How big do pumpkin plants get?!!

[galtezza]

I have planted 3 pumpkin plants 'Rouges Vif D'Etampes' in my raised beds and they are like triffids. They have escaped the beds and are making their way towards the tomato beds now..

And there are 6 big pumpkins already, with over 15 smaller ones ripening...

This is my first year of growing veggies and had no idea that the pumpkins would be so big. It also seems the butternut squash are doing the same - the plants have started spreading over the edges of the raised beds, and I have over 16 butternuts developing..

Will they stop growing at some point soon, or are they set to take over the whole garden?

[horticultural_hobbit]

Well done you! Mine have become slug fodder.

Last year th ghost rider pumpkins was approximately a meter squared in his grow bag. Gladys the BNS was six foot tall.

Squashes do have a reputation as being triffid like.

[Feral007]

The whole garden I'm afraid! One of mine grew in the compost last season and in the finish I couldn't hang clothes on the line as it took over the entire corner of the yard

[rustylady]

They will just keep going unless you cut off some of the growing tips.

[Feral007]

Yes, what rustylady said..........but that spoils the fun

[bearded bloke]

One of my dalek's became a triffid last year (almost to the day) well done they look fab not even vaguely jealous here dont think mine will get anywhere near the length of 5.450 metre mark this year

[kentishgal]

Wow!! Im now slightly scared of mine!! So far only one has ventured out of the bed (and it had to climb a ft tall border to do it!). In fact add to that the nasturtiums which have shot out super long tendrils and Im slightly worried I might lose one of the Chihuahuas in there!!LOL

[Feral007]

Yeah I almost lost a kelpie to our punkin plants last season...........

[RedThorn]

They don't know what a kelpie is in uk...

if you've some pallets or such like train them up them... go up instead of out

[galtezza]

Thanks for that everyone. I will cut off the growing tips near the other beds, but I'll let them continue growing in the other direction. I think I'm a convert and I'll build some more beds just for different squash. They are great fun to watch growing and at least they don't seem to be affected by the flea beetle that decimated my turnip leaves!

[Florence Fennel]

Those plants are beautiful galtezza, well done you! I try to coax my squash into growing in circles, but they still try to escape across the beds!

[chris]

Wow your patch looks great now.

My pumpkins year before last grew to 18m in length before I stopped them

[Feral007]

Ah red thorn - I'm teachin em! I put a picture of one of the kelpie x's supervising the garden! Mind you, I don't think anyone quite knows what a kelpie is like till you live with one!

I'm almost ready for spring now with all this growing talk. Just let me get my snake phobia under control and we'll be set!

[CimaDirapa]

British grown pumpkins this year will be the same size as the tennis balls in Wimbledon (and as great disappointment).