Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 15 Entries. Thursday, January 30 View Page Hoping to grow at the farm again where I do volunteer work. In my polytunnel at the farm: 2020 Paton AG, lungi di napoli squash, butternut squash, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, FP (Baggs). Together with the farmer in his polytunnel: 2641 Paton, LGs, BG. Outside: FP (Wursten), marrows (Baggs), zucchini, sunflowers, runnerbeans, beets, carrots, parsnips, leeks. Also about 150 varieties of (heirloom) strawberry plants and 1000+ pumpkins for retail (about 80 varieties). Friday, June 20 View Page Tunnel two is the sheep and goat tunnel. We kicked them out in May and covered the floor with 2 feet of compost and manure. Started the 2158 Paton, 2020 Paton and a local pumpkin. The 2020 didn't germinate and the local pumpkin (Van Raalte) is about 4x the size of the 2158 so we are going with it. There is no soil in this tunnel, just a brick floor. Friday, June 20 View Page Tunnel one is home to the giant tomatoes, aubergine, cucumbers, field pumpkin (218 Baggs), lunga di napoli, butternut and AG (2641 Paton). Outside are the giant runner beans, beets, carrot, leek, parsnips, zucchini and another field pumpkin (109 Wursten). Friday, June 20 View Page Tunnel 2 is also home to the long gourds. We have 2 Eatons and 2 Klines going, all in 1000 litre cubes as there is a brick floor in this tunnel. Friday, June 20 View Page I grow about 120-140 different varieties of strawberries. The heaviest this year was 113 grams (4 ounces), but it was fused. The heaviest normal one was 98 grams. Friday, June 20 View Page Tunnel 2. Thursday, August 7 View Page 2641 Paton, day 40. Had a storm come through early on and twist most of the vines. Then a short heat wave that toasted quite a few leaves and growing tips. The rest of the season up till now we have had cold nights averaging in the high 40s and low 50s. Currently about 2 weeks behind other years. Monday, August 18 View Page 2641 Paton day 51. Doing about 30lbs a day inspite of cold nights down to as low as 45F. Wednesday, August 27 View Page 2461 Paton day 60 down to 22 lbs per day for the last 5. Frost on the ground nearby, fortunately a few degrees above here. One month to go before the weigh-off. Tuesday, September 23 View Page 109 Wursten field pumpkin. Just a few days to go. Nothing special. About 35 days old. Tuesday, September 23 View Page Some of the butternut squash. Too many on one plant. Tuesday, September 23 View Page Lunga di Napoli squash. Also too many on one plant. Tuesday, September 23 View Page Lunga di Napoli squash. Also too many on one plant. Tuesday, September 23 View Page 2641 Paton, day 87. Doing about 9 lbs a day. Next year hoping for some warmer night temperatures and some better wind protection and better pruning on my part. Found way too many rogue pumpkins on the plant during the year. Saturday, September 27 View Page Had the Dutch Giant Vegetable Championship today. Pumpkin (2641 Paton) ended up a disappointing 8% light and finished at 1492 lbs which was still the heaviest pumpkin grown in The Netherlands this year. Very cold weather all season, so maybe I should be happy with it. Grew three new national records including a tomato at 6.14 lbs, butternut squash at 83.2 lbs and a Lunga di Napoli squash at 105.2 lbs. Not sure what the WR is for that one. Finished first in the country with a 153.3 lb field pumpkin. Four other national records were set or broken today including a sunflower measuring 9.24 meters (35 ft 4 in), which broke the old WR from 2014. Grown by Jeroen van der Velde.