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Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere

October 23rd, 2017

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I now grow my cucurbits (specifically pumpkins) in my compost pile (more on this method here). I learned of this method from the book ‘Gardens of Plenty’ by Marylynn Abbott and gave it a try. It worked beautifully and I have been utilizing this method ever since. If you remember, I saw this method in action in the garden she wrote about in this book when I visited the gardens at the Hagley Museum. This year, my pumpkins were grown in the giant compost piles I made last fall. I planted four vines figuring I’d get a pumpkin or two from each.


They grew like champs and quickly took over the compost pile and the lawn nearby (which wasn’t really a big deal because I wanted to get rid of the lawn to expand the garden. When the vines died back I noticed how many pumpkins were there.

After cutting all the pumpkins and carting them down to the house, I counted them up. There were 30 pumpkins, the smallest are fairly large, the largest pumpkins are HUGE and very heavy.

Now we have pumpkins sitting here, there, and everywhere throughout the house. The goal is to cure them a bit, so they will store better and be sweeter for eating. There is a pile of pumpkins in the office behind me, a pile on each side of the front porch, they are piled in the kitchen under the table, and on either side of the dresser in the dining room.



Some of them are also being used as fall decor by the front door, these will be cooked and fed to the chickens. Most likely, this winter, as I cook a pumpkin for us to eat, the birds will get at least half of it. There are so many pumpkins we could never begin to eat them all. Add to their numbers the glut of butternut squash I ended up with as well and we won’t be lacking vitamin A this winter.

What did you have a glut of this year? Do you grow pumpkins?

7 Comments to “Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere”
  1. Misti on October 23, 2017 at 9:40 am

    Those are amazing! I grew Seminole pumpkin this year. I had three that rotted after Harvey’s floods but luckily my vine lived and went on to keep producing. I picked two a week ago and made pumpkin butter and have several on the vine that I will use to make more pumpkin butter and freeze the rest for eating later. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the vine!

    Reply to Misti's comment

  2. Marcia on October 23, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    Cucumbers, beans and peas. Plus my cylindra beets got huge! I once harvested 93 spaghetti squash off of three plants. Everyone I knew got some as gifts.

    Reply to Marcia's comment

    • Susy on October 23, 2017 at 7:49 pm

      Great gifts! I’m always happy to receive edible gifts. I can’t believe you got so many spaghetti squash from 3 plants!!!!!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  3. Nebraska Dave on October 24, 2017 at 10:52 am

    Susy, this year it was squash and green peppers. The green peppers just wouldn’t quit. They were still producing when I finally pulled them out. We are way past due for the killing frost but it just hasn’t come yet. The last green pepper harvest was a tall five gallon bucket full. Processing starts today.

    Have a great pumpkin curing day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  4. Reid on November 4, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    Susy,

    I grew Oregon Homestead Sweet Meat squash, kogigu squash, a small butternut called Honey Baby, and seeds I saved from a squash called Greek Sweet Red. The seeds I saved crossed with one called Wild Violin. The result was a HUGE hourglass shaped squash. I got one true Greek Sweet Red. I will not be lacking in Vitamin A either! I will post some pictures on your Facebook and Instagram pages. I LOVE the artistic nature that squash lends. I love this time of year when I roast the harvest and the whole house has that pumpkin smell :)

    Reply to Reid's comment

  5. Jeannette Hernandez on July 17, 2018 at 3:18 pm

    What is the name of these kind of pumpkins? They’re gorgeous!

    Reply to Jeannette Hernandez's comment

    • Susy on July 18, 2018 at 1:42 pm

      They’re ‘Musque de Provence’

      Reply to Susy's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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