Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 56 Entries. Friday, July 24 View Page Starting to get valid females now that the plant is long enough with some secondary’s. FYI, this is my very first time growing pumpkins, EVER! Spent hours searching online about hints and tricks, and i did not want a baby pumpkin, i wanted one at least as big as my head if not larger, tho not going for a prize winning one (not trying at least). I have limited space in that I did not want to take up my entire 400sq ft yard, so i decided to try to trestle it. Then i thought of the ladder I had in the garage, and it doesn’t need a lot of sun to warm up. The downside is, i am not having extra roots into soil, and that may be my downside? The landscapers are awful and chop plants easily (mowed my flowers last year, argh) and this way I feel safer, and it provides more airflow etc. We only recently got weather over 24c, this year has been cooler. In two days weather warms up again 85-90F. I do get lots of sun... morning sun, then early afternoon into late evening when sun sets. Come fall I will get less but enough to still make it work. Ideally i want pumpkin 50lbs-100lbs, or two around 50lbs ish. Using generic $4 seed pack from Atlantic Giant. Pollinated one two days ago (pretty sure it took, next entry will show a photo) and pollinated another yesterday morning (thurs) so wont know about that one till prob Saturday or so. I added organic soil today as top up and fertilized last weekend with a lower nitro but higher phosphorous and potassium. Noticed a mole hill on outskirts of my lawn... is that going to be a problem? No idea how to get rid of them, they are always around yearly, i just stomp their holes and they make new ones lol. To be continued....   Friday, July 24 View Page This is 3 DAP, cant tell if it took but was bigger than the day before... crossing fingers.   Friday, July 24 View Page Had a vine split when i was moving vine for better support... sigh. So far nothing has seemed to suffer and i chose to deal with the split with clips, lol. It been working, so do I leave it or is there a time when it will be healed and i can take it off. Don’t even know how long it takes for a vine to heal. It’s the main vine, that has an already pollinated pumpkin on it and an agressively growing tip with another female in the works in a couple of days, so it NEEDS to not fall apart on me, lol.   Saturday, July 25 View Page 5 days past pollination... today is Saturday, it was pollinated Monday. Cannot touch fingers around it, flower got soggy and made the female lobes inside very soft after rain, tho rains only lasted few hours. I chose to remove the flower, broke off some lobes and then thought what the heck, and took the last of it off. Nothing else is soft. So hope nothing bad comes from that... either me removing the lobes or the soft lobes to begin with... i was worrying it means its dying. There is another female up the main two feet or so, and another 2 ft from that one, but a few days out before it blooms, likely Tuesday is my guess.   Saturday, July 25 View Page What my ladder vertical growing plant looks like atm. Trying to get that vine tip (top right — sticking out front the ladder and up) to start growing down... its harder than i thought lol. Initially i thought the weight would slowly pull it down without breaking it as no pumpkins on the end yet. But it has a mind of its own which is UP! I think it needs to twist away from the fence and then it will go down, but sooner than later would be nice :) Plant looks even more healthy after I sprayed the dawn dish soap n water mixture... leaves more perky. Still seeing the odd insect but less of them.   Saturday, July 25 View Page What my ladder vertical growing plant looks like atm. Trying to get that vine tip (top right — sticking out front the ladder and up) to start growing down... its harder than i thought lol. Initially i thought the weight would slowly pull it down without breaking it as no pumpkins on the end yet. But it has a mind of its own which is UP! I think it needs to twist away from the fence and then it will go down, but sooner than later would be nice :) Plant looks even more healthy after I sprayed the dawn dish soap n water mixture... leaves more perky. Still seeing the odd insect but less of them.   Saturday, July 25 View Page Ladder plant, with first successful pollination, 3 DAP   Saturday, July 25 View Page Mosquitos are so bad right now, i swear i go to check on the pumpkins and I am bit within seconds. I usually feel it a few hours later when the welts show up, i itch like crazy and today ive been bit 4 times in less than a few minutes. In between my knuckle, my neck, my ear. My forearm and the worst one that seems to hurt, palm of my hand above the wrist. I even wondered if i got bit by a spider and didnt notice, as its the only that hurts and its a bit red but nothing there to scratch in a typical mosquito bite, and its the only that throbs a bit. Never been bit by a spider as far as i know, so if it is, this will be a first :)   Saturday, July 25 View Page Nice one on main that should be opening tomorrow (sunday morning) or the next. At least its a nice looking flower from the outside, guess ill know for sure when i see the inside   Sunday, July 26 View Page Changed my mind... going to put some secondaries in soil and the main when it climbs back down.   Sunday, July 26 View Page My spider bite or something from the garden - more red today and itchy itchy. Thought it was a mosquito bite but it’s not like any of the others.   Sunday, July 26 View Page Not rotten after the lobes I accidentally knocked off so that’s good news. More in a carriage position and working out a way to support it better.   Sunday, July 26 View Page There is my vine split since photo didn’t show up the last entry.   Sunday, July 26 View Page Dap6   Monday, July 27 View Page Gives you an idea of my smaller gardening space - planters r bottomless they just act as a barrier so the landscapers don’t mulch it by accident. I swear sometimes they mow with their eyes closed.   Monday, July 27 View Page My 5 DAP off main vine, ladder plant.   Monday, July 27 View Page Photo: Down carriage style, off main, chain link plant.   Monday, July 27 View Page Vine split and how i handled it... tried two times days ago and photo never showed up so hope this time it does.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Support for vines completed, but pumpkin was at bad angle so trying to move it a bit by using this sling to get better support for it.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Up she went, and now down she goes in an S curve. Will be on the ground by weekend.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page This is 6 days after poll, on the ladder plant. The pot support is temporary as it grows, then i want something better underneath. Nothing i have at home and ready is good for that, so need to create or go purchase. Prefer a remnant plywood 3x3 ish... Covid just makes it harder.   Wednesday, July 29 View Page Well... that peat pot I had for support, the pumpkin outgrew it in a day, lol. Literally was almost stuck it was that much growth. Took it out and can’t wait to see what happens over next 24 hrs. So, my family said today - your not even going to get over 30lbs, why are you so gung ho. Isn’t it easier to just go buy one. They don’t get it, but I know you guys/gals reading this do. Not sure what I will end up with lb or size wise, but I’m going to give it my all and show people that I can do 30lb plus, even in a 3x12 space. Let the unknown genetics of my random seeds bring me luck!   Thursday, July 30 View Page 8 DAP, ladder plant. Second pollination aborted, never really grew. Chain link fruit seems stunted, tho still shiny and not soft - going to measure it later and if no growth I will sadly cull it. New pollination, 5lober, on chain link plant today. Must be a keeper as SOooooo many bees on it I lost count.   Thursday, July 30 View Page Forgot the photo lol. At some point I’d like to try to predict its weight.   Thursday, July 30 View Page Pretty 5 lober being pollinated by numerous bees this morning. Makes my job easier :)   Thursday, July 30 View Page DAP 8, ladder plant. Such a beauty with steady growth. After this pic I realized a ball cap fit quite well to hide the sun, so she’s in a pink cap till she outgrows it.   Thursday, July 30 View Page 8 days past pollination.   Friday, July 31 View Page Beautiful 5 lober pollinated Thursday.   Friday, July 31 View Page We will be 10 days old tomorrow and is getting a new place to rest her growing self on for the next two months. Got all I needed from Home Depot :) but need a cover from the rain still... I’ll do that next week before a good rain comes.   Saturday, August 1 View Page Platform is done - but wobbly a bit (if hit/pushed) so I’ll need two side supports 2ft long before next Friday when the landscapers come. If anyone will hit it, it will be them lol. Won’t fall over tho, but I don’t want stress on the pumpkin stem here on out. Was scary enough to move the vine plus pumpkin BY MYSELF today (didn’t have help nearby). But now I’m relieved and feel better about the whole thing. Pumpkin is under the pink hat which it almost fills in. Once it does pumpkin will be as big as my daughters head :) What do you think pumpkinPal?   Saturday, August 1 View Page She is 10 days old today - 19 inches circum. I should be happy with this, right? Or should I be scared of an incoming monster lol.   Saturday, August 1 View Page Trying for pic again of platform   Saturday, August 1 View Page What bug is this? Consider it dead but this isn’t the first I’ve seen it - saw a total of two others since I started this adventure. Got insecticide spray that says only works when bug gets sprayed or wet with it. Worst bug numbers wise I’ve seen is the spotted beetle. Still see them but not as much.   Tuesday, August 4 View Page 13DAP grew 2 inches circ overnight, noticeable before measuring. Also the pink hat is getting small lol.   Tuesday, August 4 View Page Ha forgot the pic lol... I’m not a morning person, guess pumpkinella isn’t either, didn’t want to show her face!   Tuesday, August 4 View Page My beautiful 6 lober tho she was pollinated yesterday but wanted to show her lobes. She was such a large flower, both wide and tall... my fiat could have fit inside the flower. Did I try it? I saw a big ass bee on her and was like nuh-uh, no way hozay!   Tuesday, August 4 View Page Ariel view showing my small planting space. I can only plant 3 ft or so out from the fence line. vines def grew ground wise once they got down. In a few days I’ll likely start terminating some vines.   Sunday, August 9 View Page She’s 18 DAP, 25inches circ. and grows 1-2 inches if sunny warm or 1/2-1 inch in cloudy weather each day. I’ve come to realize My seeds are part of it but also my smaller growing area limits me. So I may not get as large as I hoped for, but happy as this one likely has “set” and won’t abort on me now. I got a lot more growth out of the plant, more vines in the ground. Tomorrow I’m going to terminate the vines and hopefully increase pumpkin growth. I was too nervous to do it before and then end up with no pumpkin. I feel better about where I stand now, and next year I’m building a raised 3 feet by like 16 feet raised rock planting area with room to grow up and over the sides a bit. I know it’s not large area, but it’s better than what I got now :)   Sunday, August 9 View Page My growing area that I got the vines buried and grounded . Looks a lot more healthy than it did two weeks ago, leaves more huge in new growth. Successfully pollinated two other pumpkins but they r plum and grape size so not worth showing atm. I assume growth rate will be similar since it’s the same seed bag. Seeds are giant hybrids, so unknown genetics. I am hoping to get her to 50 lbs. love her orange color which has darkened last two days, and likely will continue to. got the powder mildew finally under control (neighbor had overhead sprinkler on my plants when watering their grass) but several leaves still have it on them tho appears to not be spreading no more. Beetles I barely see no more which is good. I see aphids tho still, but not in abundance.   Saturday, August 15 View Page Well... life got in the way and I’ve fallen behind in this diary and I can’t for the life of me figure out the DAP of a new pumpkin I have growing. My guess is like 7-8 DAP... on a secondary. Too worried a pic will jinx it and make it abort as I’ve lost all the others around a week into growth, but the one on the main (basketball size). It’s definitely not Atlantic giant but some other seed, grows steadily inch a day or two if I’m lucky. Bad news: I think my plant has mosaic virus :( I’ve pulled off several leaves to try to slow it down but I know if I do have it, I’m doomed. Tomato plant also seems have something too, hence why pretty sure it’s Mosaic. I’ve sprayed a 3 in 1, maybe it will help a bit. It’s not wide spread enough to hurt pumpkins yet and new growth is still steady. I’ll hold off as long as I can... if I can make it till mid sept that would be good enough for me.   Saturday, August 15 View Page Is this mosaic?   Saturday, August 15 View Page Another diff leaf... fearing the worst pretty sure you’ll tel me yes :(   Saturday, August 15 View Page This one is 7 dap I think, might be 6.   Saturday, August 15 View Page I grow tomatoes too this is one cherry tomato plant that I keep trimming back as it grew 6.5 feet up and started falling over lol.   Saturday, August 15 View Page Here she is - Andrea at 24/25 dap I think? Lol. Not a giant but she sure is pretty and orange. The white lines are interesting...   Sunday, August 23 View Page Today’s post has me frustrated - an animal (I suspect mole/vole) has bleeping #%*+!##* (insert swear words) got into my patch and munched on my patch!!! I found a mound of dirt inside my patch which is why I suspect mole/vole. Does this mean the bleeping #%+*#% thing is in ground munching on my patches roots? It won’t happen next year due to how I’m going to do things, but for now I lost a baseball sized pumpkin because “it” chewed off half the bottom!!! Thank god my prized is higher up and covered. On a positive note, tho likely too late in the season, two baby’s took pollination by bees I guess when I was away so I’m going to allow them to grow... same plant as the one that got chewed. The only pumpkin on my main plant is my keeper, Andrea. I had mentioned in posts that I was using 20-20-20 and why the nitro worried me... my one plant decided to climb a tree... literally, lol. I had it leaned against the stump and up it went literally up to a branch which it’s tendrils clung to and well... it’s happy and climbing, lol. I didn’t have any pumpkins at the time On it till the one that got eaten, so figured may as well let it grow since there is more light up there anyhow lol. And today I noticed a pumpkin growing there... to cut it or not cut it off... as if I do there isn’t a pumpkin growing on the plant. Figured I’d experiment and see what happens with it... truthfully I don’t expect much but maybe something amazing will happen when I least expect it. On another note, been imagining how to make a wet suit for a pumpkin. Something stretchy, yet moisture wicking. If it keeps a human warm in cold water why not a pumpkin :) I know the pumpkin has to have air circulation... then there is those sock warmers :) what I think I’m going to do is use the sand warmers that you heat up in the microwave and place around base of pumpkin with blanket. Cheap and simple for the two weeks I may need it. A one size fits all stretchy protective suit still intrigued me tho... I’ll have all winter to ponder over it :)   Thursday, August 27 View Page What a surprise I found when doing some trimming... found this baby way in a corner... now to figure out how to move my vines if he continues to grow. Longest baby fruit I’ve had, in fact I suspect it’s like 4dap or so, maybe 5... so biggest for this age I’ve had too. Hoping this one grows to set, since the last one got eaten by a rodent.   Thursday, August 27 View Page Houston... do you read me... we have a problem. This is a tree next to my patch. I am not sure if this is the main vine or secondary... I think it might be a secondary that took over as a main. I didn’t think this would happen or was even possible as I had cut the ends of vines off. Next thing you know after some 20-20-20 booom the vines takes off and she just latched on to branches and up it went lol. I can’t cut the tip way up in the tree as I need a ladder. Anyone seen my ladder? Anyone? Lmao!!! (If you don’t get this joke, go back up to past diary posts, you’ll be laughing soon or feeling sorry for me lol). Sub and pumpkin pal, you laughing yet?   Thursday, August 27 View Page Andrea is 36 DAP today. Growth has slowed a lot as nights have cooled down to as low as 10c, tho avg is 12-15c. Got her covered with a blanket, she grew an inch over two days, but seems to put that growth on top, so the circumference barely moved. Only when i did all 3 measurements could i tell she grew. Proud that I made it past 30 days... another few days to 40dap, and the seeds will be viable to give out to kids or what not for free to use next season. these seeds are great for orange colour for larger sized jack o lanterns. Also proud that i proved the naysayers wrong, who said i couldnt grow a pumpkin in my small area. In fact, i think it would be fun to have a contest for a smaller grow area. Many people out there who dont have 150sq feet or think they cant grow pumpkins as their garden too small etc. You totally can!!! You will not be winning any weigh offs most likely but you can have a lot of fun and grow one as big as your space allows. 60 ft challenge? 75 ft? (half of 150 challenge). That is about where my limits are myself. That being said i have more space just not as a growing space... can grow down out of the patch or up side of fence or a tree... but i might be able to get 60-75ft of soil to start in next season. Anyone up for a smaller growing space challenge?   Sunday, August 30 View Page Flagging shown down main vine. Watering didn’t do much, so not convinced it’s lack of. Might be slightly better than 24 hours ago after neem application, but as you can see it’s still not looking good. Entire main vine is similar but secondary vines not affected. FYI the main at the end is terminated. Should I try to get it to grow again?   Sunday, August 30 View Page This is sort of a guideline I’d what I want to do for my patch next year. It will be a bit more depth but length might be similar (hard to tell with just a photo). I want to be able to do a greenhouse if needed for fall or early spring, and screen it in maybe as cucumber bugs are a pain in my arse even tho I spray... keeps them at bay mostly but I always see a few no matter what I’ve done this season. I want to look into some drip hosing or something where I just attach my garden hose to and it will water over an hour.   Sunday, August 30 View Page My 20-20-20 I use with micros... I have 3/4 of the bucket left for next season. Just need to find this in more of a bloom formula the nitro gets too high after pumpkins set.   Monday, August 31 View Page “Jenny I got your number, pick up the phone!” Jenny? Jennnnnnnny my gosh I hope you don’t fall outta that tree. Someone needs to make sure you don’t (aka ME!). Just have not figured out how yet as it’s not exactly in my yard because it grew up the tree. So no platform or anything... I have to sling it... but I need something that stretches more than just a cotton shirt. I thought about stringing it up in my kids bathing suit while I was asleep and woke up knowing I needed a better plan lol. I’m going to dream of “stretchy” things tonight :)   Monday, August 31 View Page My kid playing “tornado” in the yard. According to him it looks like a tornado came thru my patch and killed most of it. I told him if he wacked my pumpkin with it by accident whirling around fast like he was, Jenny was gonna fall out of the tree and roll after him! He looked at Jenny and then at me, then back to Jenni... Mommmm pumpkins can’t chase me! Cue YouTube vid, pumpkin chasing a kid on a hill, lmao.   Monday, August 31 View Page So my future patch ground growing area is 17x3 raised bed, foot or so high. Concrete walls or wood... have not decided. Stone holds heat so I like that, but stone doesn’t let me hammer on a greenhouse. Guess I could just do a hoop house. lawn outside of the patch will allow side vines to grow out several feet. And the main will be cut once it wants to grow up the tree lol... 22 ft or so. Should work out a lot better for me next year this way... more rooted vines :)   Sunday, September 6 View Page When you don’t have what you need, you improvise :) She’s 19 inches circ and already showing orange. Let’s set this one!!