Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 76 Entries. Saturday, January 21 View Page That’s it, apart from a few for ourselves all the 2907 seeds are gone.   Saturday, January 28 View Page I took one of the 2907 clones to a very special laboratory where Jo Hillman is going to attempt to micro propagate it. It was a 400 mile 8 hour road trip but well worth it because the plant couldn’t be in better hands.   Saturday, January 28 View Page By the time I was home Jo had started and this is what was left of the mother plant.   Saturday, January 28 View Page This is the plant material ready to be dissected.   Saturday, January 28 View Page Jo managed to extract around 15 axillary buds which is way more than I expected.   Saturday, January 28 View Page The buds were then sterilised. Jo told me that the buds were exceptionally good for the time of year. This is definitely down to the good growing tent with artificial and natural light.   Saturday, January 28 View Page The buds were then put into individual jars. We should know within about a week if there is any infections. I spent 3 hours talking to Jo and it’s highly skilled work. There’s loads of detail that I can’t include but I’m sure you’ll get the gist of it. It’s all cutting edge for the world of giant pumpkin growing but you have to start somewhere.   Friday, February 24 View Page This is one of the clones being divided up. The callous caused by the cytokines in the media is being cut away. The plants are being transferred into new jars with the aim of encouraging root initials by mid March. Jo has named the bottles IPP3000. I’ll let you work that one out   Tuesday, March 21 View Page The media has been changed to one that encourages roots and look what’s happened. They are looking anaemic partly because this has never been done before and feeding is a steep learning curve. The other reason is that they are totally under artificial lights. A few plants were potted today into 9cm shallow pots and once rooted will be gently moved into the natural environment. We may well have to get a little inventive with slowing down or speeding up the plants to meet our planting plan.   Monday, March 27 View Page And we’re off, they all got started at 30C or 90F yesterday.   Wednesday, April 5 View Page Everything got planted today apart from the IP3000 clone’s which should be with us early next week. These are the clones from cuttings   Saturday, April 15 View Page The 2 X IPP3000’s arrived safe and well last Tuesday   Saturday, April 15 View Page The are tiny little things compared with some of the seedlings but will be absolutely fine. The two plants were planted on the 13th which thankfully was not a Friday   Thursday, April 27 View Page The IPP3000’s have coloured up nicely.   Wednesday, May 3 View Page The lab clone is on the left and to cutting clone is on the right.   Wednesday, May 3 View Page Another couple of clones with the small one being the lab one.   Wednesday, May 3 View Page This is a 1885 Werner   Wednesday, May 3 View Page And another Werner   Wednesday, May 3 View Page A 2365 Wolf   Wednesday, May 3 View Page And another Wolf. So we will be looking at our perfect lineup.   Wednesday, May 3 View Page Finally we’re running and 2907 clone down the centre of the house for pollinating   Tuesday, May 23 View Page It’s time for a little update on how things are going and it’s going well. This is an 1885 Werner looking good and the first pollination was done a few days ago.   Tuesday, May 23 View Page This is another 1885 which will be ready for pollination in a few days time.   Wednesday, May 24 View Page A 2365 Wolf looking good. It’s the usual cat and mouse game chasing the nitrogen at the moment. Each plant has had about 20oz calcium nitrate every 5 days at the moment.   Wednesday, May 24 View Page Another 2365 looking a little fatter and nearly ready for pollination. There’s no doubt that some plants need more available nitrogen than others. I forgot to say that the last plant has had the first pollination a couple of days ago.   Wednesday, May 24 View Page Both 2907 clones have been a little apical dominant but are beginning to settle down. This is the one from a cutting.   Wednesday, May 24 View Page This is IPP3000 and looking good   Wednesday, May 24 View Page Us being us we have put a few backups in just incase.   Wednesday, May 24 View Page This is a pollinating 2907.   Wednesday, May 31 View Page Absolutely perfect Nitrogen looks like this, but getting it right is witchcraft.   Tuesday, June 6 View Page This is what we’re looking for.   Wednesday, June 7 View Page DAP17 the Werner B X 2907 clone is looking good.   Saturday, June 10 View Page Thanks to Joe Alits last year we changed the habit of a lifetime and instead of measuring every Monday we measure every 10 days starting from day 20. This makes his life easier for number crunching. The silly numbers have started already. The first 1885 got measured today and she’s 20lbs in front of our 2656 and just 11lbs behind our 2907. The first wolf will be measured on Monday and it’s big, real Big.   Sunday, June 11 View Page DAP15 for the Wolf A and looking superb. The Wolf B is on DAP20 tomorrow and I can say that it’s our biggest ever.   Monday, June 12 View Page The Wolf A has very tall leaves and started to fall over which is a new one on us. It means that we will have to wade into the plant and tie some up which is a real pain.   Monday, June 12 View Page The Wolf B has had an amazing first 20 days and is 217lbs. Our fastest ever was the 2907 which was 188lbs so hang on to your hats.   Tuesday, June 13 View Page This is the first of the clones looking absolutely gorgeous. Between us for the last six weeks it’s been a minimum of 6 hours a day in the patch and when it’s 35C or 105F it’s gruelling to say the least.   Friday, June 16 View Page DAP20 the Werner B hit194lbs and is a great shape.   Friday, June 16 View Page DAP20 the Wolf A is an absolute beast at 203lbs. So as everyone loves numbers we have DAP’s 20 217lbs, 203lbs, 194lbs and 177lbs Our 2907 was 188lbs Our 2659 was 157lbs Our 2593 was 106lbs I could go on but you probably get the picture. All of our plants apparently are in a very happy place at the most critical time of year; cell division and cell expansion.   Wednesday, June 21 View Page DAP30, the Werner B is not going to set our patch on fire but she still has the potential to be very big. Yesterday she was 599lbs and averaged 42lbs a day for the last 10.   Friday, June 23 View Page Yesterday DAP30 our 3365 was 727lbs and averaged 51lbs for the last 10 days.   Friday, June 23 View Page We’ve had to measure the 2907 clone from a cutting 3 times this morning because even we can’t believe what she weighs. DAP20 she’s 281lbs so we are truly Warping and Bending nature.   Friday, June 23 View Page You have a little down time so got to fish my son Ben.   Friday, June 23 View Page Great fun fishing and all on lures   Sunday, June 25 View Page DAP30 the 1885A is 714lbs and averaged 52lbs a day for the last 10days. It’s probably going to stay white but will end up very big.   Monday, June 26 View Page DAP30 the 2356 is 668lbs and averaged 46lbs a day for the last 10days. Really, last year was the key for what’s about to happen now. This time last year we had pulled a plant for not pollinating. We had two pumpkins that turned into very respectable beasts which left three more. Out of these three two Werners were lost at way over WR pace. This left a big but but almost unnoticeable 1940 at 497inches which became the 2nd biggest pumpkin ever grown. The bottom line is that we had 3 pumpkins out of 6 that had a chance off breaking the WR. Conditions are the same this year but we have had a lot more sunny days this year.   Tuesday, June 27 View Page Just a couple of photos the first being the 2907 from a cutting. A fantastic pumpkin with a really long stem.   Tuesday, June 27 View Page And IPP3000 the lab clone looking as near as dam-it identical also with a very long stem.   Friday, June 30 View Page It’s DAP40 for our 1885 A and she’s doing okay at 1060lbs and averaging 46lbs a day for the last ten. She’s not the greatest shape for a beast but you never know when you might be very glad to have her. We are talking of well over 2000lbs and orange.   Saturday, July 1 View Page Every year pumpkin growers have to react to something new in their patch. So this year the Wolf A has really tall and very big leaves. We had no option but to wade through the plant and put a 4ft stake through every leaf.   Saturday, July 1 View Page On the other hand the 2907 clones are absolutely sensational plants with very short internodes. Both plants are identically strong and that’s why, despite having some cloudy days you will be astonished but tomorrows day 20 on the clone A. So just to chip in on the plants growing past the pumpkin; if you have the room it’s madness to terminate the growth at the pumpkin. At 1200 sqft we will typically have half the plant behind the pumpkin and half in front. That’s roughly 22 secondaries behind the plant ish. So why 22, well that’s because the first vine will be just about done by the end of the season. And why continue past the pumpkin? I’m sorry but I really don’t see why not as that part of the plant is in great shape at the end off year. It’s all about those last very important pounds. Put it this way; you get to the weight off and your pride and joy is 1999lbs Is that the point you wish you didn’t terminate at the pumpkin. Now I will add this. Stuart and I have become reasonable growers because we have been willing to change and in the future if terminating at the pumpkin is proven we will be the first to change. Good luck to you all, this is our time to shine. Ian   Sunday, July 2 View Page DAP40 the Wolf B is 1240lbs and averaged 51lbs a day for the last 10 days. That’s 1100lbs in 20 days! I’m not a big fan of the shape but there will be bigger in the patch.   Sunday, July 2 View Page IPP3000 is fantastic and on DAP20 is 256lbs which is again way over the 2907 and just behind the other clone. It has been very cloudy for some of the days which will have slowed growth a little. You get to here the DAP30 on the other clone tomorrow and all I can say there will be a few sleepless nights when you here how big she is.   Monday, July 3 View Page So first off all here is a root making its way from a Werner plant to a Werner plant. It’s heading under the walk boards. Don’t sell your pumpkins short and cut off at the pumpkin.   Monday, July 3 View Page Yesterday DAP30 the Clone B is an outrageous 833lbs and averaged 55lbs a day for the last 10 days. She’s 113lbs in front of the 2907 at day 30.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page We here we go with the 1885A, an all or nothing shape shifter. We’ve no real issues with her at the moment but statically it’s a 50/50 chance to get to the scales. She’s the biggest DAP40 in the patch at 1248lbs and averaged 53lbs a day for the last 10. We’ve also never seen a white pumpkin without a single cantaloupe mark at this stage of their growth. This makes it extremely easy to predict that she has the potential to be absolutely massive.   Thursday, July 6 View Page DAP40 and the blossom end of the Wolf has just pulled apart. At 1144lbs she had definitely the potential to break the world record. Chin up and get over it time.   Monday, July 10 View Page DAP50 the 1885 is 1384lbs and has averaged 32lbs a day for the last ten days.   Monday, July 10 View Page Unfortunately today we lost the clone from a cutting.   Monday, July 10 View Page Just a small crack on the main stem this time. That’s pumpkin growing for you.   Tuesday, July 11 View Page At 1302lbs at only day 38 you have to say that they are shocking statistics. For that reason we will keep the seeds. We didn’t keep the seeds from the Wolf A because there was clearly a problem that we prefer to attempt to keep out if the genetics. I’ve just come up with a wicked cross which is the Rodebaugh X the Clone. Food for thought   Wednesday, July 12 View Page Our Werner B sort of plodded along in the last ten days and DAP50 is 1478lbs   Wednesday, July 12 View Page IPP3000 has done very well and DAP just 30 is 783lbs averaging 53lbs a day for the last 10. Unfortunately she to has developed a small crack at the back of the stem. Our thoughts at the moment are that we may have to put the watering on timers next year perhaps watering every 2 or 3 hours. All of the roots are fantastic but there’s always room for improvement. The next 30days will be filled with sleepless nights buts that’s the same for us all.   Friday, July 14 View Page Unfortunately the Werner A became casualty number 3. The growth numbers had been low so we measured every couple of days to try and get an idea of what was going on. You can see the problem. To make matters even worse we’ve got some small splits appearing on our last clone. She’s been measured today and has averaged 80lbs a day for the last two.   Friday, July 14 View Page This is the crown of IPP3000. It’s the strongest I’ve ever seen and the plant is ridiculously good. We’re getting most things right for sure but warping and bending nature is not easy.   Saturday, July 15 View Page It turns out that Stuart had measured IPP3000 in the afternoon so a day and a half. I measured today and she’s averaging 65lbs a day so that’s fine.   Saturday, July 15 View Page Plants that look like this in the middle of July are exceptional.   Wednesday, July 19 View Page It had to happen. We lost the IPP3000 and our last chance of a WR this year. We took the seeds out of the first clone and they were all hollow but the seeds in IPP3000 look very good. The photo is off my really cool man cave.   Friday, July 21 View Page DAP60 is doing just fine at 1748lbs averaging 36lbs a day for the last ten days.   Saturday, July 22 View Page Here’s the photo of the 2365 for the last post. DAP60 she’s 1818lbs and averaged 34lbs a day for the last ten days.   Wednesday, August 2 View Page The Werner B had a slow last ten days but we might have added ten extra inches by mistake last time. She’s 1818lbs and doing well.   Wednesday, August 2 View Page The Wolf B will be a massive pumpkin and on DAP70 is 1979lbs averaging 16lbs a day for the last ten.   Sunday, August 20 View Page Well it’s just one of those years, we lost the Wolf. The Werner however is 2020 on day 80   Thursday, August 24 View Page Unfortunately we have also now lost the Werner so we’re right out of pumpkins this year which is a first for us.   Thursday, October 19 View Page This is one talented grower. I can’t believe he missed the WR by just 3lbs.   Saturday, November 18 View Page This is a first ever for us because we are desperate for some more perlite for the patch. We have 12 seeds left from our 2907 and are for the first time ever selling them for ourselves. I know people sell them all the time but we have always preferred to give them away. We have three seeds from this year’s pumpkins. 2020DMG 1885 Werner X 2907 2020DMG 2365 Wolf X 2907 1668 DAP48 & EST 1885 X 2907 If any clubs want a set please email me. The 2907 seeds will be £100 and I will put in a set of this years as backups.