2000 PGPGA Patch Updates

Larry and Gerry Checkon

Season officially started for the defending world champ on Wednesday, April 26 with the starting of the Eaton 1009.5 seed. In 60 hours, the 1009.5 poked through the soil!! Just 60 hours.. Wow.. Also started 4 Checkon 815 seeds on May 1st. A temperature controlled box is used by Larry and Gerry that keeps the seeds at a constant 82 - 85 degrees. No pictures as of yet, stay tuned...

May 7th - I just now put the Eaton 1009 outside as the long range forecast is for warm weather, and at 10 days since germination it was already getting pot bound in its 1/2 gal.

May 15th- Had frost here last night, low 29. Current temp at 10PM is 35 and expecting low in mid 20's tonight. Still have very small temporary shelters on the 3 plants which are easier to triple cover than the full size ones, but will switch to full size shelters tommorrow. Barb, please send a little Florida heat this way.....

May 23rd- I have taken pictures of plants and the patches.. Click on them to see what the season has brought me so far..
Our patch picture is inclusive of the two large cloches which house Gerry's 815, and my 815, along with the small cloches being temporary housing for the Long Guords and Watermelon. My 815 developed splits on the sides of the vine, so I have used a backup 815 and replaced my original one, and I should be fine. The darker colored soil on the far end is the higher pH fill soil where Gerry grew her Moonie. Patch is layed out the same as last year.
The secondary patch is home to the Eaton 1009(which is doing extremely well), and also if you look in the bottom right corner, you can see the giant onions. The Eaton plant was put out May 7th, and this picture was taken on May 20th.

June 12th- Finally some good growing weather. Gerry's 815 now 64" with large leaves. My 815, a backup plant now 50" but really coming along. It has a split stem, just like last year. I think that makes them mad or something. The Eaton 1009 now 10', gained 12" since yesterday and has side vines over 3' now. Very green and healthy looking. Last year on this date, vines were about 7' on all 3 plants. Lots of cuc beetles now and 1 or 2 squash bugs.

June 29th- The 1009 was pollinated on June 23rd, and is growing daily, baseball size on the 26th.. Gerry will be pollinating her Checkon 815 today, and I will be doing the same in a few days after that... Perfect growing conditions now, with the temps and rainfall just right.. Just spoted 2 SVB's in the patch, the first of these I have seen in 2 years... I have battled cuke beetles into submission, very few seen now..

July 7th- THIS UPDATE WAS GIVEN IN LATE JUNE BY THE CHECKONS, MY APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY…..MORE TO COME SHORTLY, I AM BACK FULLTIME NOW!! ROCKY…. The fruit on the 1009 which was pol. 6/23 is now baseball size. It can be seen in this photo and has 6 lobes. Gerry will be pollinating a fruit in 3 days and my 815 in about 8 or 9 days. Perfect growing conditions now with temp and rainfall just right. Here is a picture of the entire patch, the Long Gourds in the middle - right - and mine and Gerry's 815's on each side of the garden….

August 17th- It has been tough this year. Gerry's plant has developed stump rot but is hanging on although it has lost half of it's leaves. The other 815 (Clonker) and the Eaton 1009 (Steady Eddie) are still OK. My 815 plant looks very healthy. All 3 have fruit around the 600# mark now but weather has again turned very cool.

Tony Ciliberto

I have 3 plants this year, the Lloyd 935, Geerts 946.5, and the Eaton 780. The 946.5 is growing nicely, 5 ft main so far, and will be grown in its own patch, measuring 30 X 60. The Lloyd 935 and the Eaton 780 are planted about 10 ft from each other, in the middle of a patch that is 35 X 70, and will grow in opposite directions. All three will be grown using the Christmas tree style, and the only pruning I do is of tertiary vines, all secondaries stay on my plants.
This is one of my better starts, as the 946.5 and the 935 are both at 5 ft in length, and the 780, which is notorious for "small plant, large pumpkin", is chugging along, not too far behind the other two. Plants were started indoors a week earlier than usual, on April 17th. The method I used to start is one that I believe is almost foolproof.

1. Start seeds in a peat pot, but the trick is how you put the seed into the peat pot.
2. Len Stelpflug told me years ago that if you lay the seed nearly flat in the pot, instead of the traditional point down method, it will shuck the seed coat in the soil, and the possible problem of helping the plant get going by doing it yourself and ripping off a cotyl leaf is eliminated.
3. As the plant germinates, the tap root comes out from the shell, and immediately shoots downward. As it does, the next day or two, the roots strengthen, and then it is time for the plant to start its ascension.
4. Thats when the seed starts to push up, but with a turn as it tries to straightenup. This is whenthe seedcoat pops off, and stays in the soil, and the only thing that comes up out of the ground is your cotyl leaves..

In closing, this looks to be one of my better years so far, cloches came down 2 weeks ago, and tomorrow is supposed to reach near 90 degrees. With a constant fertilizer program, and the nice rains we have been getting here in Wilkes-Barre, it is so far, so good - as they say..

August 5th- Getting into the season, I have three plants, of which my 946 Geerts is doing the best. 4 weeks old on August 5th, it is a 5 lober that estimates at 196 pounds.
The Loloyd 935 is a terrific plant with 2 females on it, one at 14 ft out on the main, 3 weeks old and 48" in circumference. That is the main vine, and I have one more on a side vine that is for insurance purposes.
My Eaton 780 is the nicest looking plant, very healthy. The biggest problem I have with this plant is the darn stems are only 1- 1.5 inches in length, si it is nearly impossible to turn. With this problem in mind, I decided to experiment and take my 14 ft main vine set fruit, and with the inablility to turn her, I cut the main vine right off after the fruit. The pumpkin is 2 weeks old with a 29 " circ.

James Cramton

I'm growing 449 Reynolds 1999 in my patch, and it's doing well. I'm actually germinating some 290 Rockwell 1999 UOW seeds that Rocky sent me. If the 424 Cramer 1999 I just culled and transplanted to a friend's yard doesn't survive the move, we'll be sowing the 290 there. I used the naked seed germination method, and one of the 2 seeds germinated in less than 24 hours; it's just now pushing through the surface in a peat pot. The other 290 seed hasn't germinated in 3 days, although that one was the runt of the litter, so I'm not too surprised.
Ongoing

I'm growing 449 Reynolds 1999 in my patch, and 424 Cramer 1999 in a friend's yard across town. I post new photos and updates weekly at http://www.cramton.com/u sers/james/pumpkins/. My online grower diary is at BigPumpkins.com

Mark Elsbree

Mark has started a wide variety of quality seeds for 2000, as he expanded his patch by almost 2000 sq ft this year. Mr. Elsbree has started the following seeds... Kline 1036.5, Checkon 815 and 700, Sproule 968, Mettler 865, Patrick 760, Rockwell 290, Mettler 974 and the Mombert 937. Pics to follow soon..

May 15th- Stopped by Mark's patch today and snuck a picture of Mark's "4000 +" square foot patch, in which he has several of the above mentioned plants going, most in the 3 leaf stage. Mark had nearly 100 percent germination, all but the Kline 1036.5 came up...

June 6th- Mark's patches are starting to be filled up with running vines from his plants, all of which are doing well except for the Checkon 815, which is kinda just hanging there.. Mark's son Ethan has a double planted hill with a Patrick 760 and a Checkon 700, which is looking real good, considering the cold rainy weather we have had.. All the cloches are off now, and wind breaks are the only man made thing in the patch now..

July 7th- With 6 plants in, the Mombert 937 is looking super, with my sons Checkon 700 doing good for him…. A nice recovery from some cuke beetles and squash bugs early due to a business trip, but patch is filling up nicely now, and I am pollinating quite a few each day…. The Mettler 865 is not doing that bad, but the Checkon 815 is kind of just hanging around, not much action…..

August 18- I regret to inform my fellow members of the PGPGA and other esteemed colleagues that my season is over. Whether it was a plant that never grew all that well (Checkon 815), or my nice fruit on the Mombert plant that went down to a rib split, it just wasnt going to be this year. Thankfully the kids plants are still alive and well, hopefully they will make a nice showing at our local Northern Tier Giant Pumpkin Grower's Association weigh off. Ethan's plant is a Checkon 700 and has a beautiful one on it, not overly big, but he will be proud to take it to the weigh off! Time to turn to the keeper of the seeds and start planning on next years strategy.

Marv and Patty Hicks

Marv and Patty have started 2000 out with 2 great seeds for the pumpkins, and some great watermelon seeds too! Marv started soaking the Checkon 815 and the Andersen 977 on May 2nd, and is potting them on May 3rd. Patty is growing seeds from Art Franeks 189 pounder from '97. She started germinating April 4th. and has several nice plants growing under grow light in basement.

May 14th- I moved the 815 to the patch on Monday, May 8th before the first true leaf had opened. The 977 failed to germinate so I started a 914 Wentzel that germinated on May 9th. It will go in the patch in the next few days. I just finished running extension cord for a light in the 815 shelter as a heat source, to help me through the cold spell forecasted this week.

June 11th- The 815 Checkon was a flat vine but I pinched one tip and it seems it is now converted to single vine but still shows some double tendencies such as two tendrils or two blossoms at some junctions. It passed the 5 foot mark today (30 inches growth over the past 4 days) and regardless of the difficulties associated with flat vines, I've now committed myself to growing this plant. The 914 Wentzel was put in the patch May 22, 14 days after the 815 and is now at two foot main vine and starting to take off.

No sign of cuke beetles, squash bugs, or svb so far.

July 7th- THIS UPDATE WAS GIVEN IN LATE JUNE BY MARV HICKS, MY APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY…..MORE TO COME SHORTLY, I AM BACK FULLTIME NOW!! ROCKY…. .

June 23rd: .

815 Checkon- main vine is at 13 ft. opened it's first males. Also found the first females, twins side by side at 12 feet. A very strong healthy plant. The double vine concerns me, but I'm still committed to seeing this one Through.

914 Wentzell- Nearing 8ft main and showing daily wilting. I do not believe it to be bacterial wilt but am keeping a very close eye on it. I really wanted to grow this seed so I'm hoping everthing turns out ok with it. .

745 Hicks- Healthy plant with tall leafstalks, and ten ft. main. The first female showed a few days ago on this one. The 745 started as a double like the 815 but it seems I was more successful in converting this one to single. This one is doing really well but does not have the space allowance as the other two plants, this may change depending on the 914's health over the next week or so.


July 10th - 815 Checkon- The 815 is still healthy but gets wilder each day. I did some surgery on the tip about a week ago and it has since started to spiral. I pollinated a 4 lobe fruit on the main 7/6. It is the only one that has had a decent vine position and is located before the vine starts getting flatter. I pollinated a mutant on the main***Inside*** today 7/8 and also a 6 lobe on a side vine. I'm thinking the side may be my best shot for this year.

914 Wentzell- The 914 is doing a little better since the secondary root system has taken hold but it is still way behind with no females showing yet. I have been able to at least use it as a pollinator and I'm happy to get that much from it. .

745 Hicks - The 745 has totally shut down.

Marv Meisner

I started my seeds on Sunday April 30. I give some away and so I planted 15 or them. I place them in potting soil in a large box using opotting mix and have a heating pad underneath and saran wrap on top to hold the moisture in. One of my own seeds, Meisner 454 from last year had sprouted by Wednesday morning and had grown so fast that the root had lifted the rest of the seed two inches into the air. I've never seen that before, Other seeds include the Checkon 815, Checkon 1190 and Patrick 947, all PGPGA seeds. The 454 is a cross between the Lloyd 935 and seed from a Greer 1006/Zehr 1061 cross. I will grow two plants at home and three with Galen Helsel at his place. We started a new growing site there. High hopes!!!

July 7th- My vines are doing well. The 454 plant is out to about 12 feet and the 815 is about 10 feet. More side vines on the 454. I am having trouble getting any females to survive. They are drying up and falling off. Bad weather and bad luck. I won't have any pumpkins set at this point but still have high hopes. Should have one in about a week. Many females are starting on the side vines. That is not where I want to be but may end up there.

Dale Mellott

Today I planted the Womper (Checkon 1190) and the Rose 715.5 out into the patch. I'm using calf hutches [baby cow pens] for thermal and wind protection. My garden is appox 40x60 ft. I use doubled snow fence for early wind protection till the mammouth sunflowers tower over. My soil is very organic, I applied 7 pk-up loads of manure I scraped out of the barnyard last fall. In the sping I applied 2 pk-up loads of vintage cow poop ,a big ol pile of composted maple leaves, and grass clippings.
Then soil tested and came up w/7.9 PH [not good]. I then applied 40 pounds of ferrus sulfate, this got me @ about 7 or lower I then added 40 pounds of Milorganite and tilled probably about the 10th time this sping. More to follow in a few weeks!

May 22nd- Here are two pics from Dale Mellott's patch taken today.One shows Dale's Womper plant which is looking nice and the other shows Dale's patch and the calf pens he uses as shelters.

June 12, 2000- The womper (1190 Checkon) started out with a double vine so I pinched off one of them, it seems to be ok, it's kind of bunchy, but the main is moving, the 715.5 rose is starting to run - it is out approx. 20 inches, and looks healthy, although every thing is really greening up since the sun has been shining. Saw first cuke beetle yesterday, stepped up with sevin application.

I'm working on a new type off mister ,its called a Wobbler with a gold orface, I tried one but it wasn't enough, so I'm getting another. Cost 6 bucks and can change orfaces so it can be converted to a high output sprinkler.

July 11, 2000- I pollinated the 1st two on the 1190 on july 4, A 6 lober on the main and a 4 lober on a side,very agressive plant,now have 5 on it pollinated,vines out 18' and sides are right up there w/ the main as far as length,fruits are green at 1st,then slowly changing color.The Rose 715.5,I just pollinated this morning(7-9-00) w/the 1190, this was a 6 lober,slow growing plant but has a very healthy green color to it,the fruit is yellow,so i'm keeping an eye on the shapes and colors of fruits in there infant stages this year, Been using very small amounts of fertilzers so far,NeptunesHarvest, Milorganite and a little Jack's, Classic.I will probably increase the amounts once the fruits get some size,like beachball.goodluck too all.

July 21- My 1190 is at 42" at 17 days this is on the main, I have another on a secondary that's at 34 at 15 days, The Rose was pollinated on the 9th is there but nothing like the Womper,its approx. 12" at 12 days. Looks like the 1190 is going to be cream and the Rose will be bright yellow.

Rocky Rockwell

May 3rd - Rocky has started 3 seeds, 2 on April 26 (Checkon 815 and Lloyd 935), and a third the following day (Eaton 1009.5). All three have germinated and seed coats were pulled this evening. I will be putting pots outside for next few days as we are expecting some high 70's and low 80's over that time span. I am hoping the sun will keep the seeds from becoming tall and spindly..
Click here for a view of my 2000 patch taken on the night of May 3rd, and click here for a view of how I store the seeds during the night when I bring them inside.

May 7th - Finished rototilling the second patch, and got the Lloyd 935 and Checkon 815 into the ground today, both inside cloches in the main patch..

May 15th - I have upped my watering to almost a gallon per plant per day. The cloche is built with 6 mil contractors plastic sheeting, which refracts the sun a lot to ease the hardening a bit, but in the same thought, also helps keep any built up heat inside a bit longer. I am up to 3 true leaves on the 815 and the 935, while the injured 1009.5 slowly chugs along. I have the Checkon 700 still in a 4 inch peat in the same cloche as the 815, but will have to make a decision fast as to where this one is going, as the roots are poking through the bottom..

June 6th - The 935 and 815 seem to keep chugging right along, while the 1009.5 is slowly starting to grow, and the Checkon 700 (backup plant) is at the same 4 leaf stage as the 1009. Vines are at 4 ft for the 935, and around 3 ft for the 815, both of which I started burying after these pics for this update were taken.. If we could get out of this cold rainy snap, the plants will seemingly take off, but for now, 40 degree nights, combined with 55 degree days don't make for a great jump on the season as Marv Miesner so stated in an email tonite. Wind protection is up, cloches are down, now all I want is some warm weather Here is a pic of my wind protection, the left plant is the 815, and has just 3 - 5ft stakes in the ground with contractors plastic on it, while the 935 has my cloche, which is very heavy and staked into the ground as its wind protection. The hedgerow in the back provides for a northern protection from the winds, while the new temporary structures give me shelter from the main gusts which come from the west..



June 15th - I took some pictures last nite at around 10 oclock at the request of my canadian coutnerpart, Mr Rivard, and they turned out fantastic. I wanted to share them with you..

Checkon 815 is looking nice, but scaring me cause the first female I see is a very light green, not like the 935's first female, which is a bright as the sun yellow..

Lloyd 935 is healthy, and moving out after a very slow start. Rains and cold weather have been slowing things down, with no hot days to help absorb any of the rains up.. Here is a pic of the 935 from the front, showing you the side vines kinda starting out a bit.. the Main is at 8 ft, and the secondaries are closing in on 4 ft
Last is a pic of my first female from the 935, and your first view of the new world record pumpkin, weighing in right now at 3 grams or so.. .. First female on main is at 7.5 ft, and I have a few on secondaries, but no males..

The Eaton 1009.5 and the Checkon 700 slowly chug along, in a new patch that isnt quite up to snuff with AG nutrients. They have come along way in the past 2 weeks, so maybe something will happen here, who knows.. One will be pulled very soon, so it should help out the survivor..

July 7th- Here is the latest from the Rockwell patch…

Lloyd 935 - This plant is blowing tips, and I am not quite sure why. I am setting on average of 3 females a day on this one, but I have blown the tip on my main vine, so I am into secondaries with this plant..

Eaton 1009 / Checkon 700 - I transplanted the Checkon 700, and after 2 days of wilting, it seems to have come around.. The 1009 has very small vines, very short males, and makes me wonder… It was a double vine that finally split, so time will tell. I just would like to get a few for carving from these plants.. Here is a pic of the 1009/700 patch, with the 1009 closest, and the 700 in the opposite corner..

Checkon 815 - This seems to be the most sturdy of the plants, while it isnt setting females like the 935, it stays healthy, and chugs along… Females start out light green with dark stripes, but by baseball size, they are yellow.. Here is pic of my first female , 6 lober, set on the main 9 ft out..

August 13th - After a short hiatus from the puter world, my update is as follows! The Checkon 815 is the world's most wonderful plant, large leaves, very tall, aggressive as heck, and right now I sit with a fruit that estimates at 478 pounds and measurements of 125-81-79=285"OTT. I do have a major problem with it though, a massive catastrophic stem split has created a 4 inch hole from the top to bottom of my stem. I am treating with captan paste and hoping for the best.
The 935 is not nearly the plant I had expected, but is setting some nice fruit, of which I have left 4 secondary fruit to grow. All 4 are in the 150-200 pound range and will make nice display pumpkins.
The 1009 Eaton plant is a very low plant, of which I have a 3 lobe fruit set on the first secondary from the stump, only 1 ft out from the stump itself! It is over 100 pounds, and suprised me to get this far.
The Checkon 700 is the sister of the 815, and is just as nice a plant. I transplanted this one, and it took extremely well considering the size when it was transplanted. 3 fruit on it , but both the 1009 and 700 plants are several weeks behind due to lack of soil prep in this secondary patch. Next year.... Next year...

September 4th - With the season winding down, all I am doing now is sitting here, praying, hoping, that my pumpkins can hold on.. For all I know they could stand 4 months out thee, but having lost big ones in the past 2 years, I am a nervous Nellie..

Here are a few pics of my patches, and then a few of Kevin Brown's patch.. Kevin is a yearly top 3 finisher at the "other" pumpkin contest in upstate NY..

1. Pic of my 2 big 815 fruit.. upper fruit is 9 ft from main, and goes well over 700pounds now..
2. 2 - 815 fruit in front, u can see the basketball on the right fruit, and in background is a 935 fruit that is near 300 pounds..
3. this is the nice and very large stump on my 815 plant. The knuckle looking thing at the top of it is a second main vine.
4. this is two fruit in my secondary patch , the left being a Checkon 700 fruit, and the right being a Eaton 1009 fruit. Both are nearing 300 pounds.
5. here is an overhead shot of my second patch that houses my 1009 and 700 plants.
6. my 2 big fruit with the daily sunhuts over them..
7. Here is my 700+ fruit with my 2 super kids, Alex and Sam.. These are the same twopictured on my 879 squash 2 years ago, and they begged me to do the same type photo on this one…
8. The crack is stil holding, I cleaned all old captan off yesterday, and fan dried it, and then reapplied new captan to the stem today.. In the pic you can see the fan, a little hand held AA battery operated one…
9. This is a peek over the top of the outside of Kevin's patch at his big one.. It is over 800 pounds..
10. Here we see the big one of Kevin's from behind, Cantalouping started, beautiful color, and ribbing nicely..
11. This fruit is grown from his big 769 pounder a few years back that took second at Clarence in 97 I think. Very high shoulders, and low blossom end, but after seeing it, you know why I think this is a top 3 pumpkin at Clarence this year..

Rock Rivard

My season is ready to go. My main patch is tilled, mounds are made, etc. I have some seeds in the incubator right now. All have germed...780 Eaton, 835 McIntyre, 914 Wentzell, 897 McIntyre, 539 Shaw and 655 McCallum. They should be ready to take out of the incubator tomorrow. They will be placed under lights then.

May 7th - Started the green side of the patch, got Andersen 815 and 2 Rockwell 879's going..

June 5th - Bad news today. Mr. Frost paid a visit and stayed! What bugs me is that all the plants were covered with 5 gal plastic buckets and 5 of the 13 plants still suffered extensive damage. The main patch was not hit at all because the huts are heated. Hopefully the bigger plants that were hit will be able to survive the attack...not all the leaves are damaged at this time. The smaller plants that were at 1st true leaf stage may not survive. Time will tell.

July 7th- pollenated three girls this morning.....here are the crosses I made.......835 x 914.......914 x 780 and 780 x 780 (sib) Things taking a turn for the better here in canada after that sneaky frost last month….


For the complete update, go to Rock RIvards website , located at http://www.pumpkinsontheweb.freeservers.com

Bryan and Patty Shaw

Everything is real slow here. We are hoping everything gets caught up since the weather is getting warmer. We are doing a 780 Eaton, 801.5 Stelts, 914 Wentzell, 815 Checkon ( this checkon was started by the masters themselves and placed in my hands) Of course, the Checkon is doing the best. It was touched with pumpkin royalty. Others are doing fine too.

Scott Werking

Well, it's time to suck it up here in South Central, PA. The pucker factor is way up..... Just lost the lower half of the Checkon 1190 plant due to either a squash vine borer or a disease just as bad. Fortunately it was the lower half of the main and my pumpkin is on the 1st primary out the left side. 264 OTT, pol on 7-3 with the Checkon 815. Nothing outstanding but a steady grower. Same pumpkin with huge stem splits. 815 Checkon doing quite well at 291 OTT, pol. 7-4 with the 1190. Soft spot on stem. Hope it stays together till Oct.7. 894 Geerts (squash) planted late as a back up but has been pouring it on at 5-8" OTT daily over the last 2 weeks. 242 OTT, pol. 7-8 with the 1190. ( a definite candidate for the ugliest pumpkin/squash).