Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 43 Entries. Saturday, January 25 View Page So starts the 2020 season. Pumpkin test germination(s) are doing well. Big carrots have sprouted. Thanks Kerry for the seeds.   Monday, January 27 View Page Moles are not terrible for gardens as they are carnivores eating grubs and worms mostly. They do leave unsightly destruction on your lawn and can disturb root structure but generally populations stay within a few animals per 1000sqft tops. However, the voles that move into the abandoned mole tunnels are a real threat. They are vegetarians and will eat every pumpkin root they can find and bread at an uncontrollable rate. So the Moles have got to go to help keep the voles at bay. This trap, the "Wire Tek 1001 EasySet Mole Eliminator" is the only sure fire bet on the market. Do not waste your money on poisons, chemical / sonic deterrents, or other traps as they do not work.   Tuesday, February 11 View Page Split bucket potting for my largest carrot start. I'll do a 2-3 more of these for my competition carrot patch this weekend. Thanks for the seeds Kerry.   Saturday, February 22 View Page Cover crop is pretty lame. Covering the patch like my buddy Bryan.   Saturday, February 22 View Page All covered up for a couple months.   Thursday, February 27 View Page Carrots are off and running. Going to turn that one in the white bucket into a new WV State Record and take Dustin's Carrot crown.   Friday, March 6 View Page Getting the indoor grow environment dialed in. Carrots are filling in.   Monday, March 16 View Page Almost heaven........West Virginia.......Blue Ridge Mountains......Shenandoah River........You stay in your holler.......I'll stay in mine. Doc Rodebaugh   Monday, April 6 View Page Setting the hot huts.   Monday, April 6 View Page Cables..... not sure if i will need them this season with this spring heat wave. Just going through the motions.   Sunday, April 12 View Page We have a few huts set up and wired for heat. This season's seeds have been started. (3)2145 McMullen, (2)1347.5 Rodebaugh, (1)2003 Haist, (1)1342 Burchette, (1)1936 Kennan, (1)2074.5 Klowan. That is 9 seeds total started over the past 7 days. Five seedlings will make the final cut.   Thursday, April 16 View Page Starting to see a little green.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page Carrots are set. This will be a fun 2020 side grow.   Wednesday, April 22 View Page First plant set outside.   Friday, April 24 View Page Second plant set. Temps have been mild 50-60's outside of the huts. Overcast with rain has eased acclimation.   Thursday, April 30 View Page Glow and Grow.   Saturday, May 2 View Page With all the free time on my hands I decided to construct some fancy signs with empty beer cans and masking tape. #1 2145 McMullen (Coors)   Saturday, May 2 View Page Plant #2 2145 McMullen (Bud Heavy). I'm really getting into this crafting thing. I might have found a new hobby.   Friday, May 8 View Page View from mission control headquarters (children's bathroom). Outside temps are low 30's while the huts are holding above 60.   Saturday, May 16 View Page Open for business.   Friday, May 22 View Page 150 patch plants are out there and hardened nicely. I will likely grow the 1347.5 Rodebaugh as my official 150 entry and let the 126.5 Pierpont have more room so I can steal Kerry Gross's state record squash title.   Friday, May 22 View Page #1-2145. She double vined on me but I think I worked her out of it. I am excited to see what a week of good weather will do for her.   Friday, May 22 View Page #2-2145. She was doing 6-8" a day before we hit a cold snap with zero sunshine for 10 days. Still very pleased with the structure and color. This will be a good plant for us.   Sunday, May 24 View Page 2003 Haist on the left and 1936 Keenan on the right.   Sunday, May 24 View Page 1347.5 Rodebaugh at the top of the patch.   Sunday, May 24 View Page Saturday me and pops seeded our shiitake spawn. It is difficult to find a nice correct sized white oak trees on the farm that need to be dropped. We look for living healthy trees with a stump no bigger than 7-8" that are growing in an area not favorable for maximum timber production. This picture is of an ideal tree. A correct sized white oak growing to close to a larger scarlet oak.   Sunday, May 24 View Page Fresh cut white oak logs cut to 4' lengths with 30-60 plug holes drilled.   Sunday, May 24 View Page Stella setting the plug spawn and Solomon hammering them in.   Sunday, May 24 View Page The finished shiitake inoculated white oak logs sealed with bees wax. These will be ready to fruit next year.   Wednesday, June 3 View Page Am I wasting water? Likely, yes. Am I covering my desired root zone? 100% yes. Grow baby Grow!   Thursday, June 4 View Page 10-11' out on my 2145. No males to dance with.   Thursday, June 18 View Page Setting fruit but I need sunshine real bad.   Monday, June 29 View Page 2145 West DAP-15. Smaller than she should/could be at this dap, but chosen as my keeper. Now Grow!!   Monday, July 6 View Page Starting to hit her stride. 2145 west   Tuesday, July 28 View Page 1936 Keenan DAP-35   Tuesday, July 28 View Page 2003 Haist DAP-35   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Hayden, Here is a picture of the Carrot Box.   Wednesday, August 19 View Page Getting somewhere with Nessie the Squash .   Monday, August 24 View Page Starting to get somewhere with my squash.   Wednesday, September 9 View Page Nessie is starting to darken up a bit.   Saturday, September 26 View Page This is my 2nd place finish at Elkin NC. She was grown off the 1347.5 Rodebaugh 2019 in my 150sqft patch. In hind sight I wished that I would have given her a premium spot in the garden.   Saturday, September 26 View Page My father took home first place with his fruit grown off the 1936 Keenan. Nice work Dad and congratulations. He also scored the HD award.   Thursday, October 1 View Page If there was a HD equivalent award for green squash........Nessie would get it. I can't wait to see her hit the scales this Saturday.