Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 70 Entries. Wednesday, January 3 View Page Had a soil test done for disease at the end of the season, and the levels were off the chart. Take note of what it says in the recommendations. Yikes!   Wednesday, January 3 View Page I planted a mighty mustard cover crop about two weeks after the season ended. The growth pattern has been interesting to watch. The mustard is actually showing me where the hotspots are in the patch. You can see in the right hand side of the photo where the mustard is short and there are yellow leaves. . Now there might be other reasons such as water differential, light differential or fertilizer differences, but I believe the growth pattern is due to diseases. Because I have a small patch it is not too difficult or expensive to excavate the hotspots and backfill them with new soil. I can also treat these areas with hydrogen peroxide solution to kill the disease or at least knock it back.   Sunday, January 21 View Page How ‘bout them Chiefs!!!   Friday, February 9 View Page It isn’t a big area by any means, but the patch is being expanded. Maybe 100 square feet or a little more? My wife loves me (and this hobby) enough to let me tear about a bench and the hardscape it sits on. Water tank will need a new home.   Saturday, February 24 View Page It’s good to have a young guy to run the jackhammer. It took us 6 hours and we still have about 2/3rds of the footing to break out. We’ve already made to trips to the dump.   Sunday, February 25 View Page Been a while since I got out but had a fun day on San Vicente Lake in San Diego.   Wednesday, February 28 View Page Patch expansion continues. Take a look at the size of this footing. 15" thick and 2' wide. Spent an hour today just digging it out. The jackhammer is more effective if it's exposed. This area is only about 10’ x 10’. But I can get four secondaries in here that will be another 40’ of vine   Saturday, March 2 View Page Patch expansion continues- today we busted out the last of the footing and the small concrete slab. We took 5 truckloads of concrete to the dump. Probably two tons or more. Next task is to remove 16-18” of solid clay. At least it’s easier than running a jackhammer.   Sunday, March 3 View Page Started some tomato seeds today. Not for competition, just for eating. And feeding the rats. They love my tomatoes! These are on a seedling mat in the garage. The T-5 light comes on during daylight hours. I use Pro Mix Potting Mix (red bag) and moisten it with half strength liquid compost from Certified Microgenics. Good stuff!   Sunday, March 17 View Page Excavation for the patch expansion continues. Today I dug out an area that is only 3 x 6 and about 2 feet deep. But it took hours and nearly filled my truck with clay. I’m about a third done with this section.   Sunday, March 31 View Page My 2024 lineup:   Wednesday, April 3 View Page Seed starting day should be a National Holiday!   Saturday, April 6 View Page The 1109 Jutras has cracked the surface! Praise Jesus!!!   Sunday, April 7 View Page Busy weekend in the patch. Got the canopy frame up, spread and tilled in all amendments and drenched with Terragrow solution. Almost ready to plant! Two more squash seeds germed. The 1701 Jutras and both 1534 Jutras seeds popped. Either will make a good pollinator for the 1109.   Friday, April 12 View Page The 1844.5 Holub popped today. This one took 8 days.   Wednesday, April 17 View Page Installed heating cables for the first time. While certainly not necessary here in sunny SoCal, my patch spends most of the time in the shade this time of year. My plant has always started slow. I’m hoping this minor change gives it a boost. Thermostat is set at 74 degrees. I think this will only be necessary for 2 weeks or so.   Thursday, April 18 View Page The 1109 Jutras is in the patch! This always feels momentous to me. The fifth leaf has shown itself and the young plant looks healthy, although it’s on the small side compared to my 1708’s started at the same time. It’s the easiest time of the season. No vines to bury. No irrigation and not any meaningful ferts yet. Just get to watch it grow for a bit.   Friday, April 19 View Page The c02 grow bag experiment begins. These bags contain a mushroom substrate and sell for $30-$60 depending on size. The online reviews were mixed as to the effectiveness.   Saturday, April 20 View Page Next, I got a cheap mini greenhouse; 3x8x3 that fits in my micro patch. The entire patch is just 64 square feet.   Saturday, April 20 View Page Then I needed a meter. This one came from Amazon and was about $52. It had a baseline reading of 412 in a non controlled setting. I immediately identified that the temperature reading is 5 degrees too high so I may try a different one and send this back.   Saturday, April 20 View Page Within a couple hours I was getting over 1,000 ppm. The website says that it can take up to two weeks for the Exhale bag to fully activate but it seems to be working. By early afternoon it reached 90 plus degrees Fahrenheit so I opened the side curtain.   Saturday, April 20 View Page I have a control plant that will be growing outside at the same time that the other grows in the greenhouse. They are both 1708 Donahue seeds: planted, germinated and transplanted the same day. Both are in the same size grow bag with identical potting mix. The size of the greenhouse probably limits the timing of the experiment to 10 days give or take but it should be interesting.   Saturday, April 20 View Page The 1701 Jutras will likely be the pollinator for the 1109. It got moved to a 40 gallon grow bag today. There is no expectation for a fruit here. I just need a couple nice gentlemen on pollination day. I also have a 2030 Tobeck that is a week behind this but looking very strong. It might also make it into a grow bag for pollination.   Monday, April 29 View Page After just 8 days, the plant exposed to increased c02 was noticeably larger than the control plant. The Co2 plant is on the right. The first true leaf is more than 2” larger. Now to be fair, the little greenhouse and the temp and humidity differences may have also played a part. But still cool.   Monday, April 29 View Page Planted the 1708 in the micro patch today. Last year I got a 392 lber out of 40 square feet. I expanded it to 64 square feet. I think with a little attention I can get 500 lbs out of this patch.   Tuesday, April 30 View Page Sad day. I tripped over an irrigation line and kicked my shade structure. It fell straight onto the 1109 Jutras and snapped it off. Ugh. ?? There’s some miscellaneous sucker growth but I don’t know if it will generate a vine. Sometimes this hobby kicks your ass.   Thursday, May 2 View Page Sometimes when catastrophe strikes the best action is just to take time to assess the situation. I’ve had more than one very experienced grower tell me that the 1109 will produce a new main. I have not pulled the plant but I did cut the broken main. Maybe too far back. ?? I will leave it for a week and see what materializes. So far, this just looks like sucker growth that would normally be cut. What do you think? Here’s a close up.   Thursday, May 2 View Page Another view.   Saturday, June 8 View Page Pollination day for the 1701 Jutras   Thursday, June 13 View Page Second pollination came today. Nice 5 lobe flower on the 1701 although there were some seeds in the blossom. Backup plants are so important- the only males were a potted 2030 Tobeck and a single male flower on the 1109 that I broke off a few weeks ago.   Thursday, June 13 View Page The first pollination seems to be growing well. 5 DAP.   Thursday, June 13 View Page The 1109 has survived a broken main, over spraying and transplant shock. Really hoping for even a small fruit on this for seeds alone.   Thursday, June 13 View Page First tissue test came back. This might be the best I’ve ever had.   Monday, June 24 View Page The baby squash is going well so far. Isn’t the green color awesome? 16 DAP and ahead of last years pace, although it’s waaay to soon to make predictions.   Friday, June 28 View Page DAP 20 for my 1701 Jutras My largest fruit ever on this day. Another 10-15 days and her growth curve will be clear. A fast start isn’t necessarily representative of what it will weigh.   Monday, July 1 View Page After a) breaking the main, b) transplanting it and c) overspraying fungicide, the 1109 Jutras is the little engine that could. It won’t have a competitive fruit. The vine is pencil thin and it’s maybe 50 square feet. But it should get to the stage where the seeds are viable. I pollinated June 19 and crossed it with the 1701 Jutras.   Friday, July 5 View Page The patch is nearly full now - about 500 square feet. I’ve got more plant past the fruit than ever. The main extends about 25 feet beyond the squash.   Friday, July 5 View Page It’s time for the first move, as the squash is pushing back towards the crown. Left to its own devices it would grow off the board. I need anchor points. The fruit side anchor is attached to the mill fabric.   Friday, July 5 View Page The other side is less obvious. I’ve had anchors in the footing of the house and in other hardscape. This year I needed a new one because I expanded the patch in the off-season. The concrete slabs have space for a 2x4 separator so I sunk an eye bolt into a pressure treated piece and stuck it in the crack.   Friday, July 5 View Page With anchor points installed on each end, I attached the come-along. This is really the only option for moving the fruit. One year I moved the fruit by putting a 4” wide strap around it. Never again. It’s too much stress on the pumpkin.   Friday, July 5 View Page Sucess! No need to move it too much. I pull it an inch and check it. Then another. Total for today was 3”. The system stays in place for the rest of the season so future moves are easy-ish. This is also why I use two layers of mill fabric. The anchor point is only attached to the top layer. You can see how far the fruit and top layer moved.   Sunday, July 7 View Page Look at the roots jumping out of this node. Four of them!!! This is the most aggressive root-throwing plant I’ve ever grown.   Tuesday, July 9 View Page This is my best fruit at 30 days but I feel like it's not going to really take off- Just an early grower. It also feels like it's getting thicker...   Saturday, July 13 View Page View outside our kitchen window.   Saturday, July 13 View Page This guy came through the patch today. He left not feeling so well.   Tuesday, July 16 View Page First signs of the color coming in on the 1701. So cool.   Thursday, July 18 View Page DAP 40. If the old rule of thumb is to double the Day 40 weight, then I have a fighting chance of breaking the state squash record of 1530 lbs. She’s taping at 769 today and thumps heavy. I’ve grown enough hot air balloons to tell haha. So IF she keeps growing well And IF she makes it to the scale in one piece And IF she stays/ gets green Then there’s a chance lol   Thursday, July 18 View Page She’s greening up on the front side some.   Thursday, July 18 View Page And her stem is beefy…   Thursday, July 18 View Page Had to go in deep to cut a sucker so got a front view.   Tuesday, July 23 View Page Day 45 - been an up and down week but the 1701 Jj is growing fine. She’s sapping a lot and starting to get crusty like those heavy ones do. Est 908 lbs   Tuesday, July 23 View Page Crusty and sappy!   Tuesday, July 23 View Page Stem is dry, green and fat   Tuesday, July 23 View Page In 2014 I had a business conference to attend in Hartford. I had only been growing two years. I emailed Ron and Pap to ask if this California guy could drive over and see their patch. I was thrilled they said yes. Pap gave me a great tour of the patch and showed me many things I didn’t understand anything about like controlled watering stations and other stuff. He was gracious and kind to my wife and I. I’m so glad my wife keeps photos. We are having a belly laugh in this one and as I recall it had to do with his beloved Bills and my Chiefs. Pap you were our Mufasa. The king of the pumpkin jungle looking out over all the land from pride rock. I’m sad you are gone and blessed to have known you, even for a minute.   Monday, July 29 View Page Day 50 for the 1701 Jutras. Est 1,051 lbs. still growing well   Monday, July 29 View Page First megabloom of the season. I’m not a tomato enthusiast but it would be fun to have an entry for the weighoff.   Sunday, August 18 View Page Well it isn’t much but she’s still growing. 9 lbs a day over the past 7. 33 days left to grow. Is 5 lbs a day too much to ask? lol   Monday, August 19 View Page Well it isn’t much of a squash, but the 1109 Jutras that I a) broke the main, then b) transplanted it, and finally tried to kill it by overdosing it with fungicide did produce a fruit. It only had about 70 square feet of dirt. I grew it out to have some good seeds; harvested it at 53 days.   Monday, August 19 View Page So last week I decided to enter it in the Orange County Fair. This isn't an agricultural area; not anymore. But there is a horticultural contest with many categories, including largest squash. The thing is, there’s no mechanical assistance. Whatever you enter, you have to unload it manually and get it in the gate.   Monday, August 19 View Page They've likely never seen an Atlantic Giant Squash at the OC Fair. And even this little fruit no bigger than most culls was impressive, especially considering that its competitors were big butternuts and such. The judges liked it. I was worried that they would not know what it was or how to judge it.   Monday, August 19 View Page At the end of the day it won a handful of Awards including best of show! No bad for a cull hahahaha   Monday, August 26 View Page Day 78- the 1708 Jutras added 8 lbs a day over the last week. That was a little better than I had expected.   Monday, August 26 View Page It looks like a bomb went off in the center of the patch. Some is disease pressure and some just age.   Friday, September 20 View Page Crane taking it over the house.   Saturday, September 21 View Page The 2024 Season is in the books. The 1701 Jutras weighed 1,419 lbs and went 2% heavy. I’m super happy even though the state record didn’t fall. That will have to wait for another day. A concave bottom didn’t help. This fruit is now the largest squash ever grown in Southern California. That’s not an official category but still fun for bragging rights.   Sunday, September 22 View Page Congratulations to Brad Bledsoe from Ft Collins CO! He won the weighoff, set a site record, and set a new Colorado State record in the process! What a massive fruit!!   Monday, September 30 View Page Cut open the porch squash today; The 142 est Donahue. It’s an 1109 Jutras by 1701 Jutras. It was grown in a flowerbed under 50 square feet. It was harvested at 53 days old and taken to our County Fair. After seeing what the 1701 did for me this year, this seed has great potential. There was a time when no one who consider a seed from such a small fruit. I’m looking forward to growing it! If you’d like to try it let me know.   Monday, October 21 View Page Seed harvest day for the 1419 Donahue sq. Decent seed count - maybe 250 or so. It’s fun to cut open a squash and see how Orange the meat Is.   Monday, October 28 View Page It was a good season. First giant squash came in at 1419 lbs. Good for 3rd largest in the US and 7th in the world for 2024. This fruit quit growing at about day 75. It seemed to ripen prematurely. My ratios got out of kilter and the K was just to high. The main vine was still solid but disease took down all secondaries. I overwatered this plant which made the disease issues worse. The seed count was pretty good so if your club would like some squash seeds from the 1419 Donahue let me know. Now it’s time to prep for 2025!   Sunday, November 3 View Page Here’s the first step in getting the patch ready for 2025. I applied 25 lbs to 500 square feet. Once the pellets break down a bit I will turn the soil to incorporate them.