On 10 July, 00:06, "someone" wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...

I am growing a pumpkin for our village giant pumpkin competition.
(Don't ask, it's the cause of lots of animosity.)
Are there any experts out there on the finer details of pumpkin
growing? *Variety is North Atlantic Giant.
I have a plant in the conservatory, a plant in the greenhouse and one
out doors. I have concluded that outdoors is no good for pumpkins.
One of my plants persistently produces lozenge shaped fruit that stop
growing at quite a small stage. Is this a genetic or cultural
problem? *Another grows in fits and starts. (I have a tape measure
wrapped round it.) It seems to be temperature/watering/feeding
unrelated. It's 1200 mm circumference at the moment. Sometimes it will
grow 40mm/24hrs, sometimes less than 10mm/24hrs. Ditto question.
Any other hints or tips to promote growth?
And WTF do you do with a giant *pumpkin anyway after the competition?
I thought I might donate it to the harvest festival. *:-)

Message to all posters to this thread:

For Pete's sake, make pumpkin pies! *Nothing more delicious than those, with
their spicy, cinnamony, clovey, nutmeggy scents. *Like a nice cheesecake
without the cheese. *Excellent with whipped cream.

WTF do you do? *Easy - save the seeds for next year, then soften the flesh
up in your pressure cooker or microwave, scrape it out of the shell and find
a pumpkin pie recipe. *(Warning: recipe could contain condensed milk). *Once
cooked, the flesh is freezable for pumpkin-pie-making at other times of the
year.

someone

Hah. Tried that in the distant past. Pumpkin tastes of absolutely
nothing. Hence all the herbs and flavourings.
I'm told the seeds are edible. Maybe a bit more healthy than crisps.