Will my pumpkins survive ?
Will my pumpkins survive ?
After moving a compost bin early this year and using the soil around it, I found a little plant growing. It didn't look like a weed and I had been trying to grow some wildflowers from seed I bought online, so I posted a pic in a wildflower forum to see if anyone knew what it was. Got a bit of a shock to find out it was a pumpkin ! I had put last years shopbought Halloween pumpkin in the compost bin. Anyway it was growing away in a little pot so I decided to give it a chance. I now have 3 of them in pots and I'm moving house in 2 weeks, to a house with a garden. ( had no garden for 3.5 years, just a tiny yard).
I'm taking all my plants that I've grown in pots with me. Is there a good chance my pumpkins will survive? And actually produce pumpkins ? I would be chuffed to bits to actually have them growing well in the new garden !
I'm taking all my plants that I've grown in pots with me. Is there a good chance my pumpkins will survive? And actually produce pumpkins ? I would be chuffed to bits to actually have them growing well in the new garden !
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- margo - newbie
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Re: Will my pumpkins survive ?
I should think they should survive if you are careful replanting them.. dig a bigger hole than the pot put in some compost and water, I usually try and put my homemade seaweed feed in the hole! firm them in well and water again..you may lose a few of the older leaves but they will soon make new growth, esp without the confines of a pot! keep an eye they dont dry out and good luck!! 

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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Will my pumpkins survive ?
From experience I try not to disturb the roots when transplanting, don't tease them out just straight from the pot to the hole in the ground.
- citizentwiglet
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Will my pumpkins survive ?
They're similar to courgettes when you start them off, I believe. I don't grow pumpkins, but I do have some fantastic courgette plants, LOL! I have two plants at home, and one in our community garden raised bed.
I had no problems transplanting my courgette into our raised bed - as Graham says, just leave the roots alone, plonk it in to a much bigger hole than it needs, then gently back-fill it (the urge to tease the roots is horrendous, though!). As Irishwillow says, lots of water and compost. Lots of people say that loads of manure helps - but my fellow gardeners up at the community garden who have grown courgettes, squash, pumpkins etc reckon they've had similar results WITHOUT any manure.
I also make a sort of 'moat' around my courgettes, so the plant looks as though it's sitting in the middle of a volanco crater (if that makes sense), so when you water, water from a watering can without a rose and just aim at the bottom of the plant; the 'crater' helps keep the water at the roots. Because they are terribly thirsty plants......(I also find they much prefer rain water than tap water. If you don't have a water butt, filling up your watering can from the tap and leaving it for 24 hours so the chemicals like chlorine disappear before watering is a very close second).
At the end of the day, it's a freebie (what a lovely thing to find in your compost!), so if it dies, it's not the end of the world. It wasn't as though it was a planned part of your harvest. If it lives - lovely big bonus, loads of experience points and scrummy pumpkin soup and pies and whatnot.
Half the fun of gardening is seeing what makes them thrive, and - erm - what doesn't. But I've kind of adopted your pumpkin plant as an Ishy mascot, now. I want to see some photos, and don't you DARE kill it, LOL!
I had no problems transplanting my courgette into our raised bed - as Graham says, just leave the roots alone, plonk it in to a much bigger hole than it needs, then gently back-fill it (the urge to tease the roots is horrendous, though!). As Irishwillow says, lots of water and compost. Lots of people say that loads of manure helps - but my fellow gardeners up at the community garden who have grown courgettes, squash, pumpkins etc reckon they've had similar results WITHOUT any manure.
I also make a sort of 'moat' around my courgettes, so the plant looks as though it's sitting in the middle of a volanco crater (if that makes sense), so when you water, water from a watering can without a rose and just aim at the bottom of the plant; the 'crater' helps keep the water at the roots. Because they are terribly thirsty plants......(I also find they much prefer rain water than tap water. If you don't have a water butt, filling up your watering can from the tap and leaving it for 24 hours so the chemicals like chlorine disappear before watering is a very close second).
At the end of the day, it's a freebie (what a lovely thing to find in your compost!), so if it dies, it's not the end of the world. It wasn't as though it was a planned part of your harvest. If it lives - lovely big bonus, loads of experience points and scrummy pumpkin soup and pies and whatnot.
Half the fun of gardening is seeing what makes them thrive, and - erm - what doesn't. But I've kind of adopted your pumpkin plant as an Ishy mascot, now. I want to see some photos, and don't you DARE kill it, LOL!
I took my dog to play frisbee. She was useless. I think I need a flatter dog.
http://reflectionsinraindrops.wordpress.com - My blog
http://www.bothwellscarecrowfestival.co.uk - Scarecrow Festival
http://bothwellcommunitygarden.wordpress.com - Community Garden
http://reflectionsinraindrops.wordpress.com - My blog
http://www.bothwellscarecrowfestival.co.uk - Scarecrow Festival
http://bothwellcommunitygarden.wordpress.com - Community Garden
Re: Will my pumpkins survive ?
My butternuts and pumpkin survived when I moved them to the allotment. I would second grahams comment on not disturbing the roots, they dont need to loosening of the soil and the less roots you loose the better
Re: Will my pumpkins survive ?
Been in the new place for a day, boxes n bags everywhere, can't move lol. Soon as I get the house put straight I can start on the garden, can't wait ! So all the plants are still in pots but here's pics of a couple of pumpkin plants. They seem to be doing ok so far, must get them in the ground soon.




- Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
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Re: Will my pumpkins survive ?
Good luck, don't envy you the unpacking but your pumpkins look happy! 

http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM,(thanks)
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- margo - newbie
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- Location: Oxford, UK
Re: Will my pumpkins survive ?
I've planted a mixture of pumpkin (from a packet) and various squash (salvaged from fruit in our veg box).
A pumpkin ended up in a raised bed and has taken over 1 metre by 2 metre. Wondering a) how brutal should we be in cutting it back (it only appears to have one pumpkin on it, though lots of flowers) and b) do you have to wait for them to fully ripen or can they be eaten early (ie green)? One of the squash is kind of egg shaped (though much larger) and yellow - any idea what kind of squash that might be? And when it should be harvested? (Might try and work out how to post a photo).
A pumpkin ended up in a raised bed and has taken over 1 metre by 2 metre. Wondering a) how brutal should we be in cutting it back (it only appears to have one pumpkin on it, though lots of flowers) and b) do you have to wait for them to fully ripen or can they be eaten early (ie green)? One of the squash is kind of egg shaped (though much larger) and yellow - any idea what kind of squash that might be? And when it should be harvested? (Might try and work out how to post a photo).