I've got a section along my side, trellised, fence where I like to grow cucumbers. It's a perfect place - it gets about seven hours of sun and the vines can grow up and along the fence with ease. It's also out of the way in an area where the fuzzy critter chaser (my dog) won't really trample it.
In any case, a volunteer popped up this spring in the same place where I had a nice, big cucumber plant last year. I figured I'd let it grow for the heck of it. Below are some pics of this volunteer. Call me crazy, but something tells me it's not a cucumber!
The tape measure gives some perspective on the size of the leaves. They biggest are a mere 16-18" wide! The plant itself is probably 10' wide.
Here's a closer view of what look like female flowers starting to form.
I never grown any other cururbits, and I can't recall putting down any compost in this area before (I.e. no living seeds "planted" in compost), so I'm assuming this plant is a result of a cross. If not, perhaps some composted seeds washed down there, which would mean it would be one of a watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, or pumpkin of some sort. We don't eat any other squashes.
So assuming it's not a cucumber (right?!) and before I start hopefully seeing fruits on these vines...anyone got any good guesses as to what it might be?
- jal_ut
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I didn't say that. I simply said, "Not a cuke!"
Hey let it go if you wish and see what you get. I once had a pumpkin climb a fence,
jump to a tree, and climb 15 feet up into the tree. It was fun to see a 20 pound
pumpkin hanging in the tree.
Plants of squash or pumpkin that volunteer often have fruit that is different from
the parent plant if they have crossed with other varieties. This crossing is rather
interesting, and one can get some weird looking fruit sometimes.
Weird, thought I was replying and instead it posted as a new post.
Hey let it go if you wish and see what you get. I once had a pumpkin climb a fence,
jump to a tree, and climb 15 feet up into the tree. It was fun to see a 20 pound
pumpkin hanging in the tree.
Plants of squash or pumpkin that volunteer often have fruit that is different from
the parent plant if they have crossed with other varieties. This crossing is rather
interesting, and one can get some weird looking fruit sometimes.
Weird, thought I was replying and instead it posted as a new post.
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Got your other post, jal. The idea of a 20 lb pumpkin in a tree is awesome!jal_ut wrote:I didn't say that. I simply said, "Not a cuke!"
Hey let it go if you wish and see what you get. I once had a pumpkin climb a fence,
jump to a tree, and climb 15 feet up into the tree. It was fun to see a 20 pound
pumpkin hanging in the tree.
Plants of squash or pumpkin that volunteer often have fruit that is different from
the parent plant if they have crossed with other varieties. This crossing is rather
interesting, and one can get some weird looking fruit sometimes.
Weird, thought I was replying and instead it posted as a new post.
Sounds OK to me. I'll let it go and see what happens - I'm just a little concerned that it'll crowd out some other stuff given my small garden size. My wife is excited by the possibilities because she loves pumpkins. And I have a wonderful elderly couple next door who would probably love to have some funky pumpkins growing over the fence!
I had two volunteers that I was sure were cukes. I went away on a trip and came back to find a softball sized green thing on one that is probably a cantaloupe. The plants are growing like crazy. One vine is 8-feet long along the ground, and the other (which has the melon, unfortunately) climbed it's way up a trellis where I have tomatoes. A bit disappointing that while I have loads of flowers, there is only one fruit, and that fruit is five feet off the ground.
Your leaves look much too big for cukes or cantaloupes, don't they? Those have leaves that are just 4-5 inches across.
Your leaves look much too big for cukes or cantaloupes, don't they? Those have leaves that are just 4-5 inches across.
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If you intend to let it grow, put your developing cantaloupe fruit in a sling made of nylon net onion bag or in a bag itself -- or use a nylon stockings or tights (I've used my kids' out grown tights) tie the sling/bag to the trellis so that the vine and fruit stem are not holding up the weight as it grows.
If using an opaque fabric, you'll need to peek in once in a while to check on the fruit so tie the knots accordingly -- I made a few holes, threaded the string through, and made it so the opening clinches closed. You might find that the fruit has slipped off the vine and lying in the bottom of th bag when ripe. The advantage in using the tights was that fruit flies etc. bugs couldn't get to the fruit. I had one that had split after a rain. I found it because it smelled scrumptious.
If using an opaque fabric, you'll need to peek in once in a while to check on the fruit so tie the knots accordingly -- I made a few holes, threaded the string through, and made it so the opening clinches closed. You might find that the fruit has slipped off the vine and lying in the bottom of th bag when ripe. The advantage in using the tights was that fruit flies etc. bugs couldn't get to the fruit. I had one that had split after a rain. I found it because it smelled scrumptious.
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Yeah...I was certain it wasn't a cuke, but I've never grown any other curcurbit before, so I honestly had no idea which it might be.veggiedan wrote:Your leaves look much too big for cukes or cantaloupes, don't they? Those have leaves that are just 4-5 inches across.
Just waiting on the female flowers to bloom...
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Well, it's a late update, but I finally have a couple small pumpkins growing from this disturbingly large plant that has overtaken the side fence and my poor neighbors' backyard shrubs!
After a few weeks of female flowers turning brown and falling off (the blossoms never even opened) and a seemingly daily exponential increase in plant size, the female flowers have started blossoming and getting fertilized. I've got three pumpkins that I can see so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few others hiding somewhere - this plant is so big that it'll be nearly impossible to find everything that's growing until it's already pretty big. The pumpkins I'm seeing are from slightly larger than a softball to about tennis-ball size - all are a light green color.
Did I mention the size of this thing? Quick estimate is that it's 18' x 12', though I wouldn't be surprised if I found it to be bigger than that if I stretched it a bit and took a measuring tape to it. And not only that, but it's growing up and down a 4' fence and up and over my neighbors' large (6' x 4'?) shrubs. It's an absolute beast and luckily I've still got it under control...but it's still growing really fast and putting out more and more female flowers.
So...would it be wise to cut it back at all to allow it to focus its energy on the pumpkins themselves? Or would that just invite disease?
After a few weeks of female flowers turning brown and falling off (the blossoms never even opened) and a seemingly daily exponential increase in plant size, the female flowers have started blossoming and getting fertilized. I've got three pumpkins that I can see so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few others hiding somewhere - this plant is so big that it'll be nearly impossible to find everything that's growing until it's already pretty big. The pumpkins I'm seeing are from slightly larger than a softball to about tennis-ball size - all are a light green color.
Did I mention the size of this thing? Quick estimate is that it's 18' x 12', though I wouldn't be surprised if I found it to be bigger than that if I stretched it a bit and took a measuring tape to it. And not only that, but it's growing up and down a 4' fence and up and over my neighbors' large (6' x 4'?) shrubs. It's an absolute beast and luckily I've still got it under control...but it's still growing really fast and putting out more and more female flowers.
So...would it be wise to cut it back at all to allow it to focus its energy on the pumpkins themselves? Or would that just invite disease?
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Thanks for the feedback, jal and dan. Simple enough to let it continue on its merry way, so that's what I'll do.
I'm really curious to see what kind of pumpkin it turns out to be. My wife has bought some non-jack-o'lantern pumpkins over the last few years (I.e. not your standard smooth orange ones), so perhaps it'll end up being one of those...
I'm really curious to see what kind of pumpkin it turns out to be. My wife has bought some non-jack-o'lantern pumpkins over the last few years (I.e. not your standard smooth orange ones), so perhaps it'll end up being one of those...
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A couple pictures of this beast...
This doesn't even capture the left extent of the plant, which goes on for a few more feet. The biggest pumpkin (next picture) is on the left - supported by the plastic bag for now.
Yes...it's overtaking the tomato in the right-middle of the picture, but it's a volunteer that's putting out some small, mealy maters (probably from winter store-bought tomatoes) that I'm not overly concerned about.
Anyone know what kind on pumpkin this is? Even if we never figure out the type, it'll be cool to have outside in the fall! It's about 8-10" across so far and has been growing pretty quickly in the last week or so.
One thing I'm having issues with is spotted and striped cucumber beetles. I've never noticed them before, but I've had to pull a few cucumber plants so far this year due to bacterial wilt (while hoping the rest of my plants can survive the season). And these things are now all over the pumpkin plant, especially in the male flowers. I've been squishing direct-spraying with neem oil in the hopes of keeping them in check...
This doesn't even capture the left extent of the plant, which goes on for a few more feet. The biggest pumpkin (next picture) is on the left - supported by the plastic bag for now.
Yes...it's overtaking the tomato in the right-middle of the picture, but it's a volunteer that's putting out some small, mealy maters (probably from winter store-bought tomatoes) that I'm not overly concerned about.
Anyone know what kind on pumpkin this is? Even if we never figure out the type, it'll be cool to have outside in the fall! It's about 8-10" across so far and has been growing pretty quickly in the last week or so.
One thing I'm having issues with is spotted and striped cucumber beetles. I've never noticed them before, but I've had to pull a few cucumber plants so far this year due to bacterial wilt (while hoping the rest of my plants can survive the season). And these things are now all over the pumpkin plant, especially in the male flowers. I've been squishing direct-spraying with neem oil in the hopes of keeping them in check...