Overview

This gives a little perspective on the size of the pumpkin at this point... on a slope, which I'll do better to correct next year, with a stronger platform.  You can also make out some the powdery mildew that will take over all of the leaves in few more weeks.

Weekend Update

A reminder of what this pumpkin is growing off of, 2 feet from the main root... the main vine snapped in half, and still held on.  Good lesson not to give up early.

This was an MT that never really put on any size... but being near the compost pile and moisture, was really just a matter of time before the slugs took over.  ~25 lbs.

Overhead shot... I need to put something near it for scale.  Should be ~118 lbs here, 73.5" around.

The MT at 44.5" (~40 lbs) below a mammoth sunflower

Closing the gap ever so slowly... but Mark's is likely a bit heavier due to the thickness of his skin.  We're both battling powdery mildew at this point, too... using GreenCure on a weekly basis to try and knock it down.

Breaching Hundreds

Shows the true size of Mark's pumpkin, pushing over 130 lbs with really solid (like knocking on a tree) side walls.  Measured 78" yesterday.

At ~100 lbs and almost 70" this morning, my pumpkin is outgrowing the platform on one side, and too big to re-situate at this point without risking breaking the main vine.

So I added reinforcements of mill fabric around the side and shoulder today - ready for 10-15" or more of additional growth.  =)

Busting through 60"

As a present for our increasingly large pumpkins, I ordered two new tapes that go to 120", instead of 60".  This is my measurement this morning, from stem to blossom.

Couple more MT 76's on the other vine - the other vines are growing really well, but the Hester vine has stopped growing completely.

My second largest pumpkin has the classic MT shape, about 25 lbs right now.

Propped up for support on the slope, and to ease pressure on the main vine.  Also found that my soaker hose has a leak, so this is also keeping the board out of a puddle of water... =\  Sprayed for powdery mildew again this morning, as the older/crispy leaves on the Hester are starting to fade...

Baby Power

Mark's not the only one that can charm babies with a pumpkin... Rhiannon dropped in for a spell.

Pumpkin Nerd Updates

This is where we capture the data for daily circumference measuring.  If anyone is interested, the formula is above for how to calculate in Excel or a google doc - it starts working when a pumpkin is over 16" or so - good rough estimate on a fairly round pumpkin.

Mark still breaking new records daily... another heat wave this week, so I'm hoping to close that gap.

Kai getting smaller and smaller in comparison to Mark's pumpkin...

Protecting my pumpkin from vine scratches

Maybe Baby, Maybe...

Trying to catch Mark is going to be tough.  He's already broken our prior record, and is probably over 100 lbs now.  The angle of this picture doesn't do it justice- Kai is now dwarfed by it.  =)

For mine, growth coming on quick now... 10 days behind Mark now, but growing 3-4"+ per day, about 45 lbs now, adding 4-8 lbs per day.  Loosened the main vine near the stem- wanted to keep the tap-roots nearby, so I just dug down under them a ways, and raised the soil.  Skin is still very supple, so I'm hoping no slugs are taking up residence under it.  At this rate, going to have to build a bigger platform, good problem to have I suppose.  I do like how well the sunflowers went with the pumpkins this year, will do that next time, too.

Also have a decent size prizewinner in the front yard, so 4 total right now (Hester, MT x2, Prizewinner)... hopefully get a couple more carving ones going soon.

Charting fun

Growth to date... comparing against our largest pumpkins from previous years.  Pretty obvious that records are going to broken this year, the only question is if I can catch Mark...

A question easily answered with some rosy projections of growth... which won't happen, because we'd both be over 500 lbs at that point.  It's just a matter of when we'll level off this year.

Hyper Growth Phase, Round 2

Added sun shade to keep the skin tender, growing at 2-3" + per day right now, about a week behind Mark...

Mark's already sailed past last year's record, and is over 90 lbs as of today, 66.25" around.  Should be over 100 lbs by the weekend!

Hyper growth time

Mill fabric under Hester #2... growing a little faster, and on main vine (versus Hester #1, which is off side vine).  A little riskier since it's on a slope and the main vine is cracked, but no risk, no reward.  =)  About 10 lbs here... versus Mark at ~40 lbs.

Vine as a whole looking great, in the pattern I was hoping for, but wanted it to fill in the brown grass area, too.  Still, with 175 leaves on right now, should be able to push out 100 lbs+

Cast-off island coming along nicely- good MT pumpkin on the vine already, pollinated another, too.  Backup in case Hester fails.

Hester #1... might be the last photo of it, as it's getting culled tonight to focus on Hester #2.  Both are about 28" and 13 pounds right now.  Warm weather on the way, into the 80's and 90's.  Applied first anti-powdery mildew spray this morning.