Pumpkin question

Hi,

I have a pumpkin plant that is pretty big that has been through a lot. First it started growing near our front door and I had to transplant it when it was already pretty big. We didn't even plant the seeds. They came from our Haloween pumpkin I'm sure. That and the help of some squirels. Suprisingly it survived the transplant after all the original leaves wilted off and is now doing quite well. We had several female flowers that didn't fertilize but finally we got one that flowered and is growing a small pumpkin now.

I know its very late in the season, but we have a little pumpkin growing now on a vine that is growing up around a weeping pine tree. I'm worried that when the pumpkin gets a little bigger the stress will make it fall off or hurt it so it can't grow. Do you think it would shock the plant if I cut some of the tentacles that are holding it to the pine tree or should I just leave it alone?

Thanks for any feedback. Next year I'm starting our pumpkins in April!

Steve

Reply to
njsteve
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Leave the plant alone. It sounds like the pumpkin is hanging from the tree. If it gets too large, it could indeed break off. You can try to support it to avoid that. Put something under the pumpkin to hold it up.

I wouldn't count on having a halloween pumpkin, however. A late start means that the pumpkin might not ripen in time. Also, growing on a tree is not the best place for the pumpkin, since it won't get full sun.

A couple of weeks before halloween, cut off the pumpkin and put it in the sun, but protected from really cold weather. If it's far enough along in its development, it could turn orange. If the vines die, cut the pumpkin off immediately, since any problem in the vine can be transmitted to the pumpkin stem. Most pumpkins have been cut by now to allow the stems time to harden.

Reply to
dps

If you can't figure some way to support the pumpkin while it's in the tree, go ahead and cut the tendrils. Have an assistant hold the pumpkin while you cut the vine free. Untangle the vine (if neccessary) and lay it out on the ground. The tendrils aren't vital equipment. I've pulled vines down off fences and such when needed. Does no harm.

Reply to
Pat Kiewicz

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