The Final Days: 2009 Season Draws To A Close!

Good afternoon, Pumpkinistas!

As the 2009 season draws to a close, I thought it would be timely to post pictures of the biggest pumpkin in my patch... Based on its dimensions, I am looking at about 200 pounds, or roughly 120 pounds LESS than last season! As you can see, it's just beginning to turn orange. The vine was ravaged by powdery mildew. From the time I first spotted the fungus to its present very dried-out state, was 12-15 days, so everything happened very quickly!

I believe that a little more focus on my part would have resulted in a bigger pumpkin. This pumpkin was actually the second fruit that set. The first pumpkin is about half the size of this one, and set on the primary vine. Unfortunately, its stem was only partially attached to the primary vine, which resulted in less than optimal nutrient and water uptake...