Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 8 Entries. Monday, April 20 View Page It's been a while since I've posted in my diary here. But have committed to keeping things updated for the 2026 season! Was very excited to come in 19th for Master Gardener in 2025 and hope to better my score for 2026. My lineup this year is to do a giant squash in my main patch, two pumpkins in my secondary patches, a long gourd (broke the BC record last year with a 129.5" and raised my trellis this year to try and break my own record), bushel gourd, field pumpkin, marrow and giant tomato - that'll give me a couple of redundancies in case something fails. For seeds, I have: Pumpkin: 1933.5 Caspers 2024 2387 Daletas 2024 1243 Pelletier 2025 (2610.3 Petrelli 2023 x self) Squash 1592 Tobeck 2023 2030 Tobeck 2021 434 Pelletier 2025 (1592 Tobeck 2023 x 1415 Jolivette 2024) Long Gourd 152.5 Yohe 2021 129.5 Pelletier 2025 (150 Faust 2024 x sib) Bushel Gourd 219 Pelletier 2019 Field Pumpkin 120 Pelletier 2025 Marrow 162.5 Whitty DMG 2025 69 Whitty 2025 82 Pelletier 2025 Tomato 10.2 Jolivette 2024 7.19 Tobeck 2021 7.69 Clayton 2023 8.36 Strickler 22021 Happy to have a 100% germination this year. Off we go! Saturday, May 23 View Page Everything coming up nicely! This was April 20th Saturday, May 23 View Page In the ground with both giant pumpkins and giant squash April 27 this year! The main contenders (most vigorous seedlings) : -434 Pelletier 2025 Atlantic giant squash -1933.5 Caspers 2024 pumpkin -1243 Pelletier 2025 pumpkin Saturday, May 23 View Page The squash is now named Mike Wazowski (from Monsters Inc.). Finally got it to lay down. Super vigorous plant and took forever to get it to lay flat. Thankfully, no vine kinks or break in the main vine! Off and running now! Tuesday, July 7 View Page Mike Wazowski (434 Pelletier 2025 Atlantic giant squash which is a cross of the 1,415 Jolivette 2024 and the 1,592 Tobeck 2023 that was my backup squash in a small patch specifically crossed for genetics) hit DAP 14 and is growing well. Always a little concerned with the "monkey butt" blossom end, but hopefully it holds! Sunday, July 12 View Page Pollinated this nice 5 lober on the 1933.5 Caspers 2024. It's in perfect position around 18 ft on the main. Hope it takes! Monday, July 13 View Page Mike Wazowski (434 Pelletier 2025 Atlantic giant squash) hit DAP 20 and is coming in around 120 lbs. So far so good! Really liking the shape of this one. We have a stretch of warm weather coming up just in time for rapid growth phase. Fingers crossed it holds together! Monday, July 13 View Page Pollinated this big 6 lober on my 1,243 Pelletier 2025. It's about 17 ft on the main with 30 secondaries behind it. The plant is very compact, shorter distance between leaf nodes. Good for a smaller patch!