Pumpkin: Growing Vertical Gardens

I didn’t plant a single pumpkin seed this year yet my garden beds are springing up surprises EVERYWHERE.

I certainly appreciate a helping hand from Mother Nature so will leave them be, mostly. If they have smothered intentionally planted seedlings I’ve transplanted my pumpkins-to-be into an emptier part of the garden.

This year is no exception. I have pumpkin plants sprawling over the pea patch and innocently presenting themselves in very interesting corners of the backyard.  By the shape of their leaves and beautiful yellow flower, to the untrained eye as my own, they all look the same.Until they fruit, I don’t even know if they will be destined to be ‘pumpkin’ pumpkins (traditional crown variety that has a blue/grey hard outer skin); Buttercup Squash (traditionally round but with a green hard outer); or Butternut (elongated bell shape with a creamy beige skin).  I’ve grown them all last season.

While we grow heaps of veges we don’t have unlimited space so I’ve decided to train the sprawling pumpkins vertically this year.  I’ve seen some amazing displays at the Auckland Botanic Gardens so know it’s possible!

Growing Pumpkins Vertically

We have an old spring bed base (courtesy of the previous owners) and have pulled the vine’s runners/side shoots off the grass, off other young seedlings and repositioned them onto the springs. It didn’t take long before the tendrils started entwining themselves like triffids around the wire structure and projecting their growth upwards with youthful vigour.

So far so good.  I have several fruiting now and miraculously they hang without much fuss and get larger and heavier by the day.  I’ll need to reassess over the next few weeks to manage their level of stability. I’ve seen images of a make-shift vege hammock to help suspend them more gracefully mid-air without pulling the climbing wonder back down to earth.

Otherwise if you plan to grow your pumpkin vine along the ground there is a call for some maintenance and pruning. Not only can they be unruly but if you trim the end and bury it, the plant will grow secondary roots which will help with producing bigger and better fruit.

Ideally, you don’t want your pumpkin vines to grow over each other. Trimming the vine will allow it to bush up (more runners etc) but if you do nothing you’ll still grow pumpkins, but perhaps not as prolifically as if maintenance is taken.

Seed Saving

I encourage you to harvest your own seeds if you can.  When preparing your pumpkin for eating, scoop out the seeds, allow them to dry on the windowsill on a paper towel,  then save them in a paper bag or envelope for next season.  Don’t forget to write on the bag the variety and date!  Seeds have a shelf-life remember.