What is this???

[mari123]

Hi All,
I have a backyard garden and planted watermelon plants. Now I have what looks like pumpkins. The leaves look like watermelon but the melons like look pumpkins can anyone tell what these are? I hope the pics came thru.
Thank you for any help,


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[Richee]

Some kind of a Gourd?

[jal_ut]

Where did you get your seed?

I think its a cross between a pumpkin and a zucchini squash. Certainly not a melon.

[applestar]

You said you planted "watermelon plants" Does that mean you didn't start from seeds? watermelon seeds are typically much smaller and narrower, usually smooth -- brown or black, compared to Pumpkin and squash seeds which are large flat with a rim all around the seed and off white to tan in color.

[garden5]

If you purchased your plants....you may be the victim of a switcheroo: the wrong tag got stuck in the wrong plants.

It sure looks like a pumpkin, but should be starting to yellow by now .

I think the missing link is where you got the seeds or plants .

[mari123]

Thank you for the information. I didn't start from seed, which I should have. Since I now know they aren't watermelons are they pumpkins??

[jal_ut]

It sure looks like a pumpkin though the color of the fruit seems a little off and the leaves are too deeply cleft. I would let it grow and see what you get. It probably just got mislabeled at the nursery. Give it lots of water and watch it grow.

[garden5]

It sure looks like a pumpkin though the color of the fruit seems a little off and the leaves are too deeply cleft. I would let it grow and see what you get. It probably just got mislabeled at the nursery. Give it lots of water and watch it grow.

Agreed. An unknown on the vine is worth 2 in the bush. You've got something, so just take care of it and see what happens .....mystery crops are always fun.

[tedln]

I had a friend many years ago who liked to grow weird things. He crossed the standard orange pumpkin with a Black Diamond watermelon. On the outside it looked like a halloween pumpkin. On the inside, it was a watermelon. They tasted really good, but no one would buy them because they were so unusual. I suggest you let it grow and see what it becomes.

Ted

[garden5]

I had a friend many years ago who liked to grow weird things. He crossed the standard orange pumpkin with a Black Diamond watermelon. On the outside it looked like a halloween pumpkin. On the inside, it was a watermelon. They tasted really good, but no one would buy them because they were so unusual. I suggest you let it grow and see what it becomes.

Ted

I don't know what it it is. It seems like the rare and unusual crops that you'd think would be a hit never seem to do too well at the farmer's market.

Where's people's sense of adventure!?

[TWC015]

I had a friend many years ago who liked to grow weird things. He crossed the standard orange pumpkin with a Black Diamond watermelon. On the outside it looked like a halloween pumpkin. On the inside, it was a watermelon. They tasted really good, but no one would buy them because they were so unusual. I suggest you let it grow and see what it becomes.

Ted

I don't think it is possible for a pumpkin/winter squash to cross with a watermelon. These two plants aren't even in the same genus and are quite different from each other. If they did indeed cross, then I would be amazed.

[garden5]

Yeah, come to think of it, that's right. Also, I seem to have heard somewhere that squash won't cross with melons. It'll be interesting to see who's right!

[tedln]

I can't argue the point because I thought the same thing. I do know he was selling those things in his roadside produce stand near Hereford, Texas. The outside looked like a pumpkin and the inside was a watermelon. I was pretty young and buying tomatoes from the farmer by the truckload. I was more interested in his tomatoes than his melons. He wanted me to take some of his orange melons and try to sell them because he wasn't able to sell them at his produce stand. He said if he couldn't sell them, it didn't make any sense to grow them the next year. I guess he didn't.

Ted

[jal_ut]

I don't think it is possible for a pumpkin/winter squash to cross with a watermelon.

I too don't think it is possible.

[Bl Blue]

Well a weird looking Squashkin . this is just a thought. One of the big pumpkin pie filling suppliers grew a kinda squash looking pumpkin for there canning line. I will not say witch one but a national brand. I can not remember exactly how it looked but it was not orange and I never looked close at the leaves as most of what I seen was while driving by the fields. I just thought it was a special hybrid of sorts. and Was suprised whwn I found out what it was for. Good filling by the way.

[TWC015]

I think a more likely scenario is that the fruit is a watermelon but cross breeding between different varieties of watermelon, especially hybrids, changed the fruit to look more like a pumpkin instead of the typical watermelon shape.

[garden5]

I think a more likely scenario is that the fruit is a watermelon but cross breeding between different varieties of watermelon, especially hybrids, changed the fruit to look more like a pumpkin instead of the typical watermelon shape.

Ah, that must be the case. With all of the different hybrids I'm seeing, I don't know what to expect next .