The guys at Brothers Brewing Company are looking for a giant pumpkin or two to decorate their outdoor Beer Garden in downtown Guelph. If you have an extra one they would love to put it on display. I've supplied them with several over the years that they put on display inside their brewhouse (in exchange for some great craft beer) and the people absolutely love it. The brothers that own the brewery are a couple of great guys so if anyone can help them out please contact Colton by email (colton at brothersbrewingcompany dot ca) Thanks, John Nieuwenhoff

I've updated the website for the Erin Fall Fair GPC weigh off. Check out the weigh off information, rules and you can also print off your registration forms for the GPC and the Fair to save time when you get there. www.eringiantpumpkingrowers.weebly.com

I will post in the thread when your seeds arrive. I'll be putting together the GVGO membership packs again this year. I hope everyone enjoyed them and put them to good use this past season. The weigh off season is over so that means the seed harvesting season has begun. This is a great way to get your seeds out there to other growers. Last year I think I did up about 240 packs so if you want every pack to have your seed please send in 240-250 (It really helps if you include a note with how many packs are included). We really need more of the "other" giants like Long Gourds, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Field Pumpkin, Green Squash, Bushel Gourd as well as the "other other" giants like carrots, beets, cabbage, rutabaga, cucumber, and others. So once you get the seeds harvested, dried properly, packaged and labelled (individually is preferred but bulk seeds will be packaged as time permits) please send them to me; John Nieuwenhoff 37 Stewarttown Road Georgetown Ontario L7G 4S5 I plan on putting together the packages the same way as the last couple years, and it went as follows; Everyone that sent in seeds was given pretty much a complete set of everything that was sent in (except their own). After that, I started filling the seed packs weekly as I got an update on memberships paid. So the earlier you paid your membership, the better selection you got in your seed pack. That being said, last year the selection was great so everyone got a great pack but if you are paying your membership in March instead of January there may be a few seeds that we have run out of by then. Also, if you have any special requests (certain vegetables you are looking for or certain vegetables you will never grow) just send along a note or email me pumpkin1088 at outlook dot com. I will post in the thread when your seeds arrive.

For anyone coming to the Erin Fall Fair Weigh Off (GPC event) on Thursday, October 4th. Please go to the weigh off web page at https://eringiantpumpkingrowers.weebly.com/ On the home page right at the top are the 2 registration forms (GPC & Fair registration) you can download, print and fill them out ahead of time and take them to the registration area so you don't have to fill them out there. Also check out the Weigh Off Information link on the page for a map and directions to the show barn. There is a lawn tractor pull going on at the same time this year so you might not be able to get in off Centre Street this year. Any questions, feel free to ask me.

I tried heating cables for the first time this year and my plants have been in the garden for almost 2 weeks now. I have 2 plants (one with jumpstart cables) and one without. For the plant without cables in the ground I decided to try something else and had a couple seedling heat mats I wasn't using so I placed one on each side of the plant on top of the ground. Anyway ... 12 days later the one with the heat mats is doing better than the one with the cables. I took soil temps and both at 8" down were 75F. The difference is with the heat mats it was warmer at the surface and the air temp in the hoop house was kept warmer at night. I think people assume heat rises so you can't get heat to go DOWN in the soil. Heat rises in air but in a solid or semi-solid (soil) it radiates in all directions. I'm no scientist, but that is my conclusion. Take from it what you want, but if you have a seedling heat mat laying around it's not too late to heat up the soil, even if your plant is already in the ground. They maybe don't heat up as much of an area as cables but they are definitely easier to use and by the time the roots grow out of the warm zone you likely don't need soil heating anyway.

ALL PRODUCTS SOLD OUT except the granular compost as of APRIL 18th. Just in case you didn't see it in the Products For Sale post....I've updated the products I am offering for sale list. There are a couple products dropped and one new/old one added back again (TKO). Please get your order in early as I usually sell out of most of the products and do not reorder until later in the Summer. Follow this link https://eringiantpumpkingrowers.weebly.com/ and click on "Products For Sale" to find all the info you need about the products and how to order. Thanks, John N

For those that haven't seen it on the Big Pumpkins Tomato Growing thread there is a Team Growing Competition next year for tomatoes. Ontario has quite a few great tomato growers so I think we should all get on the list. Even if you aren't a good tomato grower they are organizing it so there are 3 levels A,B,C based on your PB. Each team will be randomly chosen with a grower from A,B, and C to form the team and the best 2 tomatoes from each grower will determine the total score. It looks like a great opportunity to learn from some top growers and create some friendly competition. Lets get some Ontario representation in this competition. Here's the link to sign up http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=33&p=617395 there is also a few other posts on the tomato board about the competition. Sounds like fun!

In case you didn't see the post in the seed exchange board ....I'll be putting together the GVGO membership packs again this year. I hope everyone enjoyed them and put them to good use this season. The weigh off season is over so that means the seed harvesting season has begun. This is a great way to get your seeds out there to other growers. Last year I think I did up about 240 packs so if you want every pack to have your seed please send in 240-250 (It really helps if you include a note with how many packs are included). We really need more of the "other" giants like Long Gourds, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Field Pumpkin, Green Squash, as well as the "other other" giants like carrots, beets, cabbage, rutabaga, cucumber, and others. So once you get the seeds harvested, dried properly, packaged and labelled (individually is preferred but bulk seeds will be packaged as time permits) please send them to me; John Nieuwenhoff 37 Stewarttown Road Georgetown Ontario L7G 4S5 Last year, one package from a grower never arrived, out of 35 packages, although Canada Post says it was delivered (we have security cameras so were able to determine that it never was delivered). Unfortunately these were likely the best seeds that would have been in your seed pack, but they never did show up anywhere. If you are sending top of the line, irreplaceable, best in show seeds, feel free to send them "signature required" just to be on the safe side. I plan on putting together the packages the same way as last year, and it went as follows; Everyone that sent in seeds was given pretty much a complete set of everything that was sent in (except their own). After that, I started filling the seed packs weekly as I got an update on memberships paid. So the earlier you paid your membership, the better selection you got in your seed pack. That being said, last year the selection was great so everyone got a great pack but if you are paying your membership in March instead of January there may be a few seeds that we have run out of by then. Also, if you have any special requests (certain vegetables you are looking for or certain vegetables you will never grow) just send along a note or email me pumpkin1088 at outlook dot com.

Can someone tell me what variety tomato the 5.58 Timm 2008 was?