way OT - have you ever grown a pumpkin???? | Arthritis Information

 

My neighbor said don't clean out your pumpkin perfectly and after Halloween, put it in one of your beds to decay and see what happens.  It's happening!

I've got a big vine with huge flowers and leaves.  Very 'bibbity-bobbity-boo', I must say.

And a little pumpkin started!  But then something got it, hubby says maybe a cutworm.  Last night, I found another little one starting on the vine that has branched out in the other direction.  And pumpkin plants must be very smart, because this vine has used it's curly little  bibbity-bobbity things to latch onto  another plant and hold itself up off the ground, I guess so a cutworm cannot get into  the new pumpkin.

So......does anybody know........do you let the vines trail and trail and trail like there is no tomorrow, or do you cut them off at some point so the plant will quit spreading and work on growing a complete pumpkin?  Right now, it's looking like  I will be able to supply the whole neighborhood with pumpkins, if these two vines could actually produce as many pumpkins as there are blossoms.
I don't know the answer to your question but I would also like to know that.  My husband has a compost pile in our backyard and last year I put our old halloween pumpkins and scraps in the compost, not trying to grow anything, and the compost pile is full of pumpkin flowers.  I have to say I was completly stunned. [QUOTE=reegie] and the compost pile is full of pumpkin flowers.  I have to say I was completly stunned.[/QUOTE]

Aren't they pretty in the morning?  This has been pleasant and fun surprise!  My girls would love a real pumpkin, though, so hopefully somebody will know!
Yes!  My two little boys are so excited to watch them grow.  I hope the turn out.Good luck to you both! I don't know anything about pumpkin growing but I do know they are magical things to children. Have fun!Looks like you will have to supply the neighborhood with pumkins. Hey have a pumkin carving party! No you don't cut them back. Some people grow huge pumpkins to enter in the fairs, etc. and to make them grow huge, they feed them milk along with the water.  I have seen pumpkins weighing 40-50 pounds.
GG2008-07-20 08:53:34OK, I have 2 little pumpkin shoots but they're not making vines.  I think I'm running out of time.  Since I'm growing it in a planter - I'm losing hope.  Anybody have any suggestions?  We started this when we were at Home Depot and some guy gave a packet of Veggie Tales Pumpkin Seeds to the baby and she went nuts. 

GG, the folks around here are into growing big pumpkins and it's a vigorous competition (all in good fun, LOL).  They keep their recipes and techniques secret, save seeds from the best pumpkins from last year and baby those pumpkins all season long.  They look forward to the weigh-in and hopefully having the largest pumpkin in town.  I have heard of people using buttermilk, coca cola, raw eggs, etc. trying to encourage those pumpkins to grow!

I just want one vine and one flower! Don't cut the vines.  I never cut the vines on my pumpkins.  They trailed all along my fence for about 50 feet and were beautiful.  Pip, you should plant your little ones in the ground and see what happens.  They might take off.  I never grew big ones but I grew white ones that were beautiful.  LindyDitto Lin, don't cut the vines. Now, if you wanted to grow one big fat boy pumpkin, you'd cut off most of the other pumpkins so all the nutrients go to feed one monster pumpkin.   Ditto the don't cut the vines back, you risk bug infestation or even killing the vine. If you want bigger punkins just pick off all the littles except for a few, this encourages the plant to put all it's nutrients into the remaining punkins. You can fertilize it with regular plant fertilize like miracle grow or if you prefer organic with manure. To keep those pesky critters off just use chili power or crushed hot pepper. (NOTE: This also keeps away cats, dogs, rabbits, the neighbors kids, etc!). You can put a board or such under them, it keeps them from rotting if the ground is damp. Wow!  So many pumpkin growers!  Thanks!

I had a little milk that expired yesterday, so it got that dumped on it LOL.  Hubby he said he had never heard that, but boy, was he intrigued.

We won't cut the vines, but I'm not sure where it is going to go!  I have warned the next door neighbor.  He is intrigued now, too.

I've got a rock border - flat, really stack stone but not stacked LOL - so they can sit on that without a board. I know you need to turn them when they get big, too. 

I guess we will have to see how many pumpkins we get before I decide if we are pinching any off or not.  Right now,  I only see one, but there are probably 20+ huge blossoms.  The leaves are bigger than my head.  I haven't used a drop of fertilizer, either. 

We are going to my parents soon.  I'm going to be afraid to leave it LOL.
Mine started growing really fast and tons of flowers.  I think because they are growing in the compost pile that they are getting a lot of nutrients from all the fruit and vegetable scraps.2 years ago the kids carved pumpkins in the garage...left the mess of course for me to clear up. Well when cleaning the garage earlier this summer I found one lost seed and decided to plant it........I now have this huge leafed vining beutiful pumpkin plant......
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com