Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 72 Entries. Saturday, May 4 View Page Hi everyone. That necessary evil called work has gotten me in the position of being behind most of you this season. I have been viewing your diary entries with envy. The hoops are finished now and on site. As you can see there is a healthy crop of weeds that still need to be tilled in. I'll get around to that.   Saturday, May 4 View Page It’s time to get these babies planted   Sunday, May 12 View Page I have four plants growing this year. Seeds were started on April 10. Pictured here is a repeat of a seed I grew last season. This is the 1977 Rea. 1885 Werner X 2350 Gienger   Sunday, May 12 View Page It grew this nice looking 1684 pound pumpkin. I decided to give it another try   Monday, May 13 View Page A pair of 2465.5 Sperry plants. 2365 Wolf x1832 Graham. I really like my chances with this one.   Monday, May 13 View Page The 2465 Sperry first place finisher at the Pasquale Farms weigh-off.   Monday, May 13 View Page Three other local growers have the 2465 in their patches. It will be good to have some comparison information as the season progresses.   Wednesday, May 15 View Page A pair of 2344 Wallace plants. 2365 Wolf X 1707 Caspers. Second place finisher at Pasquale Farms   Friday, May 17 View Page A pair of 2217 Jutras plants. The 2217 rounds out this year's quartet. I simplified my seed selection for this season, growing the top three finishers from the Pasquale Farms weigh off, and the 1977 Rea   Friday, May 17 View Page The 2217 Jutras. 2493 Wolf X 1832 Graham   Friday, May 24 View Page The first plant has left the hoop house. The eight foot long 2465 Sperry is out and running.   Tuesday, May 28 View Page The 2344 Wallace was let out into the world today. The green house is ten feet long and she was banging on the door to be set free.   Tuesday, May 28 View Page Picture from the last post.   Tuesday, May 28 View Page Front view 2344   Saturday, June 1 View Page The 2217 Jutras is about eight feet long. This plant is in an area that does not get as much sun early on as the rest of the patch. As it gets longer and wider, it will enter areas that get as much sun as the rest.   Saturday, June 1 View Page My best hope for big and orange. The 1977 Rea.   Saturday, June 8 View Page My first pollination of the year. It is 13 feet out on the main of the 2465 Sperry. This nice five lobe flower was crossed with the 1977 Rea. There is another flower on the vine at 15 feet that will open in a few days. That would be a better option as long as it is as nice looking as this one.   Wednesday, June 12 View Page Patch overview. For the first time in weeks I am caught up.   Wednesday, June 12 View Page The 2344 Wallace is 17 feet long. There is a female flower that should open in three days or so at the 15 foot mark   Wednesday, June 12 View Page The 2465 Sperry is 17 feet long also. There is a successful pollination at the 13 foot mark. I will probably go with the flower at about 16 feet. It should open in a few days   Wednesday, June 12 View Page The 1977 Rea at about 12.5 feet.   Wednesday, June 12 View Page The 2217 Jutras. Just over 12 feet long   Saturday, June 15 View Page Two pollinations today. This one is on the 2344 Wallace. Kind of a strange shape to it but I think it will be good. What do you think? Crossed with the 2465 Sperry. 15 feet out.   Saturday, June 15 View Page This flower is 15 feet down the vine on the 2465 Sperry plant. It was crossed with the 2344 Wallace.   Saturday, June 15 View Page Oops wrong pic. This is the 2465 flower   Saturday, June 29 View Page It hurt to cull this one   Saturday, June 29 View Page Pictured here is the 2465 Sperry plant and its Day 20 pumpkin   Saturday, June 29 View Page Three of my four plants have had successful pollinations. These pumpkins range in age from 20 down to 8 days. Until today, the only plant without a growing pumpkin is the 2214 Jutras. This flower was pollinated this morning. Fingers crossed   Friday, July 5 View Page It was Day 20 for the 2344 Wallace pumpkin. At 206.5 inches, it has the second largest Day 20 measurements ever taken in my patch. Only the 1472 Werner I grew in 2010 was bigger by a few inches. Although I know that the 20 day measurement goals cannot predict or even suggest the seasons outcome, it is great to put up good numbers. This plant is a very aggressive grower. It has nearly filled its allotted 1000 sf.   Friday, July 5 View Page Now in the bad news department, the 2465 Sperry pumpkin aborted. There are two pumpkin flowers on secondary vines that were pollinated on the second and third of July. A little late in the game but I'll do the best I can with one of them.   Friday, July 5 View Page Now in the bad news department, the 2465 Sperry pumpkin aborted. There are two pumpkin flowers on secondary vines that were pollinated on the second and third of July. A little late in the game but I'll do the best I can with one of them.   Tuesday, July 9 View Page My late start tomato plants are starting to move. I keep cages on them as long as I can to protect them from deer.   Wednesday, July 10 View Page The 1977 Rea pumpkin is 20 days old today. Plant and pumpkin are growing well.   Friday, July 12 View Page Winner of the wet T shirt contest   Saturday, July 13 View Page I love when they rise above the canopy.   Monday, July 15 View Page It is DAP 30 for the 2344 Wallace pumpkin. Taping at 623 pounds. Best Day 30 pumpkin ever measured in this patch.   Tuesday, July 16 View Page I’m having a good week. First a pumpkin that exceeded my expectations, now this fish.   Wednesday, July 17 View Page I watched this pumpkin patch terrorist walk right into the trap. So satisfying. I have been trying to catch him for days   Thursday, July 18 View Page I want to dispel the myth that Irish Spring soap deters deer. Note the pice of soap hanging from the fencing next to the chewed up tomato plant.   Thursday, July 18 View Page My next myth to bust is the fishing line between fence posts method of keeping deer out of your garden.   Saturday, July 20 View Page The 1977 Rea pumpkin is 30 days old today. Estimated at 580 pounds. I think I’ll call her “Sally”.   Saturday, July 20 View Page This hawk is eyeing a squirrel caught in my have no heart trap.   Monday, July 22 View Page The two plants in the patch I haven’t mentioned much are the 2465 Sperry and the 2217 Jutras. The 2465 was lost to YVD around three weeks ago. That was heartbreaking. After four unsuccessful main vine pollinations on the 2217 plant, I settled on this side vine pumpkin. It is DAP 20 for this hopeful contender. I have decided to call her "Peggy".   Thursday, July 25 View Page The 2344 Wallace had a busy day. She had to be moved 8 inches or so to take a growing kink out of the vine. On DAP 40 at an estimated weight of 1056, I wasn’t sure if it could happen. Thanks to Steve Connolly for guiding me to the right equipment to get the job done.   Thursday, July 25 View Page I think I will call her “Valentina” or Val for short.   Tuesday, July 30 View Page Sally, the 1977 Rea pumpkin is 40 days old today. At 947 pounds, I am happy with her progress.   Tuesday, July 30 View Page Side view. She is low and wide.   Wednesday, July 31 View Page It is Day 30 for Peggy, the east side pumpkin on the 2214 Jutras plant. At 339 pounds, it is probably safe to say she won’t break the World Record.   Wednesday, July 31 View Page I decided two pumpkins would be grown on the 2217 Jutras plant. I need one for the Marshfield Fair and another for a later weigh off. This is the west side pumpkin known as Eileen. At about 300 pounds on Day 30. Both pumpkins on this plant are on secondary vines. What are my chances of getting one of them to 1000 pounds?   Sunday, August 4 View Page Valentina is 50 days old. Growth has slowed to 27 pounds per day over the last 10. The weather has been challenging with too many hot and humid days beating up the plants. Powdery mildew has taken hold on a lot of the older leaves. Estimated at 1325 pounds. 2344 Wallace X 2465 Sperry.   Friday, August 9 View Page Sally the 1977 X 1977 Rea pumpkin is 50 days old today. Low and wide. She grew 31 pounds per day over the last 10.   Wednesday, August 14 View Page The 2344 Wallace pumpkin is sixty days old. She grew 210 pounds over the last ten days. The OTT measurement total makes this pumpkin my dimensional personal best.   Monday, August 19 View Page I took the west side pumpkin from the 2217 Jutras plant to the Marshfield Fair. Eileen came in at 618 pounds. Good enough for first place.   Wednesday, August 21 View Page The 1977 Rea pumpkin is 60 days old in this picture taken two days ago. Gains slowed to just 14 pounds per day over the ten day period. Cool wet weather and powdery mildew haven’t helped.   Wednesday, August 21 View Page My wife visiting the Marshfield Fair pumpkin.   Saturday, August 24 View Page Bigger, Badder, looking meaner, is the pumpkin called Valentina. Day 70 2344 Wallace X 2465 Sperry. Grew 13 pounds per day over the last ten.   Saturday, August 24 View Page Side view.   Saturday, August 24 View Page Snout   Wednesday, August 28 View Page This tomato somehow survived the local deer herd. Score this one for Team 4 draft division.   Saturday, August 31 View Page Sally took second place at the Woodstock Fair. 1977 Rea selfed.   Thursday, September 5 View Page At 83 days old now, the 2344 Wallace pumpkin is down to 7 pounds per day. Cantalouping covers most of her. Getting a touch of green around the lower ribs. I like when I see that   Thursday, September 5 View Page Front view. The plant is pushing out a lot of new growth. I have gathered from recent posts that there are two schools of thought on whether it is good to let it grow or not. It could be helping to push pounds into the pumpkin, or losing energy pushing out these vines at the expense of pumpkin growth. Being that a lot of my older leaves are in tough shape, I think I’ll let them grow.   Sunday, September 8 View Page The neglected red haired step child of the patch is the 2217 Jutras west pumpkin. At about 850 pounds she isn’t going to scare anyone at the weigh off.   Sunday, September 8 View Page Opinions please. She had a rot spot in the blossom end that began treatment two weeks ago. It is dry and scabbing in there. About 2.5 inches deep. I believe under GPC rules she will qualify for an official weight. I don’t want to drive for two hours only to be disqualified. Is she good?   Friday, September 27 View Page I took this little girl off the 2217 Jutras plant. Eileen went to the Deerfield Fair where she ranked 12th in the standings. 798.5 pounds.   Friday, September 27 View Page One of my now forty something daughters made this when she was in middle school. I think it is a pumpkin fish.   Wednesday, October 2 View Page Getting her ready.   Friday, October 4 View Page Loaded up and ready to go. Look out Topsfield, here we come!   Sunday, October 6 View Page The 2344 Wallace x 2465 Sperry pumpkin came in at 1917 pounds. A personal best and a third-place finish. Never ranked that high at a major weigh off before. I was thrilled. My thanks to all of the hard-working weigh off staff at the Topsfield Fair.   Sunday, October 6 View Page Growing compadre Steve Halliwell with his 7th place 1541 pound pumpkin. 1904 Sperry X 2465 Sperry. This pumpkin was 24% over the charts.   Friday, October 11 View Page Spectacular light show early evening. The last time I saw the northern lights here was more than 25 years ago.   Sunday, November 3 View Page Seasons end. The patch has been tilled and cover crops planted. A new season awaits us. Good luck to all.