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Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 25 Entries.
Friday, January 1 View Page
Happy New Year to all! My goals in the patch for 2021 are: 1000+lb AG, 100+lb FP, and 100+" LG. I spent time after the weighoffs, working my soil and expanding my patch. I now have space to grow 2, 450 square foot plants. I am working on a new watering/misting system with hopes of improving my watering and fertilizing of the AGs. I have never really had a insecticide or fungicide program in place. So, I will be using both this year to see if that helps out in the long run on plant health.
 
Saturday, March 20 View Page
Only a few weeks to go until seed starting time! I am really excited about a seed I recently acquired! This seed is from the pumpkin that was a huge reason why I started growing giants. In the fall of 2014, when I was first thinking about trying to grow a giant pumpkin, I was hesitant because everything I was seeing about them was they were mostly big, mishapen blobs that were every color but orange. Then, I searched what the biggest pumpkin grown in Nebraska was & coincidentally, found an article about Darren Christensen's pumpkin, "Morpheus", that he had just broken the state record with. The 1399lb pumpkin was what I dreamed of growing and it helped convince me to try growing a giant! After many failed attempts of finding a seed from that beauty, I finally got my hands on one & I can't wait to grow it!
 
Saturday, March 20 View Page
Pic didn't post. Try again.
 
Wednesday, March 24 View Page
Well, just a few weeks ago my seed lineup was set. Now, due to a couple recent seed acquisitions, my lineup has completely changed. Gotta love this hobby!
 
Wednesday, April 14 View Page
Snow in the forecast again. But, the 2021 giant pumpkin season is underway for me. I started a 1399 Christensen, 1398 Janowiak, 2- 1048 Engel, 2- 963 Johnson, and 2- 555est. Grande. Best of luck to everyone growing giants this year!
 
Thursday, April 15 View Page
Might be a bit ambitious. We had some scrap 8" pvc pipe that we were throwing away at work. So, I took a few pieces and made grow pots for my giants out of them. I cut the pipe into 12" long pieces, then cut the pipe in half vertically. I put hinges on them so they open up and I put a piece of plastic on the bottom with holes drilled in it for drainage. I will use duct tape to hold it together. When I transplant, I will remove the duct tape open the pipe and be able to easily remove the seedling "plug". Roughly the same size as the 2 gallon grow bags and I will be able to reuse these over and over. I will post more pictures at transplanting time.
 
Thursday, April 15 View Page
Another pic
 
Thursday, April 15 View Page
And another
 
Sunday, April 18 View Page
4 days and both 963 Johnson are up and free of their shells. Both 555est. Grande are up and free of their shells. Both 1048 Engel are pushing up through the seed starter mix and the 1399 Christensen is as well. No signs of life in the 1398 Janowiak yet.
 
Thursday, April 22 View Page
Transplanted the pumpkins into bigger pots today. 1- 1399 Christensen, 1- 1048 Engel, 2- 963 Johnson, & 2- 555est. Grande. The 1398 Janowiak didn't germinate and I removed the other 1048 Engel from the lineup. The 555est. Grande are my best plants so far.
 
Saturday, May 8 View Page
1399 Christensen (left) & 1048 Engel (right) in the patch and ready to roll.
 
Thursday, May 13 View Page
963 Johnson are in the patch! Very nice plants early on. Can't wait to see what this seed produces!
 
Friday, May 14 View Page
Inside the pvc pipe planters I built to start my plants. This is a 555est Grande. Root ball was a bit drier than I hoped, but the plant wasn't suffering. Transferring the plant to the hole in the ground was quick and easy.
 
Friday, May 14 View Page
555est Grande plants are some of the best I have ever had this early in the season. Going in the patch tonight.
 
Friday, May 14 View Page
The pair of 555est Grande are in the patch! Should be a nice, orange producer. Mother was the 359 Foss and father was a 2009 Wallace that went a very nice shade of orange. Both plants are starting to vine.
 
Saturday, May 15 View Page
I had to keep my plants inside longer than I had hoped. Nebraska spring weather has been colder and snowier this year. Plants were much bigger than I had planned when they went in the patches. Was shooting for May 1st. Missed by 2ish weeks. Oh well!
 
Tuesday, June 1 View Page
963 Johnson is my biggest plant at this time. Vine is about 4 feet long.
 
Tuesday, June 1 View Page
555 Grande. This is most likely the one that will stay in the patch. These plants have not been too affected by the fluctuating weather we have seen so far this spring.
 
Tuesday, June 1 View Page
1399 Christensen is either a ribbon vine or double vine. I can't really tell which, but, I know it ain't a normal plant. I am starting to push it a bit to see if it will come out of it.
 
Tuesday, June 1 View Page
I was finally successful in getting some long gourds to germinate for the 1st time in a couple years. This is the chosen one for me this year. The 135" Muis.
 
Tuesday, June 1 View Page
Trying field pumpkins again this year. In my main spot I planted a pair of my 61 Grubbs. And in my other spot I have a 76.6 House paired with another 61 Grubbs. Plan is to go with the 76.6 House if all goes well.
 
Thursday, July 1 View Page
1st pollination of the season happened this morning. 963 Johnson x Self. 4 lobe flower at 12 feet on the main vine. My wife made the pollination since I have been out of town for work most of the last month.
 
Sunday, July 4 View Page
Happy 4th of July! Pollinated the 1399 Christensen this morning. Nice 5 lobe flower at around 13 feet. The cross is 1399 Christensen X 963 Johnson.
 
Saturday, July 17 View Page
Pollinated a field pumpkin this morning. About a month earlier than I was planning but, Oh well! 76.6 House X 61 Grubbs
 
Saturday, November 27 View Page
Season Wrap-up: 2021 was the toughest year growing giants for me in the 6 seasons I've been growing. Most of it was due to the fact the my job had me out of town for 5 days of the week all summer. Oh well, that's life. Part of it was due to heat and almost no rain all summer and part of it was to disease issues. On my AG plants I grew the 1399 Christensen, 963 Johnson, and 555 Grande. The 555 Grande went down with Yellow Vine disease, the 963 plant wouldn't hold a pollination. Every pumpkin that was pollinated on the plant would abort between DAP 10 to DAP 20. I got 2 pumpkins on the 1399 Christensen, but the biggest one weighed 88lbs. My wife and I picked the worst time to get Covid, right in the middle of October. So, we didn't make it to any weighoffs this year. My biggest field pumpkin was grown on my 61 Grubbs and it weighed (unofficially) the same as its' mother at 61lbs. so now I have 61 Grubbs from 2017 and 61 Grubbs from 2021. I have been adding amendments to the patch and hoping my job has me closer to home next summer. Happy Holidays all!
 

 

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