How are your pumpkins and squash?

[TZ -OH6]

I have five Pennsylvania neck squashes developing on three plants in the corn patch. They are butternuts on steroids... supposed to get up to 20 lbs. They will end up as slabs for the frying pan and pumpkin pies. My spaghetti squash got a late start but are starting to put out vines now. Hopefully I can eat more pasta free spaghetti this winter and loose some weight.

[stella1751]

I am having an extremely odd pumpkin year, partly because of adverse weather and partly because I did something I think will prove to have been seriously stupid. Just when the pumpkins had really spread out, developing some thick vines and putting on flowers, we had a really bad hail storm. The thick vines got pummeled pretty good and now have deep tan indentations all along them. I think this explains why so many female flowers are aborting before they even bloom. The vines are maybe too damaged to sustain life.

The stupid thing seemed like a brainstorm at the time. I had four tomato seedlings, three pumpkin seedlings, and one 8' x 4' raised bed. It seemed only logical to put the pumpkins in the middle of the bed and two tomatoes at each end. Now, however, the hail-damaged pumpkins are growing like mad, putting out vine after vine and enormous leaf after enormous leaf (everything but pumpkins) while the broken-stemmed, now-bushy tomatoes, which got their tops pounded by the hail, have barely managed to creep above the second level on their cages. There are tomatoes on the plants, but they are so low, they are now obscured by pumpkin leaves.

To make things worse, I swear those pumpkins are shooting out a foot of vine overnight. I try to direct the vines around the tomato cages, but every now and again, a vine rockets through a tomato cage in 24 hours. If worse comes to worse and the pumpkins start to seriously affect my tomato harvest, I'm going to have to pull those puppies. They are sugar pies, but I'm not handy enough to trellis 'em.

Oh well. Live and learn. Had it not been for the hail, my plan might have worked

[TZ -OH6]

We had a couple of big hail storms forcasted earlier in the season, but they hit Columbus and didn't get this far north. I was biting my nails as the sky blackend.

[TheWaterbug]

My pumpkins are doing fine, albeit a little late. They're in "rapid vining" right now, and putting on a few inches a day.

I was planning on shooting a followup panorama this weekend, had a burst water pipe not sent my family, our nanny, and my cat fleeing to my Mom's house.

Here's where the pumpkins were six days ago, on July 10:


That was the "big" vine on the 10th; now the smallest of the 30 vines is about this size, and the largest is maybe 50% larger again.

My watermelons and cantaloupes are another story. I sowed them into seed cups at the same time as the pumpkins (May 7), and they emerged a week earlier than the pumpkins, but I didn't get a chance to transplant them until a week after I'd done the pumpkins. (e.g. two weeks later than the pumpkins, maturity-wise).

So they might have been root-bound in their cups when I transplanted them, and they're growing _slowwwwllllly_. I'll post pictures when I return from purgatory. (Mom, that's no slight on your house; I'd just rather be home).

The cantaloupes are starting to put out male flowers, but I just don't see how such a small plant could support a fruit. And the watermelons are even slower. The largest plant is maybe 12" in diameter. Unless they really take off in the next 2-3 weeks, they could be a bust. Hoping for some hot weather again (although not until my water line gets fixed!).

The coconut seed husk cups I used don't seem to be the problem, because I used the exact same method for the pumpkins as I did the melons. Maybe the melons just need much hotter temps.

[applestar]

I'm having mystery pumpkins this year due to basic laziness and overconfidence in my ability to remember things.

The most developed squash/pumpkin is a big dark green obviously pumpkin almost football sized. I've no idea what kind it is, though I hope it's Kakai hulless seeded pumpkin.

What I thought was seeds from store bought butternut squash is growing a huge yellow gourd with green top and bottom. I thought butternut squash don't cross with other typical garden cucurbits, but maybe those gourds are C. mschata?

Another all yellow warty gourd, then -- on a different plant -- bright yellow fruit on a cine that I thought for sure was from purchased Waltham butternut squash seeds. Is that the right color for a developing butternut squash? It is elongated but not lobed or narrow necked. I'm actually thinking it could possibly be spaghetti squash.

Atlantic Giant has a couple of female flowers to open soon but hasn't fruited yet.

Among the cornstalks, there is yet another pumpkin/ squash that is fruiting. this one actually looks like butternut squash, I think, so maybe THIS is where I planted the purchased seeds....

Oh, also I was weeding the other corn spot and found a struggling cucurbit with first pair of true leaves. I'vd no idea what that one is either though I vaguely remember sowing seeds. other seeds -- there should have been at least 3 more -- either haven't sprouted or more likely, the chipmunks dug them up (found a suspiciously familiar hole yesterday where pumpkin seeds had been sown)

Another limping watermelon year due to not sprouting or very wimpy growth.

[Beansie_time]

I have a pretty large section of my garden devoted to different kinds of squash and pumpkins this year. I have these plants growing: 2 each Big Max Pumpkins, 3 each random Volunteer pumpkins/gourds, 2 Delicata Squash, 2 Acorn Squash, 3 Spaghetti Squash, 1 Red Kuri Squash, 1 Butternut Squash, 1 Buttercup Squash, 2 Yellow Scalloped Patty Pan, 1 Yellow Straightneck, 3 Grey Zucchini.

The Spaghetti Squash and Red Kuri squash have grown completely out of control. I now have them trained up a trellis and have pruned some of the vines. They have from 6 to 10 squash each growing on them. Now I am worried that they may be shading the Delicata squash. It is flowering male flowers but has not set any fruit yet. The Pumpkins have all set fruit and are doing well. The Acorn squash, Butternut squash, and Buttercup squash have all just opened female blooms this week. The summer squashes and zucchini are all close to being ready to start picking.

Over the past week I have discovered some squash bugs crawling on the leaves of a few plants and have removed eggs from two. I also happened to be out in the garden when an adult squash vine borer flew right past my face and landed on a spaghetti squash vine. I moved like a ninja across the garden and dispatched him with extreme prejudice. He was crawling on the vine looking for a place to lay eggs. I've never seen one before and only knew what it was because I had been researching the squash bugs earlier in the week. I inspected every vine and found no evidence of any others. Everything looks good so far, so I'm hoping he was just an isolated evil bug.

[TheWaterbug]

I moved like a ninja across the garden and dispatched him with extreme prejudice.

I have an excellent movie playing in my head right now, just imagining this.

He was crawling on the vine looking for a place to lay eggs.

That'd be a neat trick

[applestar]

BTW, TZ, I was looking at those moschata variety squash but they looked huge, and I was going to try the A. giant one more time this year, so decided not to. So please let us know how they turn out, SVB resistance wise as well as harvest and flavor later on.

[TZ -OH6]

I think that they mostly take pictures of the huge ones. The guy that sent me the seeds didn't harvest fruits nearly as large as the squash he bought.
http://www.smallkitchengarden.net/small ... eaway-2011

I'm growing Walmart butternut as well (didn't trust the big ones to grow) and their seed will probably be crossed with the big guys because of the bees and early start of the big ones. The hybrids should be in between.

I gave up on Delicata because of processing time scooping seeds and baking. We didn't eat half of the ones I grew because of the hassle.

I had a Martha Stewart moment last year when making pumpkin pies with butternuts. I cut the seed cavity horizontally making a squash cup. I filled those with the extra pumpkin pie filling and baked them...very fancy .

[DoubleDogFarm]

How are your pumpkins and squash?

[soil]

my winter squash is doing great!

i have

red kuri
buttercup
butternut

and a few from native seeds search which are doing fantastic.

more than a few of them are over 10ft long/wide with leaves over 20 inches across.


im going to be eating some good soup all winter long.

[sheeshshe]

mine are wilting in the morning?? odd. they're wet enough. IDK why they're wilting. I checked for SVB but I don't see any damage. I'm confused! really not sure why they're wilting like that! the ones wilting are the cucumbers and the blue hubbard squash. the summer squash is fine. I think the spaghetti squash is wilting as well. the pumpkin looks fine.

other than that, I'm starting to see cucumbers growing and we've picked a few yellow squash already! SO excited! OH! and I have a little spaghetti squash growing and MAYBE a blue hubbard. I can't tell if it is pollinated or not. its not dying but its not growing either. we'll see!

[Fig3825]

Um, I threw 5 pumpkin seeds into the ground along with some other stuff for my father in law this year up at their place in Maryland. All he's been doing to the garden, once I tilled and planted it for him, is water it.

Just to give you an idea of what you are about to see. The fenced area is 20' wide on the side you are looking at. The pumpkins were planted close to the fence you can see (about 6' inside the fence on the side you can see and about 12' from the opposite side, which you can't see). The only thing the pumpkins have NOT overrun (yet) are the tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. Is this was rapid vining is?



Tomatoes on the left, the mound in the middle are pumpkins (they were planted only slightly mounded - they just appear mounded because they are so friggin' huge!) and the cukes are on the right growing up the wall. The vine coming towards the camera is 15' plus. The vine to the left of that is about 13'. The one just beyond that on the left side comes from the CENTER of the section of fence you see. I'd say that vine is 20' + (it runs off the picture to the left). What you don't see is that there is a vine coming out of the opposite side of the garden also. It sticks out of the fence about 2', so that would make it roughly 14' long.

[TWC015]

I have a "Winter Luxury" pumpkin plant growing right now. For a C. pepo type, I haven't seen any evidence of vine borers, although yesterday I did see a vine borer moth around the plant. It doesn't seem to be doing as well as the C. moschata plants I planted a few years ago.

My summer squash plants are gone. The vine borers got them already. Those make such nice, hollow, and large stems that the vine borers can't resist.

I like growing the C. moschata types. They do great in my climate and squash bugs and borers leave this species alone. The vines get huge and they don't seem bothered by the heat.

[TheWaterbug]

So here's what's going on with my melons. Here's a picture of my pathetic watermelon, planted from seed on May 7:


The cantaloupes are doing only very slightly better:


I have a watermelon that's even punier:


For comparison, here's a typical pumpkin vine:


These were all planted from seed the same day, in the same cups, same soil, with the same watering system. And the pumpkins emerged a week later than everyone else! I did transplant them first, which could mean that everyone else got stuck in the planting cups too long. But the Big Max pumpkins (back row here) emerged with the melons, and were transplanted late, and they'd caught up to the regular pumpkins (and in some cases passed them), while the melons are just loafing along.

[stella1751]

Waterbug, my watermelons look almost identical to yours, well, the ones that survived our bad hail storm. One of them finally began to put out a vine two days ago. I am currently telling (deluding?) myself that if I can get one pollinated fruit by the end of July, I will beat our first frost and have a watermelon.

The same thing happened last year with the one watermelon that survived our wet cold June. It stalled for like three or four weeks. Once it took off, though, it really went to town, and I would have gotten a watermelon off it if I hadn't broken it while trying to trellis it.

Up here, I'm pretty certain cold soil is the problem, but that wouldn't work in Los Angeles. It's interesting how they just sit there and don't do anything.

[sheeshshe]

huh. my watermelons and minnesota midgets are going NUTS! I've tried planting watermelon in the past and they just die after they sprout. I started them indoors this year and they didn't really do anything for like a month and then one day they just went nuts. maybe yours are just waiting to do the same? one day they'll just decide to go crazy?

[stella1751]

huh. my watermelons and minnesota midgets are going NUTS! I've tried planting watermelon in the past and they just die after they sprout. I started them indoors this year and they didn't really do anything for like a month and then one day they just went nuts. maybe yours are just waiting to do the same? one day they'll just decide to go crazy?

Sheeshshe, you are soooo right! I just went out and checked mine, and the one vine grew 6" since yesterday. Hooray! Maybe, just maybe, I WILL get that watermelon I so desperately desire

[sheeshshe]

LOL!!! That is TOO funny!!! now watch the thing, its going to go nuts! I am hardly a watermelon expert as this is my first time but, they all did the same thing so yeah. weeeeeha! watermelons here we come!

[TheWaterbug]

^^
Can you two please get your melons to talk to my melons?

They need some inspiration.

[soil]

mine could use some inspiration too. such tiny leaves it has.

[hockeymom519]

My mother in law and my 4 year old wanted to try growing the Atlantic Giants this year. This has been our first year at growing pumpkins. So far it's been exciting watching the progress. In 5 days the first pumpkin went from a golf ball size to almost a soccer ball size.

Here is my son with our pumpkin plants. We only have 2 plants growing.

[babeandsweetie]

I planted 12 squash and 12 zuchini this year, did all the proper requirments with each, but I'm still not getting any results. The plants have either died or are getting very big, flowering like crazy, and not producing any fruit. This is so maddening I'm about ready to pull my hair out! I mean they are producing tons of flowers both male and female, but no fruit. Then when I think that I might get lucky and one might be producing a squash or zuchini, the flower and it's stem gets this black spicky, fuzzy stuff all over it and the flower and it's stem both die.
What am I doing wrong? Can somebody PLEASE help me!!!!!!

[Dragonmom]

I think you have wet rot on your squash. There isn't any treatment for it but I was able to slow down some rot I had on my kabocha plants earlier this season by pulling all the black blossoms as soon as I saw them and pulling one of them to give the others some room to spread and dry out a bit. I was able to harvest a dozen kabocha before I finally let it go although there are still a couple of vines that are trying to produce some new pumpkins. Since I planted another patch in another area I don't need to save the one that was over taken by rot. We are in a humid area. It's caused by humid weather or a lot of rain or maybe even overwatering.

[cherishedtiger]

My pumpkins... growing like weeds and trying to take over the rest of the garden. I have to daily go out and trim whatever its decided to grab onto and re-route its growing patterns... yes daily...

[TheWaterbug]

My mother in law and my 4 year old wanted to try growing the Atlantic Giants this year.

I'll have to try an Atlantic Giant next year. I grew Big Max last year, and I got a 60 pounder and a few 40+ pounders, despite my squirrel troubles and late start.

I've got 6 Big Maxes in this year as well, and 4 of the vines are just starting to take off. The other two are underachieving along with the watermelons and cantaloupes. Teenagers these days . . .

[applestar]

This morning, the Atlantic Giant was limp. I suspect SVB. Although I couldn't find the bore hole(s). I did water hoping I'm mistaken, but it's probably no use.

[sheeshshe]

all my squash are wilty as well but I see no SVB holes either. just eggs. but no holes. I guess they're just hot? my cucumbers are wilty as well

[jal_ut]

My squash are finally taking off. There are some blossoms now. I had a goofy spring and the squash did not germinate well. So later I planted some more seed in between where things failed. I was using up all the old different varieties of seed I had in the box. So, at this point, I don't even know what I have growing. I will have surprises. I am hoping for some banana squash, hubard, butternut, pumpkins, crookneck and zucchini. We will see what survived.

[sheeshshe]

oooh off to google banana squash!

[sheeshshe]

how is the flavor of the banana squash? is it mild like a blue hubbard? or is it very squashy flavored like a butternut or acorn?

[Fig3825]

I was finally able to get home before dark and snap a couple pics of my squash. I got a late start due to some bad decisions, but that's been covered elsewhere in these forums...

Butternuts in the closest row and summer crookneck on the second row.


And while I'm here, my watermelons have just started to take off. About 3"-5" growth per day. I should put the timelapse camera on these guys...

[gixxerific]

My butternuts are going crazy with several fruit on them. Pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe are starting to take off I planted late in hopes of a harvest before fall and after the SVB leave the area.

I can't seem to get cucumbers to grow this year for some reason.

[mmmfloorpie]

Here's my spaghetti squash:



My biggest fruit:



I hope they really take off producing fruit now!

[TheWaterbug]

^^
Can you two please get your melons to talk to my melons?

They need some inspiration.

One of my watermelons may have gotten the message, because it's beginning to send out a vine:


It's not very long yet, but at least it's vining.

It's still got a way to go to catch up to the pumpkins, though. They're starting to put out female flowers:

[jal_ut]

how is the flavor of the banana squash? is it mild like a blue hubbard? or is it very squashy flavored like a butternut or acorn?

It has been a while since I grew banana squash. It seems that it is a mild flavored squash. Bright yellow flesh. The variety can sometimes get huge. You cut one and pass it around to the neighbors.

Click

[stella1751]

One of my watermelons may have gotten the message, because it's beginning to send out a vine:

Way to go, Waterbug! Now it should go really quickly. My first one now has an 18" vine and its first tiny male flower bud. The others have all began vining. Yesterday, I watered them deeply for the first time, leaving a hose on trickle all day long. If I can get a pollinated female flower by the end of July, I will be very, very happy

[TheWaterbug]

One of my watermelons may have gotten the message, because it's beginning to send out a vine:

Way to go, Waterbug!

Thank you, although I must say I can't take all the credit for it. My teammates did a great job getting me the hose when I was open, and I was able to execute and put the seed in the hole.

We did a lot of work in the off-season, and we're just glad to see it pay off. The SVBs are always a tough competitor, but my teammates and I gave 110% like we always do, and I'm grateful that we were able to come away with a victory. Like my old coach used to say, there's no "I" in "vegetable."

Now it should go really quickly. My first one now has an 18" vine and its first tiny male flower bud. The others have all began vining. Yesterday, I watered them deeply for the first time, leaving a hose on trickle all day long. If I can get a pollinated female flower by the end of July, I will be very, very happy

I hand-pollinated my first female pumpkin blossom this morning. It was very satisfying. For both of us. Seriously. Why would she lie to me?

[stella1751]

One of my watermelons may have gotten the message, because it's beginning to send out a vine:

Way to go, Waterbug!

Thank you, although I must say I can't take all the credit for it. My teammates did a great job getting me the hose when I was open, and I was able to execute and put the seed in the hole.

We did a lot of work in the off-season, and we're just glad to see it pay off. The SVBs are always a tough competitor, but my teammates and I gave 110% like we always do, and I'm grateful that we were able to come away with a victory. Like my old coach used to say, there's no "I" in "vegetable."

Now it should go really quickly. My first one now has an 18" vine and its first tiny male flower bud. The others have all began vining. Yesterday, I watered them deeply for the first time, leaving a hose on trickle all day long. If I can get a pollinated female flower by the end of July, I will be very, very happy

I hand-pollinated my first female pumpkin blossom this morning. It was very satisfying. For both of us. Seriously. Why would she lie to me?

This is too funny. Not being a die-hard sports fan, it took me a while to figure out what in the Hades you were talking about when you credited your teammates for getting you "the hose when I was open." Once I got it, I laughed out loud. Good stuff! I can visualize you raising your arm way above your head, slamming that seed into the hole, and doing a TD dance in the side zone. Me, I bunted my seeds in

[SPierce]

Me=Happy!

I went out and looked at my plant today... despite loosing the first set of leaves to powdery mildew (oops!) i have a female flower coming out on my vine! And, to make it even better, I came out today and saw some male flowers open... with a bee on one of them flowers, so I don't have to freak out about having bees down there or not, thank goodness!

Squash wise, my in grounds didn't do as well as my in-containers, so I decided to pull them yesterday. It really is a matter of i got 1 zucchini from each in ground plant (I had 3) and my one container zucchini has given me about 15! I'll just leave the big one to do it's thing, and pulled the others to make room for some fall crops, even though I'm most likely running late!