This is the end of the season. It's not fair to start this month with the end of the season but that is the way it is. Yesterday morning it was 35 degrees on the thermometer by 3:30. Even at that time there was frost on the ground. I turned on the sprinklers but to no avail. With the exception of the 1101 the entire pumpkin patch layed in ruins by yesterday afternoon. The 1101 was 80% froze but not completely lifeless. Decided to cut the back main vine pumpkin and take it too the state fair. Hopefully that will push the main vine fruit a little further. It came in at 562#. I believe it is good enough for first place but I'll have to wait until Monday to find out for sure. Brandi also picked hers and it came close at 559.5#. After returning from the fair I spent until 1:30 this morning erecting a plastic enclosure to protect what was left of the plant. I had frost on the ground by the time I started the project at 11:30. The temp ended up in the mid 20's. The garden is now black with the exception of the sunflowers and the 1101 which survived under the plastic with the heaters running. Not sure it was worth the effort to cover the 1101 seeing that it took over 8 hours of work and several hundred dollars in supplies. Why did I do it? Because Blake's pumpkin grew 100 pounds in the two weeks since it was frozen. I estimate that I have more leaves left then he does. If I can get another 100 pounds mine will be close to a personal best.
Started hauling all the boards and sprinklers out of the garden today. Time to start thinking about next year. I've been thinking about a greenhouse perhaps now is the time.
After stewing about the early loss of the plants I'm getting back to normal. I have seriously been looking at greenhouses. Not sure if it is practical solution but I will be contacting the local University and getting some insight from them. Even if I do decide to make it happen, I'm not sure I can get it going this year.
This is Blake's 262# squash (848 MacKenzie x self). It ended up taking first place at the fair. Below is Brandi's 559.5# pumpkin (504 Christensen x 1233 Reiss). Very nice color on this pumpkin. This took second place at the state fair. My neighbor also grew this seed but the pumpkins are more yellow in color but they are not as mature so they may have darkened up if they didn't freeze.
The Pumpkin Pickin Party is 3 weeks away. The new banner is done and the ribbons should be back from the printer as well.
I have figured out the call schedule at work and we will be attending the weighoff in Canby this year! The kids are excited. We will be taking three pumpkins. My heaviest, whichever that might be, Brandi's and Blake's. We will load them up on the snowmachine trailer and pack the kids in the suburban and head off for the long weekend.
Rumor has it there is a 700 pounder coming on strong in Ucon. Perhaps I will lose my money this year.
Congratulations Rick Maggi. A fellow Idaho grower from Bonners Ferry who appears to have just set a new Idaho State Record at 1011 pounds! Still waiting for the details of the weighoff but it appears that he took it to a small weighoff in Montana and was disqualified because he was from out of the state but had the three largest pumpkins there.
Meanwhile back in my garden things have come to a complete halt. NO growth in the last six days and that included four days before the weather turned off really cold and nasty.
I'm leaving tomorrow for British Columbia and will be back just before the weighoff. Good luck to everyone. See you next week.
The 6th Annual Eastern Idaho Pumpkin Pickin Party was held today. Ended up with 35 pumpkins. Thats the most we've ever had. We had the most spectators ever. We also had the highest top ten average weight that we have ever had. Click here to go to the complete results.
Here are my pumpkins for the year.
559.5 Brandi Christensen 2006 is pictured above. This is off of my 504 Christensen 2005 (670 Daigle x 604 Jutras) and pollinated with teh 1233. This also should grow orange pumkins. I'm considering growing the 504 this next year as it produced this pumpkins with very little care from a 9 year old. What could I do with it (probably no better LOL)
562 Christensen 2006 is also pictured above. Grown on the back main vine of the 1101 and pollinated with the 1233. It was picked on 8/30 to take to the Eastern Idaho State Fair where it took 1st place
