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Compact/bush pumpkin

Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
in Fruit & veg
I've always wanted to try growing pumpkins, but I don't have a lot of space and worry they'll take over the whole garden. I've heard they grow well on a compost heap so I thought I'd give that a try. Are there any good compact or bush pumpkin varieties people could recommend? I've also thought about training one up a trellis. Anyone tried that with pumpkin before?
Thanks in advance.

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I only grow winter squash so can't recommend any pumpkin varieties but I have grown squash up trellis and it's a real hassle as each fruit needs properly supporting separately otherwise the whole vine comes down or stems get torn off when the fruits get too heavy.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Try growing one of the smaller ones up a trellis.  I did for years in Belgium because it meant the fruits were up in the sun and the ground was free for my strawberries.  The one I liked best is called variously Utchi Kuri/Potimarron/Onion squash.  Small, bright orange, good flavour and several fruits per plant tho I stopped them at between 3 and 5 depending on how good a summer we were having.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
    Thanks both. I've ordered some seeds called Amazonka. Semi-bush variety. I'll sow in April and build it a trellis. Fingers crossed.
  • Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
    My Amazonka pumpkin is almost ready to plant out in the compost heap. The weather looks warmer from next week so I’ll plant it out after the weekend.

    I’ve just checked the compost and it’s full of ants. Will the ants damage the pumpkin? Should I try to kill them off with some boiling water before I plant my pumpkin or should I plant it and see how it goes? 

    Thanks
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Water your compost heap every day for a week before planting.  That will move the ants on and make sure the compost is wet enough for the squash to grow (ants like it dry, so I suspect your heap is too dry at the moment.)  Even better would be to dig a hole in the ground, dig in a couple of bucketfuls of compost from the heap and then plant into what should then be a slight mound.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • HelixHelix Posts: 631
    Utchi Kuri/Potimarron/Onion squash.   Aren’t those three different varieties...?    

    One that I like for small spaces is jack-be-little. A tiny variety with really sweet flavourful flesh that keeps really well.  Each one is a good meal.  It scrambles, and because the pumpkins are small they don’t drag down fencing.  I just let it go, and come august’ish stop any new fruits forming as they won’t ripen. 

    They are the small ones on the top shelf...

  • Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
    Thanks Bob. I’ll get watering and see if I can move the ants on. If I had space, I’d put the pumpkins in the ground, but I’ve not got any space left, and I’m intrigued to see if they will grow in the compost bin.

    Helix, the jack be littles look great. If the amazonkas don’t work, I’ll try those next year.



  • Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
    The watering seems to have worked. There are still a few ants milling about but nowhere near as many before.

    Now that we’re forecast some warmer nights (min 10°C) I’ve planted the pumpkin out in the compost bin. I put it in a 20L pot with the bottom cut off and put that on top of the bin, so it’s got some time to get more established before it’s roots are in the compost bin. Fingers crossed.


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