Topic: What sort of squash is it?

[samela]

Hi All,

I need some help.  We have an area at our Allotment site where you can leave leftover plants for anyone who wants them.  I picked up a pumpkin plant (or so it was labelled) and planted it in my daughters bed for Halloween.  We have lots of yellow fruits growing but none of them are round or orange.  The are all yellow and oval.... I only got my plot in May and have no idea what I'm doing.  Any advice as to what this is and when I should pick it would be fab.  I picked one today, it was about the size of large mans fist.  I cut it open and the seeds look like pumpkins.  I'm very confused. Please help?

Thanks
Sam x

[Jeannine]

There are many pumpkins that are tall rather than round and the colour starts green and turns to orange. If you can geta picture and a description of the foliage. eg is it trailing, look at the stem is is angled and if so how many angles, is the foliage  hairy or prickly.XX Jeannine

[PurpleHeather]

I bought a pack of seeds a few years back called
'decorative gourds'
The plants look the same as pumpkins to start with and I got a selection of pretty coloured and shaped squashes which lasted for months as an interesting addition to the fruit bowl.

As they deteriorated (after Christmas) they got dumped in the compost heap but a few seeds survived and pop up now and again as weeds.

An artistic friend took some of my original harvest and made Christmas decorations with them.

[Bean_Queen]

It may even be a mongrel, if somebody has sown their own seeds, instead of from a (named) packet.  Pumpkins and squash are promiscuous and cross-pollinate readily.

[caroline7758]

Could that explain why some of my "Jack o lantern" are oval?

[Robert_Brenchley]

I have some mongrelised pumpkins, most are orange and smooth, but some are green and ridged. They all taste good so who cares?