Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 34 Entries. Sunday, February 28 View Page Alright, 1st giant season seeds are in! 296.5 Barber and a 128 White for melons as well as 2 26" Hodge sunflower seeds from Mikkal Very excited to start my season and experiment down here in Orlando FL. Any tips or suggestions for my setup is well appreciated.   Sunday, February 28 View Page Day 1 of my first giant season! 296.5 Barber and a 128 White in the front as well as 2 26" Hodge sunflower seeds in the back. Thank-you to everyone especially Sue for all of the helpful information.   Wednesday, March 2 View Page Just starting to pop up. The 296.5 decided to grow upside down so I had to be walked through on how to flip it. Was successful nonetheless   Saturday, March 5 View Page Day 7 and they're looking good.   Friday, March 11 View Page Day 13 They look good with first true leafs coming in. You can also see that one of the 26"Hodge sunflowers came up. Not too sure about the other one.   Wednesday, March 23 View Page 296.5 Barber in the ground.   Wednesday, March 23 View Page 128 White in the ground   Wednesday, March 23 View Page 26" Mikkal sunflower in the ground.   Friday, April 8 View Page 296.5, not looking bad at all, for a first time that is.   Friday, April 8 View Page 128 white, slowly but surely   Monday, April 18 View Page .   Monday, April 18 View Page .   Saturday, April 30 View Page 296.5, not too bad. Found some leaf miners on the 128 White though and treated.   Saturday, April 30 View Page 128 White, some leaf miners around the leaves near the stump. Treated with insecticides. Ignore the weeds, I promise I weeded. Lol   Saturday, April 30 View Page 26" Mikkal sunflower getting tall. Kind of blind shotting this plant, but doesn't seem like it's doing bad at all so far.   Sunday, May 1 View Page So I woke up this morning to the 128 White looks like this. Lots of the leaves seem to be having yellow splotches on it. I noticed it a bit last night when I sprayed for leaf miners, but figured that could have been the cause. I don't really think dehydration is the issue, as the 296.5 Barber is getting the same amount of water. I'm thinking a nutrient deficiency or disease is the cause. Any suggestions for this melon plant please e-mail me KeithLBPI@gmail.com   Monday, May 9 View Page Well my 296 is now showing the same signs on the leafs as the 128. Took it to the local state plant clinic, and they said it's powdery mildew. The 128i believe is far gone but I might be able to save the 296. Any tips?   Tuesday, May 10 View Page Finally built my new gate..   Tuesday, May 10 View Page Goodbye 128.. We shall try you again soon. Hope this 296 pulls through   Thursday, May 12 View Page Well, since my current plant isnt looking promising decided to start more seeds. Even if these do well probably won't make it to competition. That okay. Back right is 209 Neptune, front right is 127 white front left is 296 Barber and back left is just my temperature regulator. Let's see how this goes... Season 1 attempt 2   Saturday, May 14 View Page 296. Had to take a few leaves off that were diseased. Plant looks weird now lol   Saturday, May 14 View Page First female on the main.   Saturday, May 14 View Page 26hodge sunflower doing well. About 9 ft has a main blossom as well as 2 smaller ones. To keep or get rid of the smaller ones? I assume get rid of.   Saturday, May 14 View Page Time for more daconil   Sunday, May 15 View Page Must have "melon fever" because Ive been up researching on what I can buy and do better for next season and I don't even have a melon set LOL. Goinng on 4 am......   Saturday, May 21 View Page Plants coming up within a week........ Maybe next season.   Saturday, May 21 View Page .   Saturday, May 21 View Page See the spots on the leaves? Besides the rest being dead, this is the nicest looking leaf.   Saturday, May 21 View Page From the stump forward, all that empty space is where infected leaves are. It's just moving up the vine.   Monday, May 30 View Page Well rookie season was a bust but I'm not giving up. 2017 I hope to hit my goal of atleast a 50lb melon. Going all in, I'm determined to get something. Good luck to all for this season and weigh offs! Hoping to show up to one.   Wednesday, June 1 View Page Root system on 296..not much to speak of. They went about 3 feet to 4 feet out. Other than there not being many they look normal.   Wednesday, June 1 View Page Stump of the plant. All that cracking is worry some. Opened it up to see if any insects or larvae were possibly In it. Nothing, looked normal inside. Maybe it is just a nutrient deficiency. Sending a test out next Monday.   Saturday, June 11 View Page Just got my soil test back. Any thoughts for it? Keep in mind it's for melons even though it says AG report.   Sunday, July 31 View Page Only have the nitrogen to spread down then it's time for the mustard cover crop! Got the trifecta. Following a lot of the advice of other users on here including Ron W