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Midway, UT

Worst hail storm I've ever seen. 2 inches of hail on the ground. It even broke healthy 1" tree branches. No power right now but I can see every leaf is completly gone. Welcome to growing in Colorado. I was 19" ahead of last years PB. Wish I could have seen what it could have done. I worked really hard this year and I'll be back. Lots of time for patch prep time for next year.

7/21/2009 12:44:56 AM

Colorado

very sorry to hear Jamie. The storm passed us to the south. Only got some rain and wind.

7/21/2009 1:03:41 AM

Littleton, Colo

ahhhh sh*@ !!

7/21/2009 1:04:25 AM

Midway, UT

Not confirmed yet but in addition to the hail we might have had tornado too. That would explain the horizontal flying hail and completly changing wind direction in just 1 minute.

Went out into the patch and everything is gone except for the pumpkin and it looks like the surface of the moon.

7/21/2009 2:54:51 AM

Long Island,New York

My condolences....refresh, prepare for next year, kick as_.

7/21/2009 6:20:28 AM

Cincinnati, OH

I feel your pain, i'm hanging on a thread myself.
What is with all the storms in Coloado this year? During my last visit there in June you guys had 6 inches of hail from one storm. CRAZY!!!

7/21/2009 7:00:41 AM

Pataskala,OH

Im an aspiring Weatherman and I know Colorado gets alot of hail natuaraly because of the mountains. Your pretty much garanteed to get at least one hail storm a year. Next year get some hail netting or it may happen again.

7/21/2009 7:35:07 AM

Pataskala,OH

http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=hailfacts

7/21/2009 7:36:54 AM

Johnston, R.I.

bummer

7/21/2009 8:01:56 AM

Glosta

Sorry to hear that. I've been to colorado springs twice and both times they had some pretty nasty thunderstorms just pop up. They were worse than any others I have ever experienced.

Well next year you'll be ready to go and with a vengeance.

7/21/2009 8:26:24 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Jamie.....sorry to hear of your patch....coming into work and seeing 6 inches worth of leaves piled everywhereZ....Hail still melting on the ground still 3" deep in places.....Like a war ZOne....Colorado iZ beautiful but thiZ weather is Crap! Jamie.......Sorry for your losses....ThereZ plenty of green mulch now laying around...D@mn! ...TIme to clean up.....and replant the veggie garden.....

7/21/2009 8:37:34 AM

[email protected]

It's gotta be frustrating. All that work, and hail. Sorry to hear that.

7/21/2009 8:44:35 AM

Cincinnati, OH

I lived in Colorado Springs for 10+ years. In all that time, I never experienced a year with so many hail storms as you guys have recieved this year. I do however, recall a hail storm with larger than golf ball hail, like the dummy I was (hey, I was just 17 so it was predictable) I decided to try and go out in it and collect stones armed with a garbage can lid over my head. The lid proved to be a small coverage of protection when one hit my arm. OUCH! No more collecting hail.

7/21/2009 9:05:52 AM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

Jamie Sorry for your loss, On the way home last night I got a lot of rain hail wind near Brighton exit I-25.

I would plant a vegie garden in its place. Beans would add nitro into the soil.

Again sorry.

7/21/2009 10:19:10 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Pumpkinator, when was that? I lived in the Springs for 17.5 years, and I remember a couple of really ugly hailbits while there. The '92 storm that crawled over Monument ridge and dropped shrapnel golfballs then ringers and I needed 5 stitches... then the one that rolled hail over 8' thick into Union/Austin Bluffs and buried people in cars.

Uggy on the weather you've had up there this year, I am SO glad I'm not there trying to grow anything.

Dang Jamie and I hope you have it come back enough to keep it going. If the roots are still there, those plants are incredible.

7/21/2009 11:00:00 AM

Fresno, CA

That stinks. You've made such a great resource with pumpkinlink.com. I hope your next year is so great it makes up for the lost year.

7/21/2009 12:06:10 PM

Washington

Don't give up totally! We had hail destroy our leaves one year and thought we were done, new growth came in. If the pumpkin is just dented, see what it does. Never give up until nothing is left. Good luck!

7/21/2009 12:29:56 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Sherry, his pumpkin looks like the moon....pic posted in my diary.....WOW...very sad to see...it hurtZ.....

7/21/2009 12:35:20 PM

Falls City, NE

Arvada hang in there I am trying to bring my plants back from the brink of distruction also. I had Quarter size hail twice. I feel your pain lets hope 2010 holds something better for all of us.

7/21/2009 1:32:46 PM

[email protected]

Jamie
That sucks the big one, What a pounding, seen your pic,

7/21/2009 2:01:04 PM

Indiana

Jamie,
I am very sorry to see your picture. That is by far the worst I have ever seen. Unlike Sherry, I think it would be more a waste of time to try and salvage that. Give it a couple days, but it looks to me that you should begin your patch prep early. I am very sorry to see that has happened to you.

On the bright side, you will have more spare time to do some other things you enjoy.

Tom

7/21/2009 2:13:27 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Sorry to hear it Jamie, just saw the pictures.....hard to believe...again sorry to hear it.

7/21/2009 2:13:54 PM

sorry to see this. looks like a cattle drive went thru plants

7/21/2009 2:22:21 PM

hamilton,Ontario

Just saw your diary...sad m8.........................

7/21/2009 2:50:40 PM

Colorado Springs, Co ([email protected])

Jamie, very sad indeed, to say the very least! We had some as well but not nearly that bad. My new hail netting/shade cloth held true and not one piece hit my plants. I ordered a 20 x 24 piece and it was 123 bucks shipping and all. email me and i will give you the link. That is about the worst i have ever seen pictures of. Very sorry my friend.

7/21/2009 2:53:02 PM

Washington

Wow, thanks for posting the pic, Wiz. Jamie, I am soooooooo sorry. I didn't realize how bad it was. Tom is right, looks like nothing to salvage. I can't imagine that kind of hail storm. Take care! Sherry

7/21/2009 3:04:45 PM

Liberal Kansas, USA

Hate that to happen to you and your pumpkins, sorry man.

7/21/2009 4:00:23 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Jamie,

Now you can start that winter rye crop earlier to booost next yearZ production when you KICK BIZ's Butt......

7/21/2009 4:31:23 PM

Sparta, NC

Sorry to see the damage to your patch, now you can look forward to next year and get patch prep started.

7/21/2009 4:47:06 PM

Williamsburg,KY

Jamie, you surely have my sympathy, a real bummer for sure. There's always next year, thats what most gardeners say. Stevann Fraley

7/21/2009 6:07:33 PM

Midway, UT

Thanks everyone. I don't have power yet but I heard from a neighbor that there was a confirmation of a tornado. House is fine with only minor damage but the destruction in the patch was complete. All the vines, although buried were uncovered by the heavy rain/hail and are shredded. Only the stumps don't look destroyed. Just to see what plant will do I'm going to see if anything will grow but I have no expectations for a pumpkin this year. I'll probably start my patch prep the beginning of August. Thanks again for everyones support. Growers are the best!

7/21/2009 6:20:22 PM

ordinary,VA

Jamie man im so sorry to hear about the loss of your pumpkins......i know you will be back in full force next year................

7/21/2009 7:27:37 PM

Riverton, WY

Oh man, sorry to hear about that hail....& that pic in your diary sure tells the tale. That's a real bummer to put that much effort into it and to have it wiped out in that short a time period. I feel for you.

Would be interesting to see if you can get something out of those stumps, even if it's only a few feet out....maybe get a cross you were looking for and a pumpkin for the kids at halloween.

7/22/2009 12:22:38 AM

Murfreesboro, TN, USA

Heck, I don't know what to say. I can certainly understand the frustration. This hobby is not just a couple of weeks in the summer, but an entire year or blood, sweat, and now tears. I am sorry, but if we can all learn something from this sobering experience is that when we think we have done just about everything right there is a sucker punch thrown in from the side that we didn't anticipate.

7/22/2009 7:44:43 AM

Midwest

Jamie, what a terrible loss. Saw the picture. Sobering experience is right. Come back and kick butt.

7/22/2009 8:08:31 AM

Cincinnati, OH

I hope your roof did not suffer like your patch. I wish you luck on that inspection. Maybe someone should sell Pumpkin Insurance.
Okie, I lived in the Springs from 1974-1984. I was there for the great Christmas Eve Blizzard. Remember that one? I worked at he Broadmoore and it took 7 hrs. to make it home. And I still had to walk three miles through snow drifts up past my waste. By morning we had 36 inches of snow and drifts were up to the rooftops.

7/22/2009 8:31:11 AM

Mulino, Oregon

Jamie, perhaps you should follow the Wiz to Oregon. There's always room for more! Sorry to see the destruction.

Jim

7/22/2009 4:40:52 PM

Eastern Washington State

Oh man! It's a shame the season ended early for you, but I'm glad you and your family are safe. Mother nature can sure kick butt. This may seem insensitive, but my spin on this is that you really finished with style! That was the most impressive picture of a giant pumpkin patch I've seen yet this year.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=113502

You should get a prize for "most impressive ending" or something like that. Rocky Balboa said something like "It's not how hard you hit, its how hard you can TAKE a hit and still move forward. That's how winning is done!" 2010!

7/22/2009 5:52:48 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Pumkinator, 84 I was in Minneapolis. Missed that one.

Jamie, you come down this way, we got a special award for you. I will make sure of that. "Blaze of Glory" or something like that...cashing out in style. Weighoff is the 17th of Oct.

7/22/2009 8:11:39 PM

Midway, UT

I've got some free time now so I'll try to swing by OkieGal. Went to Topsfield last year and had a good time. Told a grower in the Pacific Northwest that if he has a massive one I'll head that way this year. I'll bet Oklahoma is nice mid-October.

Brian - This morning I decided to measure the 1350 pumpkin this morning and to my amazement it had put on three inches. I had measured that pumpkin two hours before the storm hit and somehow through the scars it is still putting on pounds. I'll continue to nurture it from time to time in the hopes of getting some seeds. The 1350 Starr x 1566 Rodonis cross I think could be a good one. I figure if it can continue to grow after that kind of devestation it deserves to be planted again. I think I'll name it HailBoy. Wiz says if it can make it to the weigh-off I've got an excellent shot at ugliest pumpkin. Lol

7/22/2009 11:39:50 PM

Eastern Washington State

Blaze of Glory - Perfect name OkieGal!


Jamie - I agree with the Wiz. Take it to the weighoff! However, you might have to list it as 'slightly damaged'. lol.

7/23/2009 1:34:17 PM