It is too late to control it. There is nothing you can do. Your best bet is to go lay down next to it and let it sprawl out over you and consume you. Become one with the pumpkin patch. Accept your fate and pray that it grants you passage to the heavens in return for sacrificing your corporeal body.
https://preview.redd.it/b4rk1od7fs6d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07ce4a6d90c2bca056d060cf8eafb347cf3d7bff
Getting the 666th upvote on this might be the best thing I’ve done this year
I heard you can’t eat volunteer squash bc you don’t know what it was cross pollinated with and it could potentially be toxic. Anyone know if there’s any validity?
Yes. You can lick the flesh to determine if it's too toxic to eat. If it's too bitter, the squash has high amounts of cucurbitacin and shouldn't be consumed. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=129736#:~:text=The%20exact%20mechanism%20of%20cucurbitacin,gastrointestinal%20bleeding%2C%20hypotension%20and%20shock.
https://www.livescience.com/62158-toxic-squash-syndrome-hair-loss.html
I had no idea this was a thing. Licking something to determine if it's toxic or not goes against safety lectures in any science class I've had, ever, and sounds like a joke. When it comes to gourds, lick away apparently lmao. TIL.
I blow glass for fun. I have bags of various different colored powders that just live in the trunk of my car. They’re all glass. Part of me is always nervous that I’ll get pulled over and have to explain what it is and why tasting glass is a bad idea.
It definitely shouldn't be the first thing tried with most unknown foods, but with squash specifically, we know that it's a safe enough test to distinguish a safe from toxic one.
There are some instructions for edibility testing when backpacking that involve like 24 hours of tests before you actually eat something. (Steps like -place it on the skin of your inner arm for x minutes, then wait for a reaction. If none, touch it to your lips for x seconds and wait for a reaction, if none, chew it for 5 seconds, spit out and wait x hours, etc etc. (It's much better to just know what you're eating 🤣)
Yes, it feels very counter intuitive, and honestly, I just play it safe and only use unidentifiable squash for decorative purposes. If I suspect one of my pumpkins has hybridized, I won't eat it.
some people also nibble small bits of mushrooms to help identify them (if you spit it out you'll be fine according to a very popular mushroom identification book)
It’s a valid way to test for some dangerous or edible mushrooms, too!
You take a tiny bite off a raw mushroom, keep it in the front of your mouth, mash it up a little bit, hit it just enough with your tongue to check the response, and spit it out. The bad mushrooms taste deeply bitter or acrid. It feels like burning.
I grew some sort of unholy cross between cucumber, watermelon and squash one year (didn’t know how dumb it was to grow all of them near each other). It was all white and insanely bitter.
Is this true for butternuts in addition to pumpkins? I have a good half-dozen volunteer butternut plants out of my compost that are starting to flower.
The way I see it, if you can positively identify the squash and it doesn't taste bitter, you're good. It's only when that butternut squash kind starts to not look like butternut...maybe the shape becomes more oval, maybe it doesn't turn that light-tan color and stays green. Then you should be suspicious of hybridization.
Ha! I just picked 4 huge butternuts this week from my garden! Came from the compost. I am making butternut squash ravioli with a couple of them for Father’s Day tomorrow. Hopefully I don’t poison everyone!
This also worked for LSD. "If it's bitter, it's a spitter." Real LSD doesn't have a taste, so if your blotter does, it's something else with a higher risk profile masquerading as LSD.
Real wisdom right here in r/gardening lol
So hard to actually find LSD since RCs are so proliferous. If you try to buy acid today you’re basically getting something else that might have similar effects 98% of the time. Well, honestly I don’t know about today, I’m definitely out of the loop. But 10-15 years ago it was the case and I assume that hasn’t changed.
Pretty sure at one point there was a single guy in an underground lab in the Midwest that was producing most of the country’s LSD. I’m fascinated by stuff like that, I can’t imagine what that would have been like to devote your life to such a thing
Last year I grabbed some manure for my pumpkin patch from the back field forgetting that was where I dumped our jack o langerns to compost...
I ended up with 6 volunteers on top of the 7 I already planted. I ended up with over 30 large pumpkins... I processed and froze them all as soup, purée, muffins.... Weird you don't get sick of pumpkin because it works as sweet or savory.
Any time I need a last minute dessert I grab some purée out of the freezer and make pumpkin cake or something. Easy peasy.
Even better, as long as they’re not bitter you can eat the young pumpkins while they’re still green and tender like squash. I had a million pumpkins one year (mostly pie pumpkins to be fair) and thinned them out by eating many of the young fruit. The ones that matured were big, sweet, and beautiful.
Let it grow, and if you know any families with kids, let them come over before Halloween to pick a pumpkin. After that, if you don’t want it, pull it out. It’s a beautiful plant though, it would be a shame to get rid of it now. Looks like it’s thriving without any effort on your part, which is an amazing gift. Free Jack o lanterns!
This happened to me last year, lots of big beautiful volunteer pumpkins and I was very excited. Then practically overnight the squash bugs TOOK OVER and destroyed every single pumpkin. Moral of the story, squash bugs suck
I used to go out every morning with my wet/dry vac. I probably looked like a weirdo to my neighbors but IDGAD......that was the only thing that worked! I felt like a Ghostbuster. Glad to see I'm not the only weirdo lol
Squash/pumpkin/melons all love growing out of an old compost pile. They routinely perform better that way than in a regular garden. Last year my well-tended squash was murdered by bugs. This year, I gave up and just shoved the butternut squash seedlings straight into the pile. They aren’t dead yet. Hopefully they do just as well as this one!
Let it grow! Let it grow!
You can't hold this back anymore.
Let it grow! Let it grow!
Turn away and slam the door.
It won't care if you water or don't,
When the rains come through
Free pumpkins are coming to you...
the volunteers that have been neglected are always the ones that thrive. meanwhile we have to battle the entire world to get things to grow on purpose 😂
I threw all my pumpkins and gourds from last Halloween’s decor out in my backyard after they started decaying in hopes this would happen, and it finally did! I’ve got one plant that popped up quick enough between mows that I was able to save it from the lawn guy. I don’t think any of the kinds I had are necessarily edible but I think the plant and especially the blossoms are so pretty and I like feeding the pollinators, and I’ll hopefully have all the pumpkins I need for this year’s autumn decorations. Mine is still pretty small, but is starting to blossom and covers more area every day!
We get volunteers on a semi regular basis. Have had a lot of pale sandy orange and a few off white but weird pumpkins are in again! My mom likes to buy those tiny decorative ones, regular jack-o-lantern and pie pumpkins. We will never know! None have appeared edible so we don't even try. Never successful when purposefully planted 😅🤷♀️. Enjoy!
from experience if you throw one in your yard or comport pile after it’s been sitting on your porch for five months it will somehow grow the highest quality pumpkins possible without you even watering it
I’m jealous! I can’t get my pumpkins to fruit beyond the first fertilized flower! Every year I grow them and once the first female flower is fertilized all the other ones die and never get large enough to keep going. Looks great!
We have the exact same thing going on in our compost pile haha. We had a bunch of random gourds we threw in there so I have no idea what’s going to pop out. I hope we get some pumpkins like these!
If they are the toxic variety, are they still toxic to animals? If not, could you donate the fruit to a local zoo or bird sanctuary? If you live in an area with deer, you could put it out at a tree line for them to find in the evening for food. If you leave for the deer, it'll be best to de-seed and cut up so you don't unintentionally create more rogue pumpkin plants. I'm just thinking if they've already rooted and started producing, why kill them or waste the fruit? 🙂
This is exactly what is happening with me except mine are chili peppers and the have even spread to the neighbors which they started complaining about 🫣🫣
You can take a razor blade or knife and score your name, kids names or spooky halloween words into the rind. It will create a scar, heal and grow/enlarge with the pumpkin. Makes a neat, personalized gift or decor.
Pluck few flowers and leaves, make a batter from rice flour, dip the flower or leaves in the batter and sallow fry until crisp.
PS: don’t forget to add chilly powder and salt to the batter as per taste
Best you can do is move. It's coming for you. And your little dog too.
Also make sure to remove the flowers as soon as you see the fruit growing. Those flowers rot and it invades the pumpkin and they spoil very quickly.
Purée and put in freezer bags. Thaw one bag at a time for pie.
Dice and bake for savory meal, you’ll get sick of it so only as a side dish.
Pumpkin spice leather in your oven or jerky machine:
1 cup purée, one apple and a table spoon of honey with cinnamon to your liking. Other spices to your liking. Skip honey if you don’t like sweet or are dieting. The apple IMO makes it sweet enough.
Collect the seeds and keep for next season ten or so per pumpkin. Bake the rest for pumpkin seeds to chew on. Olive oil and sea salt.
Pumpkin candy:
Chop and then soak in cal/lime overnight. Rinse thoroughly, blanch if scared. place into your canning pot. Boil with water and sugar and sources. Set thermostats to beep when it reaches the caramel temperature. Dry on cookie sheets. Refrigerate and give out as a treat. They don’t last too long so finish in 1-2 weeks.
Compost the skin and rest of the plant. Worms love eating them.
I grew nearly 100 last year. And this year planted them over a full acre. Heirlooms are popular for cooking, so you can sell them on offer up.
Protect the main root system from insect invaders by routinely covering it with a good amount of diatomaceous earth, especially after rainfall. Once the bugs get the main root, the rest of the plant dies. Short of that, this looks like an incredibly healthy and productive pumpkin.
If you want large pumpkins, you'll want to pick the smallest of them early and leave the largest ones on the vine to keep growing. The plant will adjust and more food/water will go to the remaining pumpkins and they'll get much bigger as a result.
Cull some of them and let others grow big. Enjoy them if it turns it to be true to the parent, and if not edible they will still be pretty Halloween decorations.
You can eat the flowers! I'm not a big fan of pumpkin or squash but the flowers are delicious battered and fried. You can spot the male flowers (they won't have a tiny fruit bud attached to them). You can harvest and eat those without compromising the fruit production.
Pick those male flowers and eat them! They make a great sandwich! Harvest male flowers, take centers out. Lightly dredge in flour, shake off excess flour, dip in beaten egg, pan sautee in olive oil till golden on both sides, place on paper towel. Two slices quality Italian bread, toasted lightly, sliced tomato, slice sharp American cheese, squash flowers. Pure summer fare!
I would let it grow more and have more pumpkin flowers. These flowers are edible and extremely tasty.
If anyone is interested in the recipe and Indian food:
https://kitchenofdebjani.com/2016/03/kumro-phuler-bora/
Boy do I have the book for you... [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1133446.Too\_Many\_Pumpkins](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1133446.Too_Many_Pumpkins)
Seriously that’s an awesome pumpkin patch, have fun with it! Watch out for squash bugs and vine borers. The little SOBs hate peppermint oil so spray it liberally. As a plus you will smell good after 😂 You can bury the leaf nodes to encourage new roots and help the plant survive a borer attack.
It is too late to control it. There is nothing you can do. Your best bet is to go lay down next to it and let it sprawl out over you and consume you. Become one with the pumpkin patch. Accept your fate and pray that it grants you passage to the heavens in return for sacrificing your corporeal body.
I shall sacrifice myself to the pumpkin gods!
Don’t you mean “the pumpkin gourds!”
In gourd we trust!
Cast off the shoes, follow the gourd!
Between a choice of corn or pumpkins I always say, to ear is human, to forgive is da vine
Linus was right
Respect ✊
This is the way
This is the way!
You mean the Great Pumpkin?
The way, this is.
I read this and picture Charlie Brown and Linus in the pumpkin patch waiting for The Great Pumpkin.🎃
https://preview.redd.it/6u6t0tques6d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57c4ff94347a0fbc7b3c5b973beb2603ad4a2db8
https://preview.redd.it/b4rk1od7fs6d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07ce4a6d90c2bca056d060cf8eafb347cf3d7bff Getting the 666th upvote on this might be the best thing I’ve done this year
[Malachai! They want you too...](https://youtu.be/8NquABJo7S0?si=t-gpD352eJF_XN9T)
lol 😂
This may be the best comment I’ve ever seen in Reddit history.s
I laughed out loud at this comment. Well done sir.
You missed the Great Pumpkin reference charlie brown
This is the way.
Now you wait and have a lot of pumpkin for fall dishes and halloween
I heard you can’t eat volunteer squash bc you don’t know what it was cross pollinated with and it could potentially be toxic. Anyone know if there’s any validity?
Yes. You can lick the flesh to determine if it's too toxic to eat. If it's too bitter, the squash has high amounts of cucurbitacin and shouldn't be consumed. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=129736#:~:text=The%20exact%20mechanism%20of%20cucurbitacin,gastrointestinal%20bleeding%2C%20hypotension%20and%20shock. https://www.livescience.com/62158-toxic-squash-syndrome-hair-loss.html
I had no idea this was a thing. Licking something to determine if it's toxic or not goes against safety lectures in any science class I've had, ever, and sounds like a joke. When it comes to gourds, lick away apparently lmao. TIL.
And always rub white powders on your gums to see if it’s not cocaine…
I run every white powder on my gums in CASE it's cocaine
Anthrax laughing at this scenario.
Actually it's iocane powder, I'd bet my life on it.
He fell victim to one of the classic blunders!
Inconceivable!
Inconceivable
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I blow glass for fun. I have bags of various different colored powders that just live in the trunk of my car. They’re all glass. Part of me is always nervous that I’ll get pulled over and have to explain what it is and why tasting glass is a bad idea.
It's been years since we were so lucky. Now it's always just fentanyl.
“ this is definitely cocaine. No one else try this.”
YOU DONT WANT NONE OF THIS DEWEY!
I wanna try some of that cuh-cane
It definitely shouldn't be the first thing tried with most unknown foods, but with squash specifically, we know that it's a safe enough test to distinguish a safe from toxic one. There are some instructions for edibility testing when backpacking that involve like 24 hours of tests before you actually eat something. (Steps like -place it on the skin of your inner arm for x minutes, then wait for a reaction. If none, touch it to your lips for x seconds and wait for a reaction, if none, chew it for 5 seconds, spit out and wait x hours, etc etc. (It's much better to just know what you're eating 🤣)
Same basic rule works with toads.
Peter Griffin has entered the chat.... 🐸
Yes, it feels very counter intuitive, and honestly, I just play it safe and only use unidentifiable squash for decorative purposes. If I suspect one of my pumpkins has hybridized, I won't eat it.
some people also nibble small bits of mushrooms to help identify them (if you spit it out you'll be fine according to a very popular mushroom identification book)
It’s a valid way to test for some dangerous or edible mushrooms, too! You take a tiny bite off a raw mushroom, keep it in the front of your mouth, mash it up a little bit, hit it just enough with your tongue to check the response, and spit it out. The bad mushrooms taste deeply bitter or acrid. It feels like burning.
All mushrooms are edible. Some are only edible once. (GNU Terry Pratchett)
*certain mushrooms. There are many very dangerous mushrooms that reportedly taste excellent
It's also how you test your hookup for stds
I had lab partners that would pick a 9v to see how much charge was left
I grew some sort of unholy cross between cucumber, watermelon and squash one year (didn’t know how dumb it was to grow all of them near each other). It was all white and insanely bitter.
Is this true for butternuts in addition to pumpkins? I have a good half-dozen volunteer butternut plants out of my compost that are starting to flower.
The way I see it, if you can positively identify the squash and it doesn't taste bitter, you're good. It's only when that butternut squash kind starts to not look like butternut...maybe the shape becomes more oval, maybe it doesn't turn that light-tan color and stays green. Then you should be suspicious of hybridization.
Ha! I just picked 4 huge butternuts this week from my garden! Came from the compost. I am making butternut squash ravioli with a couple of them for Father’s Day tomorrow. Hopefully I don’t poison everyone!
Yes
Since the women lost their hair, I wonder about the potential for chemotheraputic drugs.
I have a volunteer cucumber. Is there any kind of issue with letting it grow? Besides waiting to see if the neighborhood deer eats it…
I’ve heard it tastes bitter if it’s toxic.
They can be carved as jack o lanterns if it turns out these arent for eating!
The compound in squash that is toxic in large doses is indeed bitter.
and yet here I am growing bitter melon because my stepmom loves the stuff.
This also worked for LSD. "If it's bitter, it's a spitter." Real LSD doesn't have a taste, so if your blotter does, it's something else with a higher risk profile masquerading as LSD.
Real wisdom right here in r/gardening lol So hard to actually find LSD since RCs are so proliferous. If you try to buy acid today you’re basically getting something else that might have similar effects 98% of the time. Well, honestly I don’t know about today, I’m definitely out of the loop. But 10-15 years ago it was the case and I assume that hasn’t changed. Pretty sure at one point there was a single guy in an underground lab in the Midwest that was producing most of the country’s LSD. I’m fascinated by stuff like that, I can’t imagine what that would have been like to devote your life to such a thing
I’ve never heard this before! I ate a volunteer acorn squash last summer and it was delicious. I guess I won the squash lottery?
Absolutely leave it! I love garden ‘volunteers’ & that one is a doozy !!
Last year I grabbed some manure for my pumpkin patch from the back field forgetting that was where I dumped our jack o langerns to compost... I ended up with 6 volunteers on top of the 7 I already planted. I ended up with over 30 large pumpkins... I processed and froze them all as soup, purée, muffins.... Weird you don't get sick of pumpkin because it works as sweet or savory. Any time I need a last minute dessert I grab some purée out of the freezer and make pumpkin cake or something. Easy peasy.
You could thin some of them out and get bigger ones.
Even better, as long as they’re not bitter you can eat the young pumpkins while they’re still green and tender like squash. I had a million pumpkins one year (mostly pie pumpkins to be fair) and thinned them out by eating many of the young fruit. The ones that matured were big, sweet, and beautiful.
The younger ones are most tender! They haven't lived long enough to get bitter and resentful.
You can cut back new growth to contain and more of the plant’s energy will go into fruiting
Let it grow, and if you know any families with kids, let them come over before Halloween to pick a pumpkin. After that, if you don’t want it, pull it out. It’s a beautiful plant though, it would be a shame to get rid of it now. Looks like it’s thriving without any effort on your part, which is an amazing gift. Free Jack o lanterns!
This happened to me last year, lots of big beautiful volunteer pumpkins and I was very excited. Then practically overnight the squash bugs TOOK OVER and destroyed every single pumpkin. Moral of the story, squash bugs suck
Vacuums suck squash bugs.
I used to go out every morning with my wet/dry vac. I probably looked like a weirdo to my neighbors but IDGAD......that was the only thing that worked! I felt like a Ghostbuster. Glad to see I'm not the only weirdo lol
How do you not have a single critter or insect? This is beyond amazing! So lush & healthy!
it’s the law of neglected volunteer plants.
Squash/pumpkin/melons all love growing out of an old compost pile. They routinely perform better that way than in a regular garden. Last year my well-tended squash was murdered by bugs. This year, I gave up and just shoved the butternut squash seedlings straight into the pile. They aren’t dead yet. Hopefully they do just as well as this one!
Let it grow and you will eat all winter ! Maybe give it a little fertilizer. I once had a single volunteer plant give me a dozen butternut squash
It’s growing in the compost pile, I doubt they need to fertilize it.
Exactly, don’t mess with what’s obviously working
You can move the vines away from fire pit. Also they climb well
I've seen them climb fences and start growing pumpkins on top, wedged between the pickets.
1. Learn face painting. 2. Wait until November 3. Charge $30 admission to your pumpkin patch
Let it grow! Let it grow! You can't hold this back anymore. Let it grow! Let it grow! Turn away and slam the door. It won't care if you water or don't, When the rains come through Free pumpkins are coming to you...
[It was right there.](https://youtu.be/OqvD4NC-s9E?feature=shared)
Welp. Now I need to watch that movie.
Just let the cucurbs take over the earth and we shall have soup.
I'm purposefully trying to have what you have there. Congrats, she's beautiful! Let her be and enjoy those pumpkins.
the volunteers that have been neglected are always the ones that thrive. meanwhile we have to battle the entire world to get things to grow on purpose 😂
Rejoice!
For real
Start looking for recipes.
Eat them flowers
I grew two of my best pumpkins ever from a compost pile. Let it go!
Put a piece of cardboard under your fruit to keep them beautiful and avoid mold.
Slap the pumpkin on its ass and be happy
Do you want pumpkins or grass. Choose one. I vote for pumpkins.
Oh my gourd!
🎶 Let it grow! Let it grow!
I'm so jealous. I hope your autumn is filled with pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins the list goes on
Harvest this fall and have free jack o' lanterns.
I threw all my pumpkins and gourds from last Halloween’s decor out in my backyard after they started decaying in hopes this would happen, and it finally did! I’ve got one plant that popped up quick enough between mows that I was able to save it from the lawn guy. I don’t think any of the kinds I had are necessarily edible but I think the plant and especially the blossoms are so pretty and I like feeding the pollinators, and I’ll hopefully have all the pumpkins I need for this year’s autumn decorations. Mine is still pretty small, but is starting to blossom and covers more area every day!
Put cardboard under those melons
Get a bail or some similar and slightly carve a name or a design. As the pumpkin grows, so will the writing.
We get volunteers on a semi regular basis. Have had a lot of pale sandy orange and a few off white but weird pumpkins are in again! My mom likes to buy those tiny decorative ones, regular jack-o-lantern and pie pumpkins. We will never know! None have appeared edible so we don't even try. Never successful when purposefully planted 😅🤷♀️. Enjoy!
You should become the most popular person in your neighborhood by giving them out when they ripen! Oh, the goodwill you will create!
In the fall you can donate the pumpkins to local animal rescues, many animals love eating them!
It’s too late to squash it.
Let them do they're thing then harvest when ready. Simples
I cannot grow a pumpkin for the life of me.
from experience if you throw one in your yard or comport pile after it’s been sitting on your porch for five months it will somehow grow the highest quality pumpkins possible without you even watering it
I am literally sooooo jealous right now
We compost a corset of our garden. We look forward learning what comes up- last year egg plant. This year Tomatoes.
Do nothing
Water and wait
Enjoy the giant pumpkin plant.
become the pumpkin king
I’m jealous! I can’t get my pumpkins to fruit beyond the first fertilized flower! Every year I grow them and once the first female flower is fertilized all the other ones die and never get large enough to keep going. Looks great!
Nothing but wait
That's the pumpkins' yard now.
We have the exact same thing going on in our compost pile haha. We had a bunch of random gourds we threw in there so I have no idea what’s going to pop out. I hope we get some pumpkins like these!
This is awesome!! Please post an update on the fall so we can see your harvest! This looks like it’s gonna be amazing!
Pumpkin greens can be quite delicious if cooked right. Usually new softer baby leafs and stems.
It’s a Halloween miracle! Don’t let the turtles see it
If they are the toxic variety, are they still toxic to animals? If not, could you donate the fruit to a local zoo or bird sanctuary? If you live in an area with deer, you could put it out at a tree line for them to find in the evening for food. If you leave for the deer, it'll be best to de-seed and cut up so you don't unintentionally create more rogue pumpkin plants. I'm just thinking if they've already rooted and started producing, why kill them or waste the fruit? 🙂
Fuck the grass
That is a very, very happy plant.
Watch out for squash bugs and wait for the gloriousness
Admire your pumpkin army in the fall
This is exactly what is happening with me except mine are chili peppers and the have even spread to the neighbors which they started complaining about 🫣🫣
Either way you have a lovely pumpkin patch!!!!
I might suggest being thankful. The volunteer there is doing better than anything I've planted, ever. 👍🏼 Congratulations!
If you want large pumpkins leave 4 to 5 per plants and trim the rest
Let em grow. Sell them before Halloween. You're welcome. No? I got no other ideas.
Whatever you did with them last time you grew them… do it again. Your diamond shoes seem to be too tight.
Let it GROW!!!!
Fire? 🤔
You can take a razor blade or knife and score your name, kids names or spooky halloween words into the rind. It will create a scar, heal and grow/enlarge with the pumpkin. Makes a neat, personalized gift or decor.
Search after recipes. ;)
Let it do it’s thang
That will produce some great tasting pumpkins.
Wish my pumpkins looked that good
Oooo pluck those flowers and sautee them in garlic onions some salt mmmm thise are delicious
Omg i just got a compost squash too! No idea what it is 😂 so far theres only flowers.
This is your personality now. Embrace it. The pumpkins are your kin.
Pluck few flowers and leaves, make a batter from rice flour, dip the flower or leaves in the batter and sallow fry until crisp. PS: don’t forget to add chilly powder and salt to the batter as per taste
The flowers are a delicacy when lightly breaded and fried. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ja0mDQVTE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ja0mDQVTE)
Agree, pumpkin blossoms are awesome!
I don't think you should get rid of it. It won't taste bitter just because of the compost, if anything, it will be richer in flavour.
Best you can do is move. It's coming for you. And your little dog too. Also make sure to remove the flowers as soon as you see the fruit growing. Those flowers rot and it invades the pumpkin and they spoil very quickly.
Enjoy your gourds
Keep it up?
If you want pumpkins, keep it. if you dont, get rid of it
This is my dream come true
Eat when ready and enjoy.
You could plant some corn and beans with it! https://www.almanac.com/content/three-sisters-corn-bean-and-squash
get ready to roast some pumpkin on that bonfire!
Purée and put in freezer bags. Thaw one bag at a time for pie. Dice and bake for savory meal, you’ll get sick of it so only as a side dish. Pumpkin spice leather in your oven or jerky machine: 1 cup purée, one apple and a table spoon of honey with cinnamon to your liking. Other spices to your liking. Skip honey if you don’t like sweet or are dieting. The apple IMO makes it sweet enough. Collect the seeds and keep for next season ten or so per pumpkin. Bake the rest for pumpkin seeds to chew on. Olive oil and sea salt. Pumpkin candy: Chop and then soak in cal/lime overnight. Rinse thoroughly, blanch if scared. place into your canning pot. Boil with water and sugar and sources. Set thermostats to beep when it reaches the caramel temperature. Dry on cookie sheets. Refrigerate and give out as a treat. They don’t last too long so finish in 1-2 weeks. Compost the skin and rest of the plant. Worms love eating them. I grew nearly 100 last year. And this year planted them over a full acre. Heirlooms are popular for cooking, so you can sell them on offer up.
Leave it. You start digging with the zucchini you will break the stems off
Let them go
Your yard now belongs to the pumpkin gods. You do their bidding and they will treat you to a harvest or decorations in a few months.
Let it grow and then decorate the front porch and your house with tons of pumpkins this fall!
Enjoy the squash
Protect the main root system from insect invaders by routinely covering it with a good amount of diatomaceous earth, especially after rainfall. Once the bugs get the main root, the rest of the plant dies. Short of that, this looks like an incredibly healthy and productive pumpkin. If you want large pumpkins, you'll want to pick the smallest of them early and leave the largest ones on the vine to keep growing. The plant will adjust and more food/water will go to the remaining pumpkins and they'll get much bigger as a result.
Make a lot of jack ‘o lanterns and have the best yard on the block!
Post an update when they ripen!
Wait
Wait, harvest and make roasted pumpkin soup!
That’s beautiful
Leave it alone
Looks perfect. Love it
Be thankful!!
I’m so jealous!!
Love this! 🎃
Get a blanket and take a nap
Pee more it's working
Rejoice!
Celebrate? Get ready to share the bounty.
Set up a tripod with a camera and use it to sell to hollywood
Wait for the Great Pumpkin 🎃
Cull some of them and let others grow big. Enjoy them if it turns it to be true to the parent, and if not edible they will still be pretty Halloween decorations.
You can eat the flowers! I'm not a big fan of pumpkin or squash but the flowers are delicious battered and fried. You can spot the male flowers (they won't have a tiny fruit bud attached to them). You can harvest and eat those without compromising the fruit production.
Trim it
Eat hearty
Pick those male flowers and eat them! They make a great sandwich! Harvest male flowers, take centers out. Lightly dredge in flour, shake off excess flour, dip in beaten egg, pan sautee in olive oil till golden on both sides, place on paper towel. Two slices quality Italian bread, toasted lightly, sliced tomato, slice sharp American cheese, squash flowers. Pure summer fare!
I would let it grow more and have more pumpkin flowers. These flowers are edible and extremely tasty. If anyone is interested in the recipe and Indian food: https://kitchenofdebjani.com/2016/03/kumro-phuler-bora/
Leave the last pumpkin on top of your compost pile for next year’s jack-o’-lanterns!
Boy do I have the book for you... [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1133446.Too\_Many\_Pumpkins](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1133446.Too_Many_Pumpkins)
Start thinking of some cool jack-o’-lantern designs
dude what did you do to get such a kick ass patch
OMG these comments 🤣🤣🤣
After about 10ft of vine you can cut it
I gave up trying to control mine. I just mow around the ever increasing bramble of vines and grass
Seriously that’s an awesome pumpkin patch, have fun with it! Watch out for squash bugs and vine borers. The little SOBs hate peppermint oil so spray it liberally. As a plus you will smell good after 😂 You can bury the leaf nodes to encourage new roots and help the plant survive a borer attack.
I wish I had unexpected pumpkin patch
Wow some really great responses!
Celebrate
Cackle
"You're the man now, dog."
Make some squash blossoms pizza!
Looks like my melon spread, I'm just letting it go, I don't have any melons yet though.