Another pumpkin question

[maytreefrannie]

I've one pumpkin plant (the only one that germinated from 17 seeds sown). It's got a couple of tiny attempts and one biggish fruit. However, this is sort of marrow shaped, but with the outer end bigger than the stalk end. The seeds were saved from last year's pumpkin, which gave two good sized pumpkins (I'd encouraged two to grow and removed several small ones).

Here's my question:
Does this mean that last year's pumpkin somehow cross-pollinated with courgette or squash plants? I'd kept them well away from each other. I'd appreciate if someone can tell me whether I might have a chance of this developing into a proper pumpkin shape.

By the way, the seeds were not F1.

[ginger ninger]

There's no guarantee that your pumpkin didn't cross pollinate, there very promiscuous and will cross quite freely if not hand pollinated...this is the only way you can be sure that you'll get a true seed from the parent plants, but you have to cover the flower once this has been done.
With regard to whether your pumpkin will grow normally I really wouldn't like to guess, but I'd let it grow and see what it turned into.

[Florence Fennel]

I've got one that is green and looks like a cross between a marrow and a melon!

[Jeanied]

Sounds like you have a hybrid on your hands, Maytreefrannie. You'd better join the squash club parcel and get some good seeds for next year!

[maytreefrannie]

Thanks all for your replies - I think it must be a bit of a 'mix' all right. We'll see how it grows (or what).

Thanks again.

[greencrystal]

may i ask, how do you know if the pumpkin has been mixed????? is there any tell tell signs????????? and also do they go orange after they have finished growing?

[Jeanied]

You know something is up when you find the baby plant is nothing like the parent, greencrystal. For example one of my fellow lottie holders has been growing yellow courgettes from a packet of bought seeds. Except the leaf is nothing like a courgette leaf, it is more of a squash leaf (courgette leaves are darker green with deep splits in them, with silvery markings and these leaves have no splits, rounded edge, lighter green). So we reckon the seed she bought had been cross bred in some way and she probably has a yellow skinned, torpedo shaped squash. No idea what it tastes like - will find out next time I see her.

[greencrystal]

can i send pics on here?

[Jeanied]

If you go into 'go advanced' greencrystal you can attach a picture to your post using the paperclip - that takes you to browsing round your computer for where you have stored a photo!

[greencrystal]

my pumpkin number one that is a diffrent shape

this is one of the pumpkins that is a diffrent shape to the others

[greencrystal]

pumpkin 2

but here is another one and i think its on the same plant

[Jeanied]

Pumpkin 1 That one may well fill out in shape - otherwise you have a waisted pumpkin on your hands! Good for carving a face though! Wait for the skin to go fully orange before picking - the foliage has usually all died back by then - and pick with a good length of stalk at the end which you let dry off with the pumpkin

Pumpkin 2 - that one is fine! Keep the plant fed and watered till it is obvious things have stopped growing!

Now you won't have two hybrid squashes / pumpkins on one plant! After all it was just the one seed.

And well done for posting piccies! Clever girl - it took me months to work that one out!

[greencrystal]

well as long as the others are ok, i dont mind, it will be diffrent for the kids to carve.....so is it when they stop growing then they turn orange.....i really should of written my things down from last year cause i do not remember now