so I've got to share. I don't know what this behemith is... but this volunteer pumpkin is almost like the Collis of Blackburn Avenue!

This pumpkin plant that came up on its own before our last frost date.... has produced 5 gigantic pumpkins with 3 more on the vines! The pumpkins are pale orange rather than bright orange. I'm hoping they will cook up like butternut squash. This plant was definitely resistant to Squash vine borers! I will be saving seeds from this pumpkin. I can't believe how big these pumpkins are!

I will let you know how this pumpkin cooks up.
I have a City friend I'm trying to teach about "Growing your own" so... wish me luck

To give you an Idea of how excited I am abou these pumpkins.... At the Florist today.. a pumpkin the size of mine were priced at $8-12.00! each!

I hope they taste good for pies and other goodies...don't forget soup!
This month's OG issue has some tasty recipes for delicata squash...
Amazing the prices of things at farm stands and in stores!
No wonder the local food shelf is happy(thrilled) with backyard garden surplus!
The other day I easily ate $5 worth of tomatoes before I left the garden.

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/pumpkin.html

Maybe that'll help identify it. If it breeds true, and continues to do so, perhaps you will have a new heirloom! Excellent!

Be sure to save some seeds! Maybe they'll breed true for next year.

Wayne

Hey, I think I found it.
This website was most helpful:

www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Squash/asp


It's either Buckskin or a Dickenson, or it could be a Kentucky Field Pumpkin. Since my maiden name is Dennison, I live in Kentucky...
Maybe it'a a Dennison Field pumpkin!

It sounds like it is of the moschata variety or definitely related to butternut squash. It should be dark orange inside and have a stem that is five sided in crossection. Sounds like Dickenson but I guess it could be a cross. Try looking on rareseed.com

Sorry, I wasn't thinking of finding the exact variety, I was thinking more along the lines of C. moschata, C. pepo, etc... I misunderstood, thinking perhaps you had a whole new ball of wax.

Still it sounds like you should save seeds. Keep a few generations (if it breeds true), and you will have a variety adapted to your immediate climate and conditions. How cool is that?

I'm definitely saving the seeds to this thing. It would be cool to have my own variety.

I could call it a "Buckeye transplanted to Kentucky" pumpkin!

I think this thing is a Cucurbita Moschata.
I'm going to have to cut in to the oldest one and see how it cooks up. I'll do that when the weather is cool. It has a long straight stem that has about 5 points like a star.

I need some pumpkin soup recipes. Are there some good ones under recipes?

I cut open one of these pumpkins to cook it. It's seeds look like Winter Squash, butternut squash. The seeds are small, not big like orange pumpkins. Do you reckon I may be on to my own Variety?

You'd probably have to save seeds and see if it breeds true first. Prolly for a couple few generations.

Know anyone who majored in horticulture/botany?

You are right about waiting to see if it comes back. This will be the only squash I'll grow next few years so I can see what happens.

I cooked it last night. IT is bright orange inside, a little stringy. I'll give an up date after I puree the pumpkin.

I grew something shaped like a pumpkin and same color as butternut - LONG ISLAND CHEESE. It was very large, as well, which was about the only reason I didn't grow it again. It is a moschata, which is why I grew it to begin with, since it was resistant to vine borers. A few years back there was a major problem with pumpkins in this area (and I think over a large area in which they are grown), and this was the main thing available at Halloween, since pumpkins were attacked by something, and this variety was resistant, though I didn't even know they grew this on such a large scale commercially! Anyone else remember this, with those butternut colored pumpkins?

That is more productive than what I had, however, so do keep the seeds, and see if they breed true!

Dave

The seed came up on its own, so it is likely a volunteer from something you had growing last year. Did you have pumpkins and other varieties of squash or gourds last year? Pumpkins, squash and gourds cross polinate when grown in close proximity. My guess is this is a hybrid, and it will not breed true, but try it if you wish.

Personally, I pull any squash that comes up voluntarily. I have never had one that was better than the parent varieties, and some that were of no value at all except for decorations.

IMO
Squash take up a lot of space. If I am going to give that much space up, I want to plant seed that will come true to form.

Now James... Don't be a negative Nancy.

This thing came up in my newly made Lasagna Garden... far far away from anything in the garden. I have such a squash vine borer problem.. nothing I had growing reached a maturity to make it's own seeds last year. But I buy pumpkins from the farmer's market.
I think I remember putting the peelings from the squash out there, but I don't remember putting any seeds out there unless it was some see that I didn't get removed when I scooped the pumpkin out to cook it or carve it into a Jack O'lantern.

I like to gamble with seeds... so I usually let anything that may be productive grow. Goodness knows I have enough problems keeping the Ground Ivy, Honeysuckle, Virginia Creeper and Grape vines pulled.