Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 24 Entries. Saturday, March 14 View Page A pumpkin growers diary   Sunday, March 15 View Page I have started 2 pumpkin seeds yesterday. They were the 980.5 Vincent from 2012 (an old one) and a 1608 Bryson from 2017.   Sunday, March 15 View Page Before starting them, I filed down their edges and soaked them in maple syrup (dilute at 1 TBS per 2 cups of water.) I am hoping this helps them sprout. I am also growing giant watermelons, giant rutabagas, giant cabbages, giant onions, giant tomatoes, and giant carrots.   Sunday, March 15 View Page I have grown a 216 pound pumpkin, so I want to try and grow many giants, as to have a higher chance of success. I am hoping that this will help me to get a pumpkin over 1000 and a tomatoes over 4 and a cabbage over 50 and a watermelon over 75 and a carrot over 10 and a rutabaga over 50 and an onion over 10. I am hoping. Of course, it probably won't happen, but still, one can dream, right???   Monday, March 16 View Page There is still no sign of the pumpkins sprouting. They are still in their seed cases and don't have roots either. I was hoping they would sprout within 40 hours. It has now been about 43-44 hours. They are, however showing signs of almost sprouting. Namely, the filed edges are showing some green.   Monday, March 16 View Page My rutabagas are doing well outside under cover. My onions and cabbages are doing well with them. I am hoping to get watermelon seeds in the mail soon to be able to plant them. I am also sorry about the no pictures. I am sadly unable to take pictures.   Tuesday, March 17 View Page Yes, spring! I was actually able to work the patch yesterday! The EARLIEST spring that i can remember! This is great weather. The only thing I would change is Coved-19. I can't easily get out off the house to go shopping for ferts because of the virus.   Tuesday, March 17 View Page Flash back to 2018, and this is my personal best getting weighed in the background. It was only 216 pounds, but it still got to get lifted by the tractor.   Tuesday, March 17 View Page I was so proud of that pumpkin. I haven't bested yet, so this year I hope. Here is another pic of it being lifted.   Tuesday, March 17 View Page I just love these pics ! I can't het enough of them!??   Wednesday, March 18 View Page Got a sprout on my 1608 Bryson. All I see is the shell cracking, so not that great. 94 hours is still my best germ time. Sorry about the repeat pics, and not having that many, but I can't use the camera. Also that was get, not het. Another one!   Friday, March 20 View Page There must have been a problem with the root of my pumpkin seed. There is a new root growing out of the bottom now. I don't know if this is a problem, but it will delay full germination. I still see nothing on my 980.5 Vincent. It Jas now been 6 days, or 140 hours. Is this a problem? Please reply to my seed starting post if you know about either.   Saturday, March 21 View Page I wanted to say,and I am trying to be calm, MY 1608 BRYSON HAS SPROUTED! You can tell that I am excited, right? My 980.5 still looked dry, and will water it and see what it does, but just having my 1608 sprout, makes me very excited.   Saturday, March 21 View Page So, after my 1608 sprouted, I noticed that it was turning yellow, and I did not know why. I asked around on the message board for seed starting and I am hoping it will look better soon.   Monday, March 23 View Page My 1608 is looking better, and it has mostly recovered. I am extremely thankfully for the advice, and it appears light was all it needed. However, on a less exciting note, my 980.5 has still not sprouted. I am hoping that is just because it is old. After Wednesday, I will start a new seed, if I don't see sprouting.   Tuesday, March 24 View Page My 980.5 is rotten :( so I decided to start a new one, and I am soaking it overnight, in water, to see what it does. I sanded much farther than I sanded the other ones. I hope it will sprout.   Wednesday, March 25 View Page So, I checked on my soaking seed this morning, and I expected to see nothing happening yet, but, it was all ready starting to open up! That surprised my, and now I am wondering if I should keep soaking. I have decided I will soak for at least 20 hours and maybe 24.   Wednesday, March 25 View Page I let the 980.5 soak for 24 hours and it got planted in the peat pot, that the previous one was in. I just soaked in plain water, so there should not be a problem with soaking for so long. Hoping it sprouts soon!   Friday, March 27 View Page Still great weather up here. My 980.5 has not quite sprouted, but I am hoping. My 1608 looks pretty good and it is growing. I am hoping to have my bed all the way finished soon, because I still have to prep one planting spot.   Tuesday, March 31 View Page My second 980.5 that I planted has rotten. I have started some of my own seeds, a 199 and 2 216. Have bypassed soaking.   Sunday, April 12 View Page I have put my 1608 Bryson seed in the ground, and I have planted a 1409 Lyons, as my second pumpkin, and have some of my own 216s, and 199s, for backups.   Wednesday, May 6 View Page Stem split on my little transplant, that got transplanted a few weeks back. Don't know how to save it. If you could help, please post on my post on new growers forum, or pest diseases and other problems forum. Please help!   Wednesday, August 19 View Page Have a few mice tomatoes growing. Harvested a few 1.5 -2 pound eating tomatoes. Overall happy with the tomatoes. Pumpkins not doing to well, biggest is maybe 200. Watermelon is about 30+ pounds, and 27 days old in the picture. Hoping for something good out of this one.   Wednesday, August 19 View Page That was nice, not mice tomatoes, sorry. Here is another pic of my watermelon.