Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 13 Entries. Saturday, March 22 View Page Yesterday I attended the Michigan Giant Pumpkin Growers spring seminar. The event was well organized with great food, great presenters, and some great opportunities to get some seeds with great genetics. I've been getting my 150 patch together the last couple of weeks, watching videos from established growers, and listening to pumpkin podcasts. My favorite podcast guest to date has to be Sarah Whitty from Maine. Her resilience and perseverance are very motivating...and her pumpkins look great too. (I am partial to traditional orange.) I'm limited on space in my suburban subdivision, so I've chosen an above ground bed for my growing strategy.   Sunday, March 23 View Page I spent the winter in learning mode. I performed some germination tests on some of the seeds I saved from last year's pumpkin. I tested several seeds that had imperfections but they germinated just like the ones with a better shape, no splits or other anomalies.   Sunday, March 23 View Page It's time to decide on the seed for my 150 sf patch. In the off-season I made a few seed purchases including a batch from Kisamore, a few seeds from Radach, and some from Maydan. I shared several seeds with my nieces and nephews who are excited to try growing a giant. I also shared several from the Shuck 646 I grew last season with a wife's co-worker who is familiar with AG's. At the Michigan spring seminar they had some Trombley seeds and a few more. In the seminar they talked about growing Michigan seeds in Michigan, so I may lean in that direction. Most likely I will plant one of each (Trombley, Kisamore or Van Houtte), pick one to plant and hold one in reserve for a few days. I'll try to donate any that remain to friends and relatives who want to grow an AG. My nieces and nephews are growing the Radach in Missouri and my brother in law is growing a Maydan in Chattanooga and his former co-worker is growing a Maydan in North Carolina.   Monday, March 31 View Page I added 3 cu ft of mushroom compost to the 150 patch just before the recent rainfall. Hopefully that will help jumpstart some of the biological activity once the weather begins to warm up again later this week.   Monday, March 31 View Page I used these pre-formed blocks to build my above ground bed for the 150 sq ft pumpkin bed this year. These were on clearance last fall for $3.99 each. I stacked two on each corner and drove a 2' piece of rebar down the middle to help secure them. They will likely shift a little but the price was right and if we sell the house it's easy to take down.   Tuesday, April 1 View Page I decided to hit up ChatGPT to explore whether it can help me improve upon last years tomato growing efforts. I gave it a list of ingredients and it recommended some suggestions as follows: To grow giant tomatoes in a 30-gallon grow bag, you need a well-balanced soil mix. Base Soil Mix (for structure, aeration, and water retention) - 40% Organic Coconut Coir (12 gallons) – Retains moisture and improves aeration - 30% Peat Moss (9 gallons) – Holds water and provides acidity balance - 20% Perlite (6 gallons) – Enhances drainage and prevents compaction - 10% Worm Castings (3 gallons) – Provides rich microbial life and slow-release nutrients Nutrient Amendments (for growth and fruit production) (Mix evenly into the base soil) - 1 cup Organic Kelp Meal – Provides trace minerals and growth hormones - 1.5 cups Organic Fish Bone Meal – High in phosphorus for strong roots and fruiting - 1 cup Organic Blood Meal – Adds nitrogen for vigorous plant growth - 1/2 cup Mycorrhizae – Enhances root development and nutrient uptake - 1 cup Gypsum – Supplies calcium and sulfur to prevent blossom-end rot Additional Notes: - After mixing, moisten the soil slightly before planting. - Replenish nutrients every 4–6 weeks with compost tea or organic fertilizer. - Monitor pH (aim for 6.2–6.8) and adjust with lime if needed. I have no idea whether this is a good list in the right ratios, or if it will be better than some Miracle Grow above ground bed Mix, but it might be fun the do some comparisons.   Sunday, April 6 View Page I think the AI mix suggested for tomatoes has too much coir, after I mull it over some more. I'm cutting that by 2/3. Also, rather than $150 to get the nutrients for a mix suggested by the ultimate tomato guru, I'm settling for the Dr. Earth mix. It has 80% of the suggested "ideal" nutrients and biologicals. We'll see how it goes.   Sunday, April 6 View Page I used mustard meal in my 150 sq ft pumpkin spot. I used 2 pounds this time but next year I'll be going with 5 pounds in the fall and the 5 pounds in March. Although 2 pounds provided plenty of surface coverage, I don't think it's enough to provide the anti-pathogen effects I was hoping for. I'm reading about others applying 50 pounds or 100 pounds in their larger growing areas. One study I read extrapolated to a suggested 3 pounds for 150 sq ft.   Friday, April 11 View Page I'm getting ready to germinate seeds in about 10 days, so it seems like a good time to reflect on my prep to date. I grew a 200 pound pumpkin on top of grass last year in a space smaller than 100 sq ft. Although it wasn't a giant, it was orange and bigger than anything I've grown previously. But I learned that to grow something significantly bigger it will require a little more space, more soil amendments, more insect control, and a better nutrient strategy. This year I'm growing in dirt. I am following about 90% of the WOW nutrient recommendations from Ron Wallace and I've used a calendar to pre-schedule what I will do and when throughout the growing season. This post would be incomplete without touching on the costs involved. I don't have unlimited funds I'm willing to spend on pumpkin growing. I've spent about $850 so far, but I know there will be additional costs. If I had it to do over I would purchase the compost in bulk and carry it in a wheelbarrow to my backyard. That would have saved about $150 but no more, because I would need to purchase a wheelbarrow.   Friday, April 11 View Page Last year I tried growing a giant cushaw squash. It ended up at 23#'s. The SVB impacted the growth, ultimately, but I'll try again sometime when I find some good genetics. This year I'm growing Lunga di Napoli again with hopes of a new personal best. Last year's largest, grown in a self-watering container, weighed 43#'s. I'm also growing sunflowers for head size and height.   Saturday, April 12 View Page Here's a photo of my Napoli from last year. I've got some great genetics for this year, so I can't use that as an excuse.   Sunday, April 13 View Page I am preparing to send a soil test to Western Laboratories tomorrow. My plan is to germinate seeds during the weeks following the Easter weekend. This photo is from some germination testing I performed in February.   Monday, April 14 View Page I decided to grow the 1837 Van Houtte pumpkin for 2025. Mr. Van Houtte offered me a few seeds at the Michigan growers seminar in March. It looks like a great prospect.