It seems that I can't NOT grow pumpkins....

[Millymollymandy]

Having decided not to grow any pumpkins this year and having hoed off the usual ones that appear in the veg patch from the home made compost, I discovered a suspect in a flower bed that I thought I'd leave for a bit cos I wasn't quite sure whether it might have been a melon or what. Then when I realised it was a pumpkin I thought I'd leave it a bit longer to see whether it was a butternut or a potimarron (it could only have been one or the other of these) and it turned out to be a potimarron. Now I haven't the heart to pull it up as there's a fruit forming, and anyway the flowers are colourful! Quite where the plant is actually going to go when it's got bigger I'm not sure yet....

And, (as that irritating JML advert on telly says)..... THERE'S MORE.

Behind some of our compost bins up against our perimeter fence it seems there's several potimarrons growing happily away in the metre wide strip of weeds before the farmers maize plants start. I only noticed when one of them appeared through the wire mesh fence poking its way through above my courgettes. Then I looked behind the bins and found several more including another one growing in the opposite direction which is coming through the fence just behind my barn. There's a fruit forming on my side and a bigger one just through the fence that I can't reach!

Oh well I may as well enjoy them as I can't do anything about these weeds.

[ina]

Oh, I'd love a potimarron... Do they grow in Scotland? I have a buttercup growing at the moment. Don't even know if they are suited to our climate, but it was from a saved seed.

[Millymollymandy]

I don't know about the potimarron Ina - how well do pumpkin/squash do in Scotland generally? Mine have done fine during the last few not very hot summers but it was still probably a fair bit warmer on average than where you are!

[ina]

I tried Queensland Blue, and didn't get anywhere with them. But it wasn't a good year (weatherwise), so I might be lucky another year, if I get them started off indoors early enough, and protect them outside... Must look into that next year.

[Odsox]

I'm growing potimarrons this year Ina as well as butternuts and the potimarrons are the hardier of the two.
My potimarrons have 15 full sized fruits, most of which are a deep orange colour which means they are ripe, whereas the butternuts are just beginning the flower.

MMM, I have the same problem with Oca.
I composted all the titchy ones back in the winter and my compost bin now looks like an exhibit for Chelsea, with Oca growing out of every slot and hole in the bin.

[Muscroj]

I have about 8 squash plants growing, in the veg patch which I lovingly saved from seed & planted & grew on in the greenhouse & potted up into loads of compost. All are flowering but only 1 plant has tried to produce fruit & the 2 tiny squash that have started to develop have got eaten by some nasty slug I'm not happy & am well & truly throwing my toys out of the pram where squashes are concerned. Good luck with yours though, it's even better that they are growing without any 'help' or effort!

[Millymollymandy]

MMM, I have the same problem with Oca.
I composted all the titchy ones back in the winter and my compost bin now looks like an exhibit for Chelsea, with Oca growing out of every slot and hole in the bin.

I've just googled them and they certainly have Oxalis leaves! Sounds really interesting and what I read was that it tastes like a baked spud with sour cream on it - brilliant cos we can't get sour cream in France!

I may have to see where I can get some seeds from, or do you buy mini tubers to plant?

[Odsox]

MMM, I have the same problem with Oca.
I composted all the titchy ones back in the winter and my compost bin now looks like an exhibit for Chelsea, with Oca growing out of every slot and hole in the bin.

I've just googled them and they certainly have Oxalis leaves! Sounds really interesting and what I read was that it tastes like a baked spud with sour cream on it - brilliant cos we can't get sour cream in France!

I may have to see where I can get some seeds from, or do you buy mini tubers to plant?

You plant tubers just like potatoes, I got some a couple of years ago from The Real Seed Company.

They are Oxalis and the tubers when roasted taste more lemony than sour creamy, I think.
They are also very nice raw with a crisp texture.
I have a problem with them as they are slug magnets, and I have more than a few slugs that are just waiting for the tubers to develop.
Hence me stupidly trying to compost the sluggy ones.

[ina]

I'm growing potimarrons this year Ina as well as butternuts and the potimarrons are the hardier of the two.

Thanks, Tony - they'll go on my wishlist for next year!

[Peggy Sue]

Sorry to stray off subject but....Odsox- I wanted to try Oca but I know they are hard to get hold of (limited supply from Realseed!), do they suffer from blight or once you ahve them can you save your own tubers?

[Odsox]

Sorry to stray off subject but....Odsox- I wanted to try Oca but I know they are hard to get hold of (limited supply from Realseed!), do they suffer from blight or once you ahve them can you save your own tubers?

No they don't suffer from blight although they do suffer a bit from slugs eating holes in the tubers.
And yes, you can save your own to plant next year, even the very tiny tubers will produce sizeable plants
As we are well and truly off topic, this is my composter with oca sprouting from it.
I threw away the really tiny slug eaten ones, although why I though they would compost is beyond me now

oca.jpg (110.65 KiB) Viewed 3277 times

[Peggy Sue]

Thnks Tony- well worth a go when I can get some then.
Am determined to add a few things to my seed saving list each year- dare not save the pumpkins this year as they are amongst the marrows & vegetable spaghetti(just to bring back topic!)

[Millymollymandy]

Back on topic if you look really hard you can just see on the left hand side, middle of piccy, the little potimarron forming and its pumpkinny leaves.

Potimarron in flower bed.jpg (359.9 KiB) Viewed 2674 times

[Peggy Sue]

Doesn't it look sweet! Beautiful flower garden MMM- mine is outrageously untidy- can only motivate myself to do food orientated weeding

I wonder what it will look like in a month or so when it has taken over the world and battered the flowers to the floor roaming the universe as they do!

[Millymollymandy]

Well if you think about it Peggy Sue I've got quite a few weeds in there - the dill for example self seeds everywhere in my garden, both flower beds and veg patch, but I leave it be in most places as it's such a wonderful architectural plant - and even the little wild viola which flowers all year round and self seed (mostly in my gravel drive!) is a 'weed' too, not to mention the pumpkin. And all three are edible! (And I didn't take any photos of anything that looked messy )