Nothing says fall like pumpkin. While the world is awash in pumpkin spice everything this year the garden is producing the real deal. In anticipation of having no chance to visit pumpkin patches this fall; I planted many different types of squash.
For those out there that do not have experience with squash vines, they spread out across the ground and sink new roots as they spread. The vines migrate this way and appear to die off at the older areas while growing longer at the ends. The vines will take up a large amount of room outside of their original area. This is something to consider when planning where to plant. I originally planted these in one side of the large raised bed after I harvested the wheat. The vines have since run out of the bed and across the backyard. This gives me a double win though. I do not have to mow most of the backyard and I get cheap squash.
Squash produce male and female blooms. The male blooms provide pollen and no fruit while the female blooms produce fruit. It is easy to tell them apart. The female blooms have a little bulge behind the flower next to the vine. The male blooms have straight narrow stems coming from the vine. Female blooms are the only ones that can create a fruit. Yes. Squash is a fruit. It is the seed holding part of the plant that we eat.
This year I planted some Jack O’ Lantern pumpkins, spaghetti squash, and luffa gourd seeds. The Jack O’ Lantern are not really intended for eating as much as they are for cheap fall decorations. Spaghetti squash are edible and they will hopefully make their way into the kitchen.
There does seem to be some confusion on what is a pumpkin and what is a squash and what is a gourd. I consider all pumpkins a type of squash. Not all squash are pumpkins. A round orange squash is readily called a pumpkin. Gourds on the other hand are related to squash but are not meaty inside the fruit. Gourds dry out and make good décor or in the case of the luffa gourd, they make exfoliating luffa sponges.
Pumpkins start off green and turn orange as they ripen. Below is an example of a green pumpkin and a ripe pumpkin.
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