Sunday, August 4, 2013

Sunday Reading - OMG Pumpkins

I can certainly say my sustainable goals of learning new skills is reaching fulfillment this year.  A good chunk of what I grow each year is geared to acquiring new skills as much as harvesting something edible. Each year presents a new set of challenges and circumstances that any sustainable homesteader type knows they will see again and the next time we may not have the safety net for failure we have in place today, which is why I chronicle my failures as well as the successes. 

However this year I learned something new. Pumpkins will root their vines just like strawberries in a way and continue to spread until you physically stop them. I honestly did not know pumpkins would do that. In my own defense however I only remember planting pumpkins once when I was a child and my grandfather put in a bunch down in one of his bottom fields. He let them grow until October and then we went out and picked them and gave them away and piled em high. It was kinda fun for a child.


Perhaps this vine rooting thing is common knowledge to some but I didn't research pumpkin growing I just ordered some seeds and put them in the ground next to my watermelons. I gave em a good 10 or 15 foot expansion area to either side of their raised row as well. The pumpkins filled that space inside of a month.

Well the watermelons are being seriously colonized now and even the tobacco plants are being threatened.

Oh well live and learn. Next time I plant pumpkins I now know to give them an area all their own and enforce their border with high security. As long as I don't have a Liberal mindset that should be easy enough to do.

At this point I have no idea how many pumpkins I have out there. It looks like hundreds to be honest. I also have no idea what I am going to do with them and I think a few are already ripe. There are several big orange ones visible from the edge of the pumpkin jungle already.

Like the cucumbers and melons the bees really love the pumpkin blooms in the morning so even if I have hundreds of unwanted pumpkins planting them was not a waste.

I just had no idea pumpkins would grow so well here.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!




16 comments:

  1. PP - i am not a fan of pumpkin pie or pumpkin in general - but i loooooove pumpkin soup! you could make a pile of soup and then can it. some people like roasted pumpkin...kinda like roasted squash. and there's sauteed pumpkin, again close to squash. but oh - i would turn all of those pumpkins into pureed soup - yummeh!

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. Kymber - Ya I am going to have to figure something out with all these pumpkins. The wife isn't too crazy about them so that usually kills any canning and cooking enthusiasm. The soup thing is an idea I am going to look into though. Thanks!!!

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  2. If you don't sell or give them all away, could they be used in the compost pile?? I think that you could can a lot to use during the winter for pie, bread, etc.

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    1. Rob - Of course Everything can be used in my compost bin. I love that thing :)

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  3. PP,

    Every year one learns things about their garden, you've learned about the pumpkin vines.
    I can see you and your Sweet Wife making breads, pies, soups, canning, freezing and roasting some seeds.

    Selling them at the Farmers Market, giving them away like your Father, composting them or even catapulting them across the field to see how far they go (entertaining sport, lol).

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    1. Sandy - I might try selling a few. Who knows? It really depends on the bees at this point. If they don't pump out more honey I won't bother selling at the market. As it stands right now I am completely out of harvested honey so I need to check and see if the girls have any capped and ready for me.

      Sadly my goat chucker trebuchet is no longer operational. I have robbed many parts off of it over the years although the main frame is still mostly intact in the barn. We did throw some pumpkins out of it several years ago. The goats it was originally built for were removed before I had a chance to shoot them though.

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  4. My goats like eating pumpkin so I bet the sheep and horses would like them as a supplemental feed.

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    1. I actually do, but I have no clue how to make one from the pumpkin to pie. I doubt the Mrs. will help me either :)

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  6. Sheep like pumpkins and some folks claim that pumpkins are a natural wormer. We feed pumpkins all through the fall and into winter. If your sheep don't like pumpkins...they're fun target practice :-)

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    1. GM - I thought about the target practice thing. After the comments I am betting several will get fed as well.

      In case you come back and read this I seem to be unable to comment on your blog. I suspect it is wordpress sending my comments straight to spam I have seen that happen before frequently on wordpress sites.

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    2. Just checked - hopefully you've been un-spammed and will stay that way.

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  7. How funny, I am having the SAME problem with spagetti squash! I had no idea they rooted like that, and I have tons of it!!! But it will keep in the basement.
    I am trying to get to the place where my gardens are taking pressure off our food bill. Our home is almost paid for, and I would like to be more independent. I get a little further each year. Love the blog, just found it!

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