The Waiting is the Hardest Part















And I swear I will never quote Tom Petty on this website again... but it's true.

That's the seed popping out of the ground after 3 days. But I've covered it up with more dirt, thinking deep roots are good roots.

My enthusiasm is tempered by the fear the deer are going to eat the plant no matter what I do. I've really got to get out and practice with the hunting bow.

The Secret of My Success















Not the model - come on, you know me better than that - the black package in her hands.

That's Norwegian Sea Kelp, which contains every plant nutrient known to man. Ok, I'm a cheapskate and mine is mere seaweed.

But seriously, this is the stuff the pros are all using as part of their fertilizer program. (Lee, let me know if you'd like some to try - just drop me an e-mail.)

Don't Just Stick a Seed in the Ground!















If you want to plant Marigolds, well that might be ok. But for a giant pumpkin, first you file the seed down. Water can get in easier, and the roots can get out too.















The next step is to soak it in seaweed extract for a few hours. But darn it, I happen to be fresh out of seaweed extract, so I used plain water.

(Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, and Pikes ought to be ashamed of themselves for not carrying such essential gardening supplies as seaweed extract. There's no excuse for that. I can only assume the others will SOON BE FOLLOWING PIKES INTO BANCRUPTCY.)

Nonetheless, the 1112 Holland 06 seed is now in the ground!

Gotta Have the Gear

It takes quite an irrigation system to keep a pumpkin happy. I may decide not to mist the plant six times a day this year though. I think it would still be legal despite the watering restrictions, but I may choose not to push it.

One thing I have pushed is Planting Day. I'm going to wait two or three days - I'm just not sure it's warm enough yet.

It Looks Like a Normal Seed

But that's just because you can't see the untamed fury that's about to be unleashed!

The seed for 2008 is the 1112 Holland 2006. That means that the noted grower Joel Holland grew a 1,112 pound pumpkin in 2006, and these seeds came from that fruit.

My pumpkin buddy Lee gave me these seeds (he's an excellent grower from south Georgia). Thanks a lot, Lee!

Pumpkin genetics is Very Serious Business. I know all 32 great great grandparents of this seed. Much more than I know about my own family tree, as my loving wife points out. It's got Bobier genes in its bloodline, as well as Chekon and Calai ancestors - of course.

Am I Losing My Edge?

Late at night. Just before dawn. That's when the doubt sets in.

Do I have what it takes to grow a monster? Or have I lost that burning desire that separates champions from wannabes?

I guess I'll find out starting April 20th, which is Planting Day.

The Year of Jemima

In the past, I've waited until I've pollinated a fruit before I officially named it. Not this year. This year's monster is going to be Jemima.

Why Jemima? Well, all pumpkins are female to begin with. I like a good southern name, and all the better if it's a name you associate with a big old gal. After all, I'm trying to grow A BIG OLD GAL!

Beyond that... before she was immortalized by the Syrup Cartel, Jemima was a daughter of Job. That's right, the Job from the old testament. Now Job I can relate to... I figure I've suffered about as much in my pumpkin growing as he did from disease and pestilence. Anyway, at the end of the story, God rewarded Job with the three most beautiful women on earth for his daughters. One of those daughters was Jemima.

So to sum it up, I'm planning to grow a big old Southern syrup-lickin' beautiful pumpkin, and we will name her Jemima!

Weapon of Mass Destruction

This is my handy-dandy Venus 2000 (or is it my Serena 2000?), the weapon I've used in the past to kill the squash borer moths.

But to fight off the deer, I've felt a need to upgrade the arsenal...











Yeah, I'm feelin' good, feelin' fine. Shooting Fluffy from the back porch would cause me to commit a large handful of misdemeanors, but no felony.

But there are at least eight Fluffies. Do they even make semi-automatic hunting bows?

It All Begins with the Dirt

I'd like to send a heart-felt message to Ryland Homes, who imported the fill dirt in my back yard. "Ryland, You Suck!!!"

This isn't dirt at all. It's about 40% rock, 40% clay, and 20% something in between. No wonder the grass won't grow.






I can fix this, but it isn't easy. First, I chisel out all of the rock and clay. All of it.

Then, I add lots of the favorite food of worms world wide: coffee grounds.










Good pumpkin dirt is supposed to contain at least 10% organic material. I prefer close to 100% myself. So let's add a foot of leaves and some cow manure and some compost and let it age all winter. I'll get a picture of the result up tomorrow.