Volunteer Squash or Pumpkin

July 31, 2014 by Elaine 2 Comments

This squash/pumpkin plant appeared from nowhere

Back at the beginning of June, I spotted a very unstrawberrylike plant growing in one of my strawberry pots. I could see at a glance that it was either a pumpkin or a winter squash but which one of the 5 varieties I am growing this year it is, will remain a mystery until it forms a fruit – if it ever does that is. I carefully removed this volunteer (the term used by gardeners to describe the unexpected emergence and growth of a vegetable plant) from the strawberry pot and potted it into some fresh compost and left it in the greenhouse to recover. Once it was big enough, I planted it into a spot amongst the sweet corn and other winter squashes and left it to its’ own devices.

At first, it seemed to be exhibiting bush like tendencies and so I thought it might be one of my Cheyenne Bush pumpkins but just recently it has started to throw out a vine and so it may yet prove to be something else. Either way, I intend to document its’ progress on this post and will keep updating it as it progresses, flowers and hopefully fruits, so watch this space…….

 

After a short stay in the greenhouse, I planted it out into the Corn bed

 29th July: The vine has tiny flowers appearing on it now.