Last summer I had a reasonable crop of cucumbers, both telegraph and apple. I didn't plant any this year, but noticed what I thought were self-sewn cucumber plants popping up here and there so I left them in the ground and put a cane in to support them. They grew like triffids. Then I realised they are not cucumbers, they are pumpkins! The trouble is, they're growing up the stakes and once the pumpkins get too heavy I'm sure they'll collapse. My questions are: 1.Can I un-tie them and lay them on the ground at this late stage. The fruit are about the size of an apple. 2. Can I cut-off the large leaves without damaging the crop? I don't mind if you laugh at me.
tourer100,
Jan 6, 12:33pm
I have a chicken wire trellis with wood frame, my pumpkins grew up that the last 2 years with these huge hanging pumpkins, quite a sight, one was growing right up against the wire and grew into it, had to prise it off in autumn, my point is they hang without problem, but do need a pretty sturdy trellis.
tourer100,
Jan 6, 12:35pm
If you only have stakes I would untie them and lay them out where you want them to grow, and you can chop a few leaves off without hurting plant, I do that too if they are on top of something else.
oh_hunnihunni,
Jan 6, 12:46pm
Putting an upturned sturdy plastic plant pot under the fruit keeps the bottoms clean and makes them easier to spot as they grow.
samanya,
Jan 6, 1:04pm
Mine climb out of the compost bins & up trees, over water tanks & I don't think I can remember one dropping off. Their tendrils are much stronger than we think they'd be.
brightlights60,
Jan 6, 3:18pm
I am not going to laugh, as I have been nuturing what I thought was a cucumber plant in a very small space and by golly its a pumpkin. I have cut it back. Whether it survives or not I don't really mind. My huge vege garden is totally crammed this year with mutant vegetables.
meoldchina,
Jan 6, 4:01pm
Thank you for your kind and helpful comments - and for not laughing. I'm glad I am not alone in mistaking a pumpkin for a cucumber.
samanya,
Jan 6, 5:02pm
Of course you're not alone in making that mistake . they all tend to look the same when small.
maclad,
Jan 17, 7:57am
Pumpkins and any other related plants produce really well when left to hang, however if your stakes will not take the weight you can lay the vines on the ground.
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