Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 78 Entries. Friday, February 19 View Page Waiting patiently for April to arrive so I can start adding sand and compost to my clay laden soil.   Tuesday, March 15 View Page Eight yards of black gold. I cleverly had it dumped so a bucket loader has no access. Talk to you in about 2 weeks.   Wednesday, April 6 View Page All right, fellow Team Bubba members! I am coming out of the seed closet. I added 150 lbs of gypsum, 100 lbs kelp meal, and 100 lbs humic acid today to the 8 yards of dark black, scientifically created compost already on my winter rye covered patch. It was tilled in this morning, and a second till will be done this afternoon(I had to give my 2 herniated discs a break). My three primary seeds for big 'n orange are: 1770 Lieber, 1662 Stelts, and 1610 Lieber. I have yet to decide on backups. I plan on an early start using heating cables, electric heaters, and row cover cloth to baby and protect the seedlings.   Saturday, April 16 View Page Rototilled rye in. Decided to use my 16 inch broadfork to help break up clay heavy soil. Today planting more rye and myco ahead of germinating tomorrow and planting in 2 weeks. Broadforked soil top, rototilled soil after 1 week bottom.   Monday, April 18 View Page Second cover crop sown and lightly tilled in. 9AM: 1770 and 1610 Lieber seeds along with Stelts 1662 in germination box. 774 Minor(1317 Clementz selfed) in for backups.   Tuesday, April 19 View Page After 32 hours, all 6 of my 774 (1317 Clementz selfed) seeds have germinated. 1710 Lieber has cracked seed coat. 1610 Lieber and 1662 Stelts are just sitting there.   Saturday, April 23 View Page Either my 1610 Lieber is a dud, or it's in deep hibernation. 5 days and no sign of viability. Waiting for my strongest 774, 1770 Lieber, and 1662 Stelts to break soil after being transplanted into pots from sprouting bags. I hate giant pumpkin drama.   Sunday, April 24 View Page The 1610 Lieber did not germinate. The 1662 Stelts and 1710 Lieber are breaking dirt after being put in pots 4 days ago. My own 774s are showing signs of life. I'm ready to put the plastic on the hoop houses and warm things up for the transplants in a couple of weeks.   Friday, April 29 View Page My name is Steve...and I'm addicted to growing large orange pumpkins. 1770 Lieber, 1662 Stelts, 774 Minor(1317 Clementz selfed). Six more 774s for backups(Yes, I really like the 1317 Clementz).   Monday, May 2 View Page Transplanted 1770 Lieber, 1662 stelts, and 774 Minor to 3 gallon grow bags using Ron Wallace's special potting mix. 774 is doing very well with leaf and root growth, holding its own with 1770 and 1662.   Sunday, May 8 View Page A downpour is going on right now. Cooler temps at night with patchy frost for next couple of days. Also some gusty winds from NNW. I'll keep my plants in their 3 gallon grow bags until later on this week. It's a long ways until September, and I don't want the season to end now.   Thursday, May 19 View Page Finally planted 1770 Lieber, 1662 Stelts and one of my 774s in hoop houses after 2 weeks in 3 gallon grow bags. Scattered thunderstorms and small hail forecast this afternoon for Vermont, but the plants will be safe.   Sunday, May 22 View Page My own 774(1317 Clementz selfed) pumpkin plant is holding its own with the 1662 Stelts and 1770 Lieber. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does as the season progresses.   Tuesday, May 24 View Page 5 days in dirt. All 3 looking good so far. Rye in hoop house is going down today. Diluted ferts start today. First picture is of 1770 Lieber.   Tuesday, May 24 View Page Second picture is of 1662 Stelts, a favorite seed for size and color.   Tuesday, May 24 View Page Third portrait is of my own 774(1317 Clementz selfed), still holding its own against the big girls.   Friday, May 27 View Page Plants are making big moves nearly 2 weeks after seeing dirt. Right on schedule.   Sunday, May 29 View Page 1770 Lieber has started to vine.   Sunday, May 29 View Page 774 Minor has started to vine. Oh Yay.   Monday, May 30 View Page One or more of my 3 pumpkin plants is going to lay down and start growing like a sumbitch this week. And then I'll be a complete slave to their satanic majesties' requests until late fall.   Thursday, June 2 View Page 774 Minor is doing well.   Thursday, June 2 View Page 1662 Stelts has boots on the ground.   Thursday, June 2 View Page 1662 Stelts   Thursday, June 2 View Page 1770 Lieber   Thursday, June 2 View Page Previous pics were taken last night.The 1662 Stelts is starting to run. At this point, it will be the first plant to be pollinated by the end of the month. It's time to tweak the fertilizers a little bit. Scotty: we need more power.   Friday, June 3 View Page 1770 Lieber has boots on the ground. that leaves the 774 Minor hanging.   Saturday, June 11 View Page 774 Minor hit the dirt last week. Used my broadfork today on whole patch, added amendments, rototilled for last time. Put up wind protection. Plants won't go anywhere until weather warms up(55 today in VT) and we get more sun. Soil in patch is showing positive effects of cover crops, added compost, and broadfork work.   Friday, June 17 View Page 2 days short of one month since planting. 1770 Lieber is 7 feet long, 1662 Stelts is 8 feet long, and 774 Minor is 6 feet long. The 774 has had some problems with laterals growing straight ahead instead of to the side. Those laterals were trimmed to avoid crowding other vines.   Monday, June 20 View Page 4 weeks after planting, 774 Minor is 8 feet long, 1662 Stelts is 10 feet long, 1770 Lieber is 10 feet long. first pic is 774 Minor   Monday, June 20 View Page Second pic is 1662. First female flower is at tip of main vine.   Monday, June 20 View Page Third picture, 1770 Lieber.   Wednesday, June 22 View Page 1770 Lieber has female flower forming. All three are on track to be pollinated within 7-10 days. Starting to worry about male flowers being available. Same thing every year. lol   Friday, June 24 View Page Tertiary vines are appearing on pumpkin plants and female flowers are showing on side vines. Are we having fun yet?   Monday, June 27 View Page First male flowers to appear are on the 1770 Lieber.   Monday, June 27 View Page Also foliar sprayed with Stihl 420 for insects with some amendments added.   Wednesday, June 29 View Page Cucumber beetles are like zombies feeding on my First Prize pumpkin plants. They're guarding my corn and pole beans, so I'll have to go organic for treatments.   Wednesday, June 29 View Page Cucumber beetles are like zombies feeding on my First Prize pumpkin plants. They're guarding my corn and pole beans, so I'll have to go organic for treatments.   Thursday, June 30 View Page 774 Minor female flower with four lobes pollinated with four 1662 Stelts male flowers at 6:33, temperature 60 F. Today I am a man.   Friday, July 1 View Page Deformed lobes on first 1770 female. Pollinated anyway with 3 1662 Stelts male flowers. Second 1770 will be ready next week.   Wednesday, July 6 View Page Artificial pollination this morning. Male and female flowers reluctant to open. 1770 Lieber x 774 Minor, 1662 Stelts x self, 774 Minor x 1662 Stelts--female was 5 lobed. All second pollinations.   Thursday, July 7 View Page 774 Minor at 7 days old.   Thursday, July 7 View Page 1662 Stelts at 9 days old.   Thursday, July 7 View Page 1770 Lieber at 7 days old.   Sunday, July 17 View Page 774 Minor(1317 Clementz selfed) 7/13   Sunday, July 17 View Page 774 Minor 7/17 11 dap   Sunday, July 17 View Page 1662 Stelts 7/13   Sunday, July 17 View Page 1662 Stelts 7/17, 19 dap   Saturday, July 23 View Page Measured 218 OTT for 1662 Stelts 24 dap. 63 days until Vermont state weigh off.   Saturday, July 23 View Page 1662 Stelts, 24 dap.   Saturday, July 23 View Page 774 Minor, 17 dap   Sunday, July 31 View Page 774 Minor tapes 208 pounds day 25   Sunday, July 31 View Page 1662 Stelts tapes 486 pounds day 33.   Wednesday, August 3 View Page 1662 Stelts taping 554 lbs on day 36. Seven weeks until Vermont weigh off.   Sunday, August 7 View Page My fair pumpkin continues to chug along and has an estimated weight of 362 lbs at 32 days . Less than 3 weeks to showtime.   Sunday, August 7 View Page I have decided to call my biggest pumpkin "Minok". It's doing its best to please me with an estimated weight of 647 lbs at 40 days. 7 weeks to make it thrive and stay alive for the state weigh off. Beginnings of powdery mildew showing--in spite of spraying. Shit. How I hate that stuff.   Wednesday, August 10 View Page The last pumpkin on the 1770 Lieber plant. It's dead. Plant will be pulled tomorrow. Doing your research before getting a seed and planting it should be number one on your "Things to do" list. My bad.   Thursday, August 11 View Page 1770 fruit and stump. A sad, sad case.   Thursday, August 11 View Page 1770 stump   Saturday, August 13 View Page Direct from New Zealand, created by Sophie Blokker and inspired by Grace Lusty of Growing THEM BIG in New Zealand with Grace fame. One of only 10 prints. Thank you Perfect Pumpkin Princess from the Land of the Long White Cloud!   Sunday, August 14 View Page The dude abides. Minok of the North measures 824 lbs, give or take 10%, on day 47. Averaging 25 lbs/day. Little Halsey measures 501, give or take 10%, on day 39. Averaging 20 lbs/day. Both will be a nice orange. 6 weeks to go until Vermont state weigh off. 2 weeks until Champlain Valley Fair.   Monday, August 22 View Page Front view 774 Minor. Somewhere over 600 at 47 days.   Monday, August 22 View Page Side view of 774 Minor at 47 days.   Monday, August 22 View Page Front view of 1662 Stelts. Over 900 at 55 days.   Monday, August 22 View Page Side view of 1662 Stelts at 55 days.   Monday, August 22 View Page Side view of 1662 Stelts at 55 days.   Monday, August 22 View Page Side view of 774 Minor at 47 days   Wednesday, August 24 View Page Getting ready for Champlain Valley Fair. Estimated 650 or so.   Friday, August 26 View Page 1662 Stelts is showing its age with leaves dying. I'm letting tertiaries grow to compensate. Found a quarter-sized soft spot on stem that wasn't there last nite. Scrape, sulfur powder, sun and fan. Caught it before it got bad, superficial so far. Breathe and relax. Breathe and relax. Good news is I won 3rd place at the Champlain Valley Fair for largest pumpkin with a 640.5 unofficial wt.   Tuesday, August 30 View Page Third place at the Champlain Valley Fair and still not happy. Brighten up, buttercup.   Sunday, September 11 View Page Tucked in Minnock, my giant pumpkin, for the night with a king-sized microfiber comforter. I didn't forget to set out "cookies and milk" for the hungry rodents that wander the world, seeking the ruin of Atlantic Giants. Just found out the patron saint of gardeners is St. Fiacre(pronounced Fee-awk-rah). He grew his own food, healed people, and prayed to God in France between 600 and 670 AD. This will be the last time I measure my fruit. It weighs around 1000 lbs, and that's good enough for me I don't trust my measurements, but I will trust the scales in 2 weeks.   Friday, September 23 View Page This my 1662 Stelts yesterday, before loading. Tractor from apple orchard sank a foot into my patch getting it out, but it's loaded and ready to go to the Vermont weigh off tomorrow, 9/24.   Saturday, September 24 View Page 1662 Stelts x 1770 Lieber is now the 1114.5 Minor. 7th place out of 25 entries. And and new personal best. Old pb was 912 in 2011. Pics to follow in future.   Sunday, September 25 View Page A boy and his pumpkin. Picture by Daniel Boyce. 1114.5 Minor(1662 Stelts x 1770 Lieber) Isn't Photoshop great?! lol   Sunday, September 25 View Page Previous photo taken by Master Jedi Norm Gansert, not Dan Boyce, who took the club photo on the VGPGA page. Thanks guys!   Sunday, October 9 View Page I spite of being exhausted from white knuckle driving 5 hours to Frerichs Farm for the weigh off( starting at 4:30 am, hitting solid fog, then dealing with the living hell of I-93), I made it and got to see the second largest pumpkin grown in the world get weighed, as well as seeing many people with their personal bests on the scales. The gentleman with me is my caretaker who keeps me from wandering aimlessly, causing trouble, and saving me from being crushed by giant pumpkins and fork lifts. LOL John Young! Thanks Norm Gansert for the pic.   Sunday, October 9 View Page Should be "IN spite..."   Thursday, October 13 View Page My 1114.5 lb pumpkin is a big hit at a local orchard. And getting prettier every day.   Saturday, October 29 View Page When life gives you leaves, put them in a compost pile.