PB if I can keep her alive until the weigh off. Growing on a very small plant.   Sunday, August 11 View Page 742 House. Not counting where the main vine goes past my water storage tank she’s only around 300 sqft. Did not expect to break 800 lbs with her but she’s chugging along. Does have some PM now though.   Sunday, August 11 View Page This is my 1810 Werner plant which is around 750 sqft   Sunday, August 11 View Page 1810 Werner taping 878 at day 48   Sunday, August 11 View Page 1421 Jutras squash plant also around 750 sqft. Tomorrow is day 50 for the squash but I’m honestly afraid to measure as I have not noticed much, if any, growth out of her the past few days.   Friday, August 23 View Page 742 House day 70 1209 lbs   Friday, August 23 View Page 1421 Jutras day 60 1055 lbs   Friday, August 23 View Page 1810 Werner day 60 1103 lbs   Friday, August 23 View Page Picked a couple small maters   Friday, August 23 View Page Here’s another one   Friday, August 23 View Page 22 days old estimated 65 lbs   Friday, August 23 View Page Not sure of the age but taping 106 lbs   Tuesday, August 27 View Page Far left is a new PB for me but it had a small soft spot on the bottom so no official weight. Looks like 5 lbs is gonna have to wait til next year.   Sunday, September 15 View Page Haven’t updated in a while. 742 House estimated at 1357 pounds   Sunday, September 15 View Page 1810 Werner taping 1280   Sunday, September 15 View Page 1421 Jutras taping 1146. PA state record is 1154.5 so gonna be another fun time in Altoona PA. My squash last year was taping right at the record as well but went light. Bummer   Sunday, September 15 View Page 242 Yohe is taping 230 on the new chart. Gains seemed to have sharply dropped off the past two days which is surprising as her skin is just starting to mature and plant is still in good shape.   Sunday, September 15 View Page Pic is a couple days old but she’s grown over 20” in the past three days. Measured her at 78” today. She’s about 2 weeks old give or take a day.   Sunday, September 15 View Page Prettiest pumpkin leaf I have ever seen. Growing on my 130.5 Treece field pumpkin.   Sunday, September 15 View Page These little fellas are always getting into trouble. Not sure how I’m gonna load pumpkins with them trying to “help”   Friday, September 20 View Page 242 Yohe is estimated at 242 lbs today. I thought that was kinda funny. Still slowly gaining.   Friday, September 20 View Page This sucker isn’t half the size of Porkchops WR. Haha Congratulations PC   Friday, September 20 View Page Longest ever for me. Measured 96” today. Still adding a couple inches per day. Would love to get another foot outta her.   Sunday, October 6 View Page I broke the 12 year standing PA state green squash record this weekend.   Sunday, October 6 View Page New pb off the 742 House seed. Now the 1303 Yohe.   Sunday, October 6 View Page Won 1st place in field pumpkins 97.5 lbs   Sunday, October 6 View Page 1st place long gourd 117.63”   Sunday, October 6 View Page 1st place tomato 4.28 lbs