My pumpkin left on the compost pile had babies!!!

13 years ago

I left an uncarved Jack O Lantern on the compost pile and it gave birth to about a million babies (well, maybe a few less than that)!

It was just a common smooth skinned medium size pumpkin - and I wonder if anyone knows if I will get the same (or any!) pumpkins from these seeds (are they maybe sterile?)?

I already planted about 30 at my sisters country house (we overplanted because the seedlings had to be manhandled to get them apart). I don't have room (I think) for more than one plant - unless someone can tell me how to manage it. My only full sun area is a narrow bed on the south side of my house that is about 12' long and it is the same area that I put my tomatos and peppers in. I want to give the babies away, but while my sister won't be mad if they don't produce (since I helped plant them), I don't want someone else to be disappointed if they don't get any pumpkins.

Do you know if I will get pumpkins or not? Also, if it is that easy to grow pumpkins, why don't we simply cut a pumpkin in a couple of pieces in the fall and leave them to rot/grow in place like mine did? Could it be that easy???

BettyLu

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Comments (6)

dorisl
13 years ago
I dont think you have room for the pumpkin plant, it would take up your whole 12 foot bed, unless you want to sacrifice all your other plants for it....

IMHO, Punkin seeds that sprout in the compost are pretty much extra greens for the compost. Growing punkins is a COMMITMENT (lol).

:)
caryltoo Z7/SE PA
13 years ago
We had one sprout in our front bed (we never removed it and it rotted into the ground.) We let the seedlings go and got pumpkins -- nothing great or all that big, but pumpkins. They do sprawl, though.

Caryl
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lisa33
13 years ago
I had a similar occurrence this year, although it was somewhat intentional. I took one of the half-rotted baby pumpkins from last year that had been hiding inside a planter over the winter and stuck it halfway into the ground as a way to amuse my 6.5 year old son. Then, I promptly forgot all about it. Lo and behold, a few days ago I noticed what I thought were bird-propagated sunflower sprouts. As I looked closer, I saw the pumpkin seed shells still attached to some of the seed leaves.

Fortuitously, the seedlings are growing about 18" from a new (and uncovered) large trellis attached to my porch. I built it out of interlocked 2"x2" cedar to support wisteria. Overall, the trellis is about 6' wide x 10' tall, so I'm going to give it a go growing mini pumpkins vertically. My son lights up when we grow anything that has fruit that interests him. Worst case scenario if it gets unruly, I'll pull it out.

Anyway, according to Mel of square foot gardening fame, if the pumpkins aren't too huge, you could think about growing one up a trellis, too. I think you'd need to support the pumpkins with pantyhose, though.

Lisa
dorisl
13 years ago
"pumpkins with pantyhose"

awwwwwwwwwwm why do ya wanna torture them like that?

:)
bettylu_zone6a
Original Author
13 years ago
Pantyhose??? If any pumpkins I get are the size of the one that produced the babies (about 12-15" or so), I don't know if pantyhose would be strong enough!

Seriously, though, I think I understand all of you to say that I WILL get pumpkins (they are not sterile) and I may or may not get the same variety that the seeds came from, right (open pollinated)? The size space I need/compared to the space I have available means I can only grow one (if that) unless I try to grow them vertically.

Well, then, I guess I need to decide quick which of the 30+ babies I am going to let stay in the garden! These little seedlings are rapidly growing, as we have had HOT temps in St. Louis since Saturday, and boy can you tell in the veggie garden! I wish they would grow with some shade, I could accommodate that much easier than full sun!

BettyLu
trudi_d
13 years ago
We didn't have a pumpkin sprout from the compost heap but we had a jumbo pink banana squash--which, I guess, is like a pumpkin-in-the-long. It was growing along an old stockade fence that was mostly covered with ivy. I didn't know if any fruit were developing, couldn't tell at all. Then one day I was looking out my window at this fence and I saw something very big and long and peachy-pink. I went out and looked and there it was, a ginormous pink banana squash. Obviously, it had no support other than its own stem, which was very thick and held up this 25 lb monster without aid. We cut the squash down and cured it for a few days and then divvied it up with the family. Yum Yum, free food does taste best ;-)

The squash was a volunteer from the compost heap, but I've also grow, on purpose other large winter squashes or gourds and I've never tied them up or supported them. On their own they will thicken their stem and support their own weight if grown on a fence or trellis, or rooftop--where my last squashes grew up to, the garage roof has a slope and they did not slip. If you want you can sling up your punkies with pantyhose, give it try, but if you have a few other pumpkins then let a few grow without assist and see how that works out. Personally, I hate fussing over plants, but I can appreciate the care that man people give their plants.

My pumpkin left on the compost pile had babies!!!

Comments (6)

dorisl

caryltoo Z7/SE PA

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My pumpkin left on the compost pile had babies!!!

Comments (6)

dorisl

caryltoo Z7/SE PA

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