Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 45 Entries. Tuesday, April 28 View Page So this will be my 2nd attempt at trying to grow one of these beasts. I had 4 seeds; 2 x 1179 Paton '14 (2009 Wallace x Sibb) 2 x 1649 Paton '14 (2009 Wallace x 1623 Wallace) Sanded me seeds down, soaked in seaweed & water for 4 hours, then into some potting mix & into a heated propagator. Started the seeds off on 17/04 - after only 4 & a half days, one of the 1179's germinated - still no sign of the others, but I was only planning on growing 1 plant in the polytunnel, so thanks again Ian & Stewie :-)   Tuesday, April 28 View Page Last season I planted the seeds in a black pot & I remember looking at the plant wondering how big the root structure was, so this year I planted them in clear pots, which I then kept in black pots to keep the roots in darkness, so I can take a peek now & again to make sure I'm not getting root-bound. Although I'm sure an experienced grower would be able to look at a plant in a pot & have a good idea how big the roots are ;-)   Tuesday, April 28 View Page So the 1179 Paton is in the ground & in a hoop house so I can cover it up at night; we've had a couple of unexpected frosts recently!   Wednesday, May 13 View Page A couple of days last week it was supposed to be sunny - but also supposed to be blowing a hooly - so I made up a bit of wind protection out of some galvanised mesh & some netting.   Wednesday, May 13 View Page I haven't got any backups so I'm really pleased that this plant is still alive & healthy! Growing nice'n'steady, so I'm thinking... so far, so good.   Tuesday, May 26 View Page Not a lot to report, this 1179 Paton seems to be doing okay...   Tuesday, May 26 View Page I'm hoping this plant's gonna start to pick the pace up a bit in the next few weeks...!   Monday, June 1 View Page All seems to be going wrong with this plant! Seems to be growing with a flat, twisting vine, with a couple of bends (or kinks), & also a couple of splits. And crazy growth where I can't make out what's going on!   Monday, June 1 View Page I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do but I've been trying to support this part of the vine with a couple of bits of foam, because it's got a couple of kinks. I was gonna heap up a load of soil under the vine to support it, but its got a couple of splits on this section so I think I should be keeping it dry. You can make out one of the splits in between the bits of foam.   Monday, June 1 View Page This is the other split on top of the vine - so these splits are both running parallel with the vine...   Monday, June 1 View Page I don't know what's going on here, I seem to have 2 leaves, 4 tendrils, maybe a male flower and the start of some secondaries??   Monday, June 1 View Page Seem to have a few leaves growing out from underneath the vine... This is the newest bit of growth, again with 2 leaves, & 3 tendrils. Whether this plant will sort itself out & stop twisting once I get it down onto the dirt.... :-o   Tuesday, June 16 View Page Main vine seems to have sorted itself out, only growing one leaf at a time, stopped growing flat. It's now about 11 feet long, with 3 females - one at 4ft, one at 7.5, & one at 10. I started to really snake this vine around, which isn't ideal, but at this rate it'd reach the end of my tunnel with no secondaries! they've only really just started growing in the last few days...   Tuesday, June 16 View Page Unfortunately none of my secondary vines seem to be growing as I would like (normal!). I had 2 growing out from the dodgy part of the plant that has now got 3 splits; one really started growing but I cut it off 'cos it was growing really flat (& I think ribboned). When I compare this plant with last year's a bit of me feels like throwing in the towel, but I can't 'cos it's only my second plant & it's all learning... even if I'm just learning how a plant *shouldn't* be growing(!)   Tuesday, June 16 View Page I think this is what you call a ribbon vine & I should cut the bottom one off?   Tuesday, June 16 View Page UHH?? check this vine out - it's proper messed up, a mutant female with no stem! dunno what to do with this one... cut it off... leave it.... whaaaat???   Monday, July 6 View Page Got some shade netting up over the tunnel in the last couple of weeks....   Monday, July 6 View Page I've had 3 females open up on the main - this was the first one I pollinated on the 24/06, with 2 males, but it never set - it just stayed the same size.   Monday, July 6 View Page This the 2nd female flower :-( I didn't bother pollinating this one!   Monday, July 6 View Page This is the 3rd female - a bit deformed, but I tried pollinating it with 2 males on 01/07. But it was the hottest day in July for years; 45c even underneath the shade netting. So I'm not surprised this one never set!   Monday, July 6 View Page I was going to pollinate a flower on the secondary vine, which started off ribboned & now seems to be growing just as big & fast as the main. But this flower didn't even open up, & my other secondaries are too puny in comparison. So I've got one more female on the end of my main which is still a few days away... so I really hope I can get this one to set; running out of time & space!   Friday, July 24 View Page I did 2 pollinations on 12th July, this one was on a secondary vine - rubbish place in the corner of the tunnel, & I didn't make much of an effort to put a curve in the vine!   Friday, July 24 View Page This 5-lober was also pollinated on the 12th, on the main vine, which I've been snaking around so much I've totally lost track of how long it is... but I would guess it's at 24ft down?   Friday, July 24 View Page A mole in my polytunnel - I can't believe it! no moles in the field behind, no moles in the neighbours gardens (one said he lived there 25 years & never saw a mole around here!), & all of a sudden I have one in my 20ft square polytunnel!! this mole would dig day & night; must've thought he was in heaven, lovely soft soil full of worms. A friend gave me a couple of tunnel traps where you catch the mole alive; he dug around the sides every time. So after 5 days I thought, "no more mr nice guy" - & I went & bought some snare traps!   Friday, July 24 View Page Still took me another 3 days to catch him, & the amount of digging this mole had done in 8 days was crazy... 2ft away from the stump, in fact I don't think he could be anywhere in my tunnel & be more than 4ft away from his one of is runs. Lost a lot of sleep over this mole, so it was a BIG relief when I caught him yesterday :-D   Friday, July 24 View Page This is the 1179 Paton that has been self-pollinated on the main vine; not very impressive for 12 DAP. But I feel this is my last chance of getting a pumpkin, got a little split in the vine next to the stem (not looking good!) so I covered it in sulphur. I'm gonna get some sand under it if it starts to grow more ;-) & the one on the secondary vine is about the same size but in a bad place; rubbish positioning!   Friday, July 24 View Page Some of the leaves at the back are looking old now & a bit unhealthy; mind you the farmer sprayed the field behind with round-up, as if I didn't have enough to worry about, but I think I've got away with it :-o   Thursday, August 6 View Page This split started off in the vine & started to move up the stem - but with a bit of sulphur it does seemed to have healed up a bit, hasn't got any worse in the last few days!   Thursday, August 6 View Page I was thinking I made a better job on the 's' bend or curve than last year, but I learned last year that when it's small you can move it a little bit every day, to get it in a better position. And it wouldn't have been so bad if I'd done that this year but I was too scared to move it, in case I made that stem split any worse! Now I'm thinking it's too big to move, especially as it's now growing on the sand :-/ As you can see, the pumpkin's already growing very close to the vine, so I don't think it'll be long until this causes a problem.... I've got about 15ft of main vine after this 'kin & no secondaries, or maybe just a couple with one leaf each LOL!   Thursday, August 6 View Page It's 25 DAP for this 1179 Paton & it's now the only one 'cos I culled the one on the secondary vine last saturday. It was an easy decision to make because it had 2 splits in the stem that went right up to the pumpkin, & was already growing a bit of a funny shape ;-)   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Still trying to move the vine a little bit every couple of days...   Tuesday, August 18 View Page Still got quite a nice shape!   Tuesday, August 18 View Page 202 inches OTT so estimated 191 lbs at 37 DAP :-)   Wednesday, September 2 View Page Pumpkin looks okay, wish I could say the same for the rest of the plant! Leaves are turning yellow, loads of blackfly & a lot of hungry caterpillars.   Wednesday, September 2 View Page It's 246 inches OTT so estimated weight 335 lbs at 52 DAP.   Thursday, September 24 View Page The plant has had it! Half the leaves have turned brown & are now lying on the dirt, & what leaves are left aren't far behind. Pumpkin looks sound, I just hope it stays like that for another 16 days. OTT = 261" which makes it just about 400lbs, at 74 DAP. So not very impressive compared to most people on this site, but it's definitely a PB! :-D   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Bought some lifting straps, got a mate to weld up a lifting ring & borrowed a winch, some scaffolding & some pallets...   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Glad to see the bottom was sound!   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Waiting for my mates to turn up so it can be stretchered out of the polytunnel.   Wednesday, October 14 View Page All we had to do was cut a hole in next door's fence, carry it across her garden (thanks Jean!), & get me mate to hi-ab it over her fence.   Wednesday, October 14 View Page .. and into the back of the van. I love it when a plan comes together! :-)   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Good fun taking a pumpkin to a weigh-off for the first time - here she is just about to meet the scales.   Wednesday, October 14 View Page 421 lbs - really wasn't expecting to take 4th place, obviously I'm thrilled to bits with that result!!   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Here's Ian & Stewie's just about to hit the scales - congratulations on such an impressive pumpkin, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them being SOOO CLOSE to a PB & another UK record!   Wednesday, October 14 View Page Had a great day meeting the other growers; BIG THANKS to everyone who made it all possible :-D