12 days ago I sowed seeds of pumpkin (aka winter squash) 'Crown Prince' and 'Buttercup' in the only greenhouse my disability still lets me use
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Me too! As you saw last autumn (N Hemisphere) on my own LJ, my crop was truly excellent. We're still eating it.
This year my partner made a mistake, liming the soil where the pumpkins are to go, but a few months later she fed that soil with compost too and now she's ordered horse muck. Fingers crossed, we'll eat pumpkin again next year. Such a prolific crop that gives me reason to be proud of the years I had the physical strength to dig and build up my soil.
"Such a prolific crop that gives me reason to be proud of the years I had the physical strength to dig and build up my soil."
This is the reason why I'm such a fiend after raked leaves each fall: I know that I only have a limited amount of time left that I'll still have the physical strength to do the heavy work of building up my soil. (Old age is rapidly catching up with me and my bad knees.) :}
Sometimes it's a struggle for us disabled gardeners, but there's something about raising food from the soil and by our own efforts that keeps us poking around in the dirt, isn't there?
I'm not done gardening yet, either! And good luck with your pumpkins!
I had never grown pumpkins but had some come up volunteer from the compost this year. Now I want them but I fear these may be sterile as they have yet to put on any female flowers. Giving them another week.
I also have physical limitations that made gardening impossible for several years. Just last year I was able to start back in and this year I'm able to go whole hog thanks to treatments that are working. It is a great feeling and I am working to make gardening easier in the future. I know this won't last forever so I am enjoying it while I can!
How exciting! Curcurbits, including pumpkins, are open-pollinated so the seedlings in your compost are probably a random selection of genotypes. If they reach fruition, who knows what you might get?
18 pumpkin seedlings?!!? holy moly you must REALLY like squash/pumpkin!
the one year i grew pumpkins i planted 3 seeds and they tried to take over my garden. they climbed up over the fence, back down the other side, and spread out into the yard, aiming for world domination. i'd vastly underestimated the amount of space they needed. this year i'm planting spaghetti squash for the first time. i planted only 3 seeds, and gave them plenty of room to spread out. maybe even too much room. i didnt want them taking over my garden again. its all an experiment.
it sucks being limited in what you can do thru no choice of your own. i'm finding more and more that i wish my garden was raised beds instead of in ground. but making those raised beds is a lot of freaking work!
Yes we love these particular varieties (Crown Prince and Buttercup). They're staple foods for us, along with swedes (you call those rutabagas in the States, I think) and carrots. We've just finished eating the pumpkins and swedes from last year's crops so now we're into the purchased ones.
I know what you mean about taking over the world! In fact, I think I'll set out only 8 plants because that's how many can fit under my temporary polytunnel. When they're little. When they grow big (as in this userpic, taken last year) the polytunnel will come off.
I've already been spreading word amongst Lottie neighbours about how I plan to donate my spare pumpkin seedlings.
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Hope that they make a lot for you.
:)
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This year my partner made a mistake, liming the soil where the pumpkins are to go, but a few months later she fed that soil with compost too and now she's ordered horse muck. Fingers crossed, we'll eat pumpkin again next year. Such a prolific crop that gives me reason to be proud of the years I had the physical strength to dig and build up my soil.
Reply
This is the reason why I'm such a fiend after raked leaves each fall: I know that I only have a limited amount of time left that I'll still have the physical strength to do the heavy work of building up my soil. (Old age is rapidly catching up with me and my bad knees.)
:}
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I'm not done gardening yet, either! And good luck with your pumpkins!
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I also have physical limitations that made gardening impossible for several years. Just last year I was able to start back in and this year I'm able to go whole hog thanks to treatments that are working. It is a great feeling and I am working to make gardening easier in the future. I know this won't last forever so I am enjoying it while I can!
Reply
Reply
the one year i grew pumpkins i planted 3 seeds and they tried to take over my garden. they climbed up over the fence, back down the other side, and spread out into the yard, aiming for world domination. i'd vastly underestimated the amount of space they needed. this year i'm planting spaghetti squash for the first time. i planted only 3 seeds, and gave them plenty of room to spread out. maybe even too much room. i didnt want them taking over my garden again. its all an experiment.
it sucks being limited in what you can do thru no choice of your own. i'm finding more and more that i wish my garden was raised beds instead of in ground. but making those raised beds is a lot of freaking work!
Reply
I know what you mean about taking over the world! In fact, I think I'll set out only 8 plants because that's how many can fit under my temporary polytunnel. When they're little. When they grow big (as in this userpic, taken last year) the polytunnel will come off.
I've already been spreading word amongst Lottie neighbours about how I plan to donate my spare pumpkin seedlings.
Reply
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