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New England Gardening

Stranger in My Garden

15 years ago

Well, either by bird or wind (it wasn't by spitting) there is a new fellow thriving in my lamppost garden. I've not grown many vegetables in the past so I'm somewhat unfamiliar with the leaves of squash, pumpkins, melons, one of which I think this little chap may be. Can anyone tell me who this stranger is? Could this guy become dinner?

Kindly,

Jane

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Comments (2)

diggingthedirt
15 years ago
Most edible members of the squash family don't come true from seed; my volunteers usually turn out to be gourds.

If you like the vine, though, it can be fun to leave it and see what it turns into. Usually by mid- to late July they start to overwhelm anything around them, and simultaneously start to look messy, at which point you can cut it to the ground. It will no doubt hog all the moisture in the bed and, unless it's trained up the post it will probably wipe out the annuals by that time. I usually leave a few in my vegetable garden, but I have to keep an eye on them so they don't kill the tomatoes and basil.
corunum z6 CT
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, digging. I checked Google images for gourd plants (which never occurred to me) and sure enough, looks like you're right. Might be a bottle or bird's nest gourd. Nice to know even though I feel like I won the bird poop booby prize, lol.

Thanks again,
Jane
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