pumpkin - let me have a teeny brag?

[red]

First go at growing pumpkins - and have to say next time I will read seed packet properly cos growing giants is not sensible - better off growing lots of smaller ones for storage. We moved our compost heap as it was next door to our neighbours hen run and there as a bit of a rat problem. and then used that space for some pumpkin plants. I think pumpkins like compost rich soil. we were sad enough to weight it... 105 lbs.

we went back to our old house to harvest. think we might be eating pumpkin for a while.. and sharing with neighbours.. and freezing some. hope its nice inside. we also have a smaller one too....



thankyou for indulging me..

[PurpleDragon]

Holy mackerel! You need to change your handle to Cinderella - you wouldn't need much of a fairy godnother to turn that beauty into a carriage!

[Merry]

Wotta Woppa!

[2steps]

wow amazing

I have heard a compost heap is a good place to grow pumpkins :) my plants grow ok, but do nothing and then flower really late have loads of flowers on a the moment but I guesss it'll turn too cold before anything more happens

[the.fee.fairy]

woah! Impressive!!

My butternut squash has produced lots and lots of leaves, but doesn't seem to be thinking about fruiting

[Dave]

Bloody Hell!!!

My butternut squash has produced lots and lots of leaves, but doesn't seem to be thinking about fruiting

You're not the only one Fee, I've had terrible luck with squashes this year. Got a fruit on my only plant not destroyed by slugs and it's about the size of an egg at the moment.

Next year though might be different - is there any chance you can you send me some seeds red?

[the.fee.fairy]

I've got 5 plants...one in the garden that's about 6' tall and 3' wide,. its doing a great job of climbing up the trellis and producing leaves, it just doesn't want to produce fruit!! The other 4 are in the veg patch. 1 has decided to bury itself right inderneat a bit of corrugated iron that stopping the garden falling over, so knowing my luck, itss fruit under it too, so i can't get to it, the other 2 have decided to get to 1' tall and give up. they're not growing, not dying, they're just staying there!!

And i gave them the best worm pee i could find...

[red]

Next year though might be different - is there any chance you can you send me some seeds red?

oh sure, if you are serious. - erm any idea how you are sposed to handle the seeds once you cut the fruit? just let them dry out?

what I normally do is roast and salt then eat them - but this might impede growing

[Martin]

I'm amazed! - do you mean to say that it achieved that magnificence mostly left to it's own devices? I though that to get any real size you had to practically put them on life support!

[red]

lemme see. we thought we were buying a house in May so did not sow anything - then the sale fell through so I bunged some seeds in quick . then this patch of land became free and freshly dug cos of moving the compost heap, so when the plants were big enough we put them out. we watered them a little until established and then ignored them - we generally dont water the garden - apart form greenhouse obviously - and things seem to cope.

I think its a combination of unintentionally buying giant variety, a long warm summer and bouts of lots of rain (no hose pipe ban in these parts)

[Martin]

good old mother nature job! - bet you'll grow some more!

[Millymollymandy]

Wow!

[dibnah]

pumptastic, don't feel bad about being proud I would have wheeled it around the streets

[Biscombe]

COR!!!! Bet its heartbreaking slicing in to it!!!!! well done!!!

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

That's fantastic, I'm with Dibnah I would have paraded it around the streets as well, if only my Dad's pumpkins were as big as this the thieving devils would never have made off with them !