Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 117 Entries. Tuesday, January 2 View Page Only 90-100 more days of loafing remain.   Sunday, February 25 View Page Sand is finished. This should help with drainage and improve soil structure.   Saturday, March 2 View Page Doing some Broad Fork work on the 150sqft patch. Is this the year we will see that magical 10lbs/Sqft grown? Several folks are eyeballing that target and I think the chances are good. Time to think about making things as ideal as possible for while looking for greater optimization. I am really excited about Steve's 150sqft contest and I invite you to join in on the fun if you have not already done so.   Monday, March 4 View Page A few practice starts are now underway. These seeds are from last season's 150sqft 1229.7 Rodebaugh fruit. There is a good chance that it will get a shot itself at the 150 patch in 2024. Lets get these lights dialed in first.   Wednesday, March 13 View Page One more day and I'll be forking done.   Tuesday, March 19 View Page This is a great view of my main patch as it sets currently. The Sand, Broad Fork, and Compost are completed. Up next is balance amend and till.   Friday, March 22 View Page 160 linear foot of gutter cables placed at 14" at the stop sign patch. 4.3 cubic yards of soil moved out by shovel and then back in..... Lets Go!   Monday, March 25 View Page Soil Prep video for the 150sqft patch: YouTube   Tuesday, April 2 View Page Youtube Seed selection video for 2024 is up. Link: YouTube   Saturday, April 6 View Page Soak date 4-6-24, 5:00pm. Just the Wolfs today. Check out that cool mug :)   Thursday, April 11 View Page Check out this Hobo Onset data logger chart of Temps and Moisture. It is easy to see when the soil heating cables were turned on and what operational range I have them set at. Pretty cool stuff. I have 4 of these units deployed in various spots. I love data.   Monday, April 15 View Page April 15th is start day for the 150sqft patch seeds. The 1229.7 Rodebaugh 2023 (1526 Burchette x 1965.5 Rodebaugh) should produce a stone with a small footprint. These ten seeds are in a race to see who makes the cut and subsequently gets a spot in the stop sign patch at the end of this month.   Wednesday, April 17 View Page Traditional melons this year for pops and I.   Saturday, April 20 View Page My main competition plants are in the ground. The 1965.5 Rodebaugh in Hut #1 and the 2365 Wolf in Hut #2. The 150sqft plant should see soil this coming weekend. It is grow time here in the south.   Sunday, April 21 View Page Tomatoes have a new home today. From dixie cup up to one gallon.   Monday, April 22 View Page Temps last night were a little chilly with frost noted about everywhere this morning. The probe labeled "House Lamp" hangs under the eve of my residence from an entry lamp. I find this to be a good place to register true outside ambient temperature while limiting the risk of precipitation interference to the probes functionality. The other two sensors are labeled as such for each respective grow hut. I am please to see that my air column for each hut kept toasty over last night's thermal challenge.   Monday, April 29 View Page Tomatoes are itching to go outside.   Tuesday, April 30 View Page Linked below is a new Youtube patch tour video showing off my new hut automation for 2024. YouTube   Tuesday, May 7 View Page Patch video update. YouTube   Friday, May 10 View Page Desperate times call for desperate measures. Cold nights keep up and I may end up with a full greenhouse Johnny Cash style..... one piece at a time off the line over time.   Monday, May 13 View Page Huts are off and fence is up. Now the real work begins.   Wednesday, May 15 View Page Patch update video. Huts are down! YouTube   Sunday, May 19 View Page 150 patch markers and dimensions. 1229.7 Rodebaugh ... boulder maker with any luck.   Saturday, May 25 View Page Camping on the Gauley River for memorial day. Pop's has a few acres we have enjoyed for years. I try to sneak off and enjoy it every chance I can get.   Saturday, May 25 View Page Radio hung up on that snag alerted me to a heavy weather event headed our way. Of course there is no cell signal to rely on. By the time everything was packed up the large tree just left of the radio rootwalled before our eyes. So is the way of the River and the weather. We hustled home. I was nervous as to what I might find in the patch.   Saturday, May 25 View Page A better look at our slice of the Gauley River. World renowned for its white water rafting. My summers were spent here in my youth.   Saturday, May 25 View Page My daughter Stella loves to jump off the rocks. She is a river rat in the making.   Sunday, May 26 View Page Stop Sign patch took some damage. A few posts were broke off with wind fence torn free in places. The 150 plant was rolled but otherwise not damaged beyond a few leaves. I was lucky.   Wednesday, May 29 View Page We have finally dried out nicely enough to catch up with the general maintenance of burying and weeding. The main Comp plants pictured here are on track with minimal storm damage. All fences have been mended. The goals for the season remain viable and within reach.   Sunday, June 2 View Page Patch Video Update: YouTube   Tuesday, June 4 View Page Field Pumpkin time!   Wednesday, June 5 View Page Nasty weather with a period of hail hit me hard. Some lost leaves, some split secondaries, every leaf is swiss cheese, a few rolled vines, and soil blow out. It is tough not to be discouraged by these sort of events, but I now the power of these plants.   Thursday, June 6 View Page Roots washout ruts   Thursday, June 6 View Page Muck boots, a few leaves removed, and 80 bamboo stakes later I have the 2365 looking presentable again   Thursday, June 6 View Page 1965.5 took the brunt of the storm but still cleaned up pretty nice. Give the patch a week and a couple rounds of Daconil and she'll be fine. Nothing has changed...... see you at the scales.   Thursday, June 6 View Page Early test sets removed from the competition 1965.5 and 2365 plants. In about a week or less I should be pollinating the scale hopefuls.   Saturday, June 8 View Page 1965.5 X 2365 (4 lobes)   Saturday, June 8 View Page 2365 X Self (5 lobes)   Saturday, June 8 View Page 2025.7 X 1965.5 (5 lobes)   Sunday, June 9 View Page All in on the 1229.7 Rodebaugh 150sqft fruit 5 days before pollination. Hail storm forced my hand in this decision but I still plan to make this girl go far beyond 1000lbs.   Sunday, June 9 View Page Plenty of real estate to fill remains. 4x4 scale will go under the fruit at DAP-7ish once I am confident in a set. (June 22nd-25th estimation)   Sunday, June 9 View Page Evening photo of the main comp plants. 1965.5 nearest..... 2365 furthest away. I really enjoy being "caught up" and then just enjoying the grow. Hope to try and do it at least once this season.   Wednesday, June 12 View Page My cat has cobwebs on it's head. Not a great indicator of activity there. Anyway check out the latest patch tour video: YouTube   Thursday, June 13 View Page Lifting up the patch hopefuls. Creating space and my desired vine patterns ahead of scale placement. This is a 2-3 day process of careful positioning and planning.   Friday, June 14 View Page My patch has a little slope to it so a little excavation and a few 8x2's are used to get it right. Being level is very important for weight distribution and growth regularity. The scale is 5x5' which works well for my small pumpkins (sub 450").   Friday, June 14 View Page The completed setup takes up a large footprint but I value airflow in my grow. They weight at this age is irrelevant but getting a scale under a DAP-6 fruit is much easier than a DAP-20. This is the 1965.5 Rodebaugh plant.   Saturday, June 15 View Page 1229.7 Rodebaugh X 1965.5 Rodebaugh (150sqft plant)   Saturday, June 15 View Page Had some issues with getting scale #2 set up. Load cell junction box is properly wired... hmmm. The issue was found in the load cell quick disconnects. I simply removed those and straight wired the system. Problem solved.   Saturday, June 15 View Page Darn wires. I am not an electrician and don't like playing one on my free time.   Saturday, June 15 View Page Scale #2 finished and ready for deployment. The design of my scales is far better than anything that can be purchased. I can move them with relative ease and get everything set up completely by myself.   Sunday, June 16 View Page Grow! Some fruit respond respond to carrot; some stick.   Sunday, June 16 View Page The 150 plant has filled in about 60% of it's allotted real estate. An additional 4x4 (approximately 10%) has been set aside for the fruit to set up shop. Fans are deployed at the crown and DAP-5 hopeful. Soil moisture is being maintained at a steady 28% with soil temps at 16" set at 73deg. With any luck this fruit will get a scale put under it before the next weekend lets out.   Sunday, June 16 View Page Check out this extra stigma segment below the primary bundle on the 150 fruit. Could be a problem later on or could be that extra 100lbs I want. Either way I am pot committed.   Saturday, June 22 View Page Pops and I had the pleasure of a personal patch tour from one of the top Melon growers in the world. Andrew has an amazing grow going this season with his melons and pumpkins. We learned a lot about melon growing and got to see some real nice young pumpkin sets.   Saturday, June 22 View Page Scale #3 is under the 1229.7 Rodebaugh 150sqft fruit. My gut tells me this fruit could end up being special.   Sunday, June 23 View Page New Patch Tour video is up. YouTube   Tuesday, June 25 View Page DAP10 for the scale 150 fruit. She looks to still be in her cell division stage.   Thursday, June 27 View Page 150sqft pumpkin on a scale is looking like solid set. DAP12   Thursday, June 27 View Page Dap-20 tomorrow for everything in the Main Patch (including this lovely 1965.5 Rodebaugh fruit). It is going to be like Christmas morning waking up to measure fruit and run the numbers VS the scale.   Friday, June 28 View Page DAP20 on the main patch comp fruit today. OTT Chart VS Scale are recorded with no major deviations from expectations. Rodebaugh is a boulder and the Wolf is a tad over. Both fruit seem to be average for my grow at this age. Plant health will remain my focus with proactive fungi and pesti applications slated for this weekend.   Sunday, June 30 View Page We made our first melon hammock and ran a few tests.   Sunday, June 30 View Page Solomon had to give it a test as well. I will spare you the photo of my 230# balled up on it.   Monday, July 1 View Page The melon set up. Hammock is made of 2x4 frame, 4x4 legs, and Mill fabric for the tabletop. The hoop structure is a metal frame repurposed from trampoline parts skinned with cheap blue tarp. Dap-8 melon taking a nap.   Monday, July 1 View Page 150 Fruit Dap-16   Wednesday, July 3 View Page 150sqft fruit up close Dap-18. She has good symmetry, size, and skin gloss. Excited to run a tape on her in 2 days to see what she charts vs scales. She is looking small for the pounds she is showing.   Thursday, July 4 View Page Dap19 on the 1229.7 Rodebaugh. 100 pounds on the scale; 1400 to go. Set your goals and bust hump to make them happen.   Friday, July 5 View Page DAP20 131# on the scale. The plant should fill in the full 150 within the next two weeks depending on fruit sink demands.   Sunday, July 7 View Page Not much real estate remaining on the 150sqft patch. The fruit is Dap-22 today. The White lines are patch boundary lines The Blue lines in the photo show the non terminated 4 vines (3 secondaries and main) current lengths. The Yellow lines indicated the planned pattern with the arrow tips being the point of termination. The Red dot and line will be the area I run the tug cable to pull fruit when it is time. It is tough to estimate when the final growing tip will be terminated but I suspect around Dap 35 give or take a few days.   Tuesday, July 9 View Page The most important youtube video I will likely put out this season. YouTube   Wednesday, July 10 View Page DAP25 for the 1229.7 Rodebaugh 150sqft fruit. I have given her the name Platinum. 213" ott with a chart weight estimate of #223. Scale Actual is #247. She is currently10.8% heavy vs chart. 23.2# per day pace Dap 20-25. I suspect she could get into the 30# range soon with any luck.   Saturday, July 13 View Page Tomato plants are getting tall.   Monday, July 15 View Page DAP30 today for Platinum. The 1229.7 Rodebaugh 150sqft plant is looking strong. The fruit is 239" ott with a scale weight of 359# this morning. That puts her at 14% over chart estimation. All veg should be termed out by DAP40.   Monday, July 15 View Page Silver, the 1965.5 Fruit.   Monday, July 15 View Page Gold, the 2365 fruit.   Tuesday, July 16 View Page Had to tug Gold (2365xself) today. Dap40 for her on the 18th.   Wednesday, July 17 View Page Dap-40 tomorrow on the comp fruit Gold and Silver. Time to run a tape and see how those estimated weights compare to the scale readouts.   Sunday, July 21 View Page Dap-28 on the Melon. She's keeping a good pace.   Monday, July 22 View Page A new youtube patch tour video has been uploaded: YouTube   Wednesday, July 24 View Page Blow a few each year. Price of admission.   Wednesday, July 24 View Page A good trainer will push an athlete to the point of getting scrapes, bruises, and blisters..... then patch um up to keep pushing. Might be a little overkill in this photo but I am in it to win it.   Wednesday, July 24 View Page Dap-46 on the 1965.5 Rodebaugh (Silver). Hold that curve baby!   Sunday, July 28 View Page Dap50 for Silver (1965.5 Rodebaugh). Still holding a 30's pace. I hope to keep that up a hair longer.... to Dap60 would be very nice.   Wednesday, July 31 View Page Well darn. DAP-53 BES pin hole. It was a heck of a ride and I enjoyed the grow.   Thursday, August 1 View Page Dap-47 on Platinum 1229.7 Rodebaugh 150sqft fruit. She is slow as a turtle but consistent.   Sunday, August 4 View Page Relieving the night watchman from her duties. DAP57 1965.5 Rodebaugh.   Wednesday, August 7 View Page Dap60 1965.5 Rodebaugh. Stem side view.   Wednesday, August 7 View Page DAP-60 scale photo of the 1965.5 Rodebaugh   Tuesday, August 13 View Page New patch tour video is up on youtube. Weights, thoughts, surgery, and a dash of humor. YouTube   Monday, August 19 View Page 267.8 Vial is getting chunky. DAP-57 today.   Sunday, August 25 View Page New Patch video uploaded: YouTube   Wednesday, September 4 View Page 1755 Rodebaugh 2024 DMG passed the Germ test. :)   Friday, September 6 View Page DAP90 today for the 1965.5 Rodebaugh. She is still humming along at 8-9# per day. I remain optimistic and focused. Plant health is the best it has been in weeks. Main spots are healed and nothing new has popped up in some time. Vegetative is still rolling with areas of the real estate once occupied by the 2365 plant getting filled in.   Friday, September 6 View Page I visited pop's grow. He gave me the grand tour and a good look at the fruit he has set on the 1620 Pritchard. It should net him a new PB at the scales with any luck.   Sunday, September 8 View Page Check out the new youtube video. It is a nice late season update and I talk a bit about the Wild & Wonderful Weigh Off: YouTube   Saturday, September 14 View Page The Wild & Wonderful Weigh-Off was a great success for 2024. Growers from Nine (9!!!) states participated. Here is a Photo of some of the 28 Pumpkin/Squash brought by growers.   Saturday, September 14 View Page Here is a Look at the 19 watermelon entries for the Wild & Wonderful.   Monday, September 16 View Page Dap-85 for my melon. She is a blocky gal. That has served me well for pumpkins. We'll have to see what it means for melons.   Saturday, September 21 View Page Nick and Dwight at the Roberts Family Farm weigh off running the tape on Melons.   Saturday, September 21 View Page Kentucky men Josh Monin and Scott Baywatch reviewing the field of entries.   Sunday, September 22 View Page Still hard at it in the Rodebaugh patch. I was complaining to a good friend in Kansas about my continued efforts. His response, "Geez, I feel so bad for you having to take care of a Pumpkin at this time of year". One thing that I have learned is that you can count on your buddies to help put things back into perspective. So keep on them if you got them. We are almost there folks...... Fight for those last few pounds!   Tuesday, September 24 View Page Youtube video patch tour: YouTube   Monday, September 30 View Page Side view of my 1965.5 scale fruit. I hope to see her get an official weight soon.... then I can hibernate for winter.   Monday, September 30 View Page Fresh Youtube video patch update: YouTube   Thursday, October 3 View Page 1965.5 plant has more screaming fans than a Taylor Swift concert.   Friday, October 4 View Page Visited Pop's patch today. Helene took most of his canopy..... but he's on the home stretch with good fruit health. 1620 Pritchard fruit.   Saturday, October 5 View Page My friend Danny Vester did work today in North Carolina breaking the State Record by nearly 200#. Danny is one of the smartest growers in the game. He is always innovating and thinking on ways to improve. He routinely busts my chops on stuff he sees in my videos or photos that needs improvement.....and I rarely disagree with his assessment. I am glad to see my friend do work and get paid in pounds today at the scales. Darn good grow sir.   Sunday, October 6 View Page Dap-105 on my 267.8 Vail melon (traditional non grafted). She will be Dap-113 at harvest and 114 on the scale October 15th. She tapes larger than the current WV state record but not by much. I'm on pins and needles watching the days fall off the calendar.   Tuesday, October 8 View Page Well..... I lied. The weather turned real cold real quick. Frost is laying on the rooftops in the morning. Melon men, much smarter than I am, talked facts and figures that they see from their scales. The talk was honest and clear. "Pull that girl Chris; put her in a safe place until Tuesday." Squeezing ever so close to the finish line and trusting folks much smarter than myself in the art of melon growing......I moved her to the garage. I am putting together some footage for one last good video for this season..... So keep your eye out for that.   Friday, October 11 View Page The only Aurora borealis here in Lewisburg on this frosty morning. Doing work... getting pounds.   Saturday, October 12 View Page Lifting day today for Pop's 1620 Pritchard fruit. Should be a PB Tuesday in Raleigh, NC.   Sunday, October 13 View Page Final 24hrs on the vine.   Monday, October 14 View Page Pops and I are loaded up for Raleigh, NC. Pretty excited to see my southern crew, set a few big pumpkins on the scale, and weigh my PB melon against some of the best growers in the world.   Tuesday, October 15 View Page Raleigh was very good to me yesterday. I set a new PB and WV State Record for melon and placed 2nd behind my good friend Andrew Vail.   Tuesday, October 15 View Page After 7 seasons of chasing the WV state record for Giant Pumpkins.....I finally got my Tobeck moment. My goodness it felt good. 2206.1 Rodebaugh 2024 (1965.5 Rodebaugh X 2365 Wolf). Time to clean up and start thinking about the 2025 season. Until then......I'll catch my pumpkin and melon nerds in Green Bay!   Tuesday, October 15 View Page I think it is so cool to see how my 2206.1# weighed yesterday looks like her momma 1965.5 (1342 Burchette x 2350 Gienger). The 2350 really added color but that shape and look is spot on. Same scales 3 years apart.   Monday, October 21 View Page My state record melon was grown on a traditional plant (not grafted). I grew it on naked soil (no fabric) that treated with a pre-emergent herbicide. I thought it was super neat to see all the tap roots the plant had shot down at the nodes. Here is an example of one found 13' out on the left finger vine. Darn impressive but dangerous as root issues/disease are likely the biggest issue a grower can face. I have been told that is one of the reasons why grafting is such common place for competition and commercial melon patches. I look forward to giving them another spot in my grow in 2025.   Sunday, October 27 View Page Data log from one of my hobo onset units for the 2024 growing season. This unit was placed at the edge of my heating cable system that I have set on a thermostat control. It can be seen by the green temp chart line where the heat was plugged in at early spring and unplugged at harvest. Soil temps were successfully held between 72-75deg for the duration of the season. The red line is moisture percentage. A wet spring was noted early with little to no precipitation starting in June and lasting until late September. Of course I watered. In fact, I watered more than I have ever watered before in a season. I have the water bills to prove it! Some days giving upwards of 300gal per 1000sqft. Natural drought is just a tough foe to fight with a water hose. Rain did come with Helene in late September spiking my beyond saturation levels to 31-32% but it appears that my original field holding capacity had dropped from it's early season 28-29% levels to 25% in late season. The only way I can rationalize this decrease is from natural soil compaction.