I successfully trained both pumpkins and sugar baby up a fence last year. However: The watermelons are tougher. Most of that is being able to tell when to harvest (especially when they're hanging in a sling) and the stems will NOT support the weight if your sling fails. Checking on them also presents issues unless there is 0 tension on the stem. It's possible, you just need to be extra careful. I did the same with cantaloupes with success. The pumpkins (regular old orange) I grew just hung by their stems with no problem/support, but they're much more durable. In fact, the last two survived the tropical storm we had, intact. One last note: watch out for the rogues. You'll have a few that feel growing inside the fence space is a good idea. If you don't keep them away until they're too big to fit, you'll either end up with permanent dents or Siamese twins with the fence permanently in place, lol. Also - pumpkins and watermelons take a LONG time. If you aren't expecting frost, don't worry about replanting. Pumpkins will keep for months if properly stored. Watermelons, well, chances are you'll end up impatient and harvest too early, lol. Cheers, -Rathosaf

gardengal13, I can only speak about my local fair, but there was no enrollment needed since I entered in open class for adults. If I were in a youngster in 4H I'd have to enroll prior, but not for regular open class. I wonder how your fair works? Call your local fair board, or start with your extension office if you don't know who to call. Do it, Stephanie! And then post pictures!!

Finally I have a little Polar Bear coming along & growing fast! I had another set further back on vine but it shriveled and died, so I'm super glad to see this guy doing well :) Question: there's another female about 3-4 ft past this pumpkin that looks close to opening. Should I remove it to give this one a better chance if developing? Or let it be and trust that my plant knows what it can handle? Sorry to see those black spots, Caroline, let us know how it turns out. I swear pumpkins are the easiest AND hardest things to grow - they are afflicted by some of craziest bugs and diseases ever! Urgh

George, I bet you're right, but I hate going out on a limb like that. Merton, I thought maybe I could find a comparison of the cucurbita seeds that would help you, so I checked my copy of Suzanne Ashworth's book SEED TO SEED: SEED SAVING AND GROWING TECHNIQUES FOR VEGETABLE GARDENERS and here is how she describes them: Cucurbita maxima: Thick seeds that are white or tan or brown with cream colored margins and thin cellophane coatings. (As George pointed out, your Lakota is a maxima so should fit this description.) C. moschata seeds are small, oblong and beige with a dark beige margin. (Your butternut is a moschata so one of your two solid tan types of seed ought to match this description.) C. pepo seeds are cream-colored and each has a white margin. Your acorn squash is a pepo so its seed should match this description. The problem is that your spaghetti squash is a pepo also, so its' seeds ought to match this description too. C. agyrosperma (formerly mixta) seeds would be the easiest to identify because they usually have small cracks in them. (They are described as white or tan with a pale margin and cracks in the skin coat on the flat sides of the skins which are covered with a thin cellophane covering.) None of the squash in your packet are agyrosperma types though. If you have specific variety names for your spaghetti, butternut, acorn and Lakota squashes, you probably could google and find descriptions of each squash, including the approximate size of the mature squash and that size might help you figure out which of your pepo seeds is which. Or, you might e-mail the seed company and see if they can tell you, by description only, which seed is which variety. Dawn