Squash, Watermelon or Pumpkin

[nes]

I have a feeling I know the answer to this question already . So early in the season I set out my beautiful little peat-potted started pumpkins all excited to have giant pumpkins in time for October. Well the dogs trampled them (before we put the fence up).

I tried starting a few more from seeds directly in the garden but nothing was coming up; so I got really mad and just threw all my seeds into the garden to get ride of them.

So of course 3 weeks later I have a TON of squash, watermelon and pumpkins popping up all over the garden. I've transplanted them around to thin them out.

Is there anyway to tell the difference between these plants before they fruit? Or should I just take my best guess and we'll see what comes up?

[splat42069]

I would look them up on google picures and compare them to yours to figure out whats what.

[nes]

Because they all look pretty much the same I was hoping someone with experience with all of these vegetables would be able to explain a possible difference.

(Should have included, I think the squash is butternut).

I did notice that one of the plants has slightly rounder leaves - I'm guess this one is the watermelon?

[applestar]

I'm SURE there are people with more experience than I, but FWIW my observations:

‣ Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck have HUGE leaves and the leaves and flower stalks grow all bunched together from one part of the stem.
‣ Stems of Watermelon, Pumpkin, Cucumber, and Melons (I have Honeydew, French Charantais, and Asian Tigger) immediately elongate into vines and grow curly tendrils. I'll look more closely tomorrow but if I remember correctly, the leaves are only slightly different.
‣ Watermelon I'm growing, the leaves have distinct "fingers" -- VERY different from anything else.
- Pumpkin also has HUGE leaves
- Cucumber leaves look similar to pumpkin but at least 1/3 to 1/2 the size
‣ Delicata squash -- similar to pumpkin but much smaller leaves (but it might be because unlike pumpkin, it's having trouble outgrowing the bush beans) So far no tendrils, I think.

Hope that helps.

[gixxerific]

If they are young it is hard to tell.

That's funny though I have something I "Think" I planted in late spring. But I have no idea what it is. I think it may be a herb. Not sure though. Good Luck as soon as they start bearing fruit you will know at least.

Dono

[petalfuzz]

I just read that butternut squash vines don't have spines. I was trying to find differences cause I have a mystery squash that I transplanted from my compost pile. Seriously, it could be one of a number of varieties, but I just eliminated butternut from the list. I'm just going to wait and see.

[rootsy]

Watermelon will be the easiest to identify of the 3. The true leaves will be the easist to identify. look like an oak leaf kinda sorta... but not flat... Fingers will be curled into a cup.

[nes]

Thanks guys I think that means I have mostly squash & pumpkins, I'm not sure any of my watermelons came up at all (maybe it was a bad batch then). If the squash don't have any spines that it's really easy to tell the difference between the plants!

Well my son will be happy at least - he loves butternut!