Volunteer Cucurbita
 

any guesses on what I've got here?
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/l...h%20Volunteer/

Leaf, blossom, 'overall' and a tiny fruit photo.

The fruit is kind of egg shaped today-- but the blossom hasn't even
opened yet.

It volunteered early this spring on a pile of sod and topsoil next to
my compost bin. I *suspect* it could be from a wintermelon or a
squash from the Asian store.

I *did* grow a Tahitian Squash last year, but I don't remember the
leaves being so big-- It does have the *spirit* of the Tahitian as
it is headed across the garden at a rapid pace.

Jim

Volunteer Cucurbita
 

Based on a sample of three, and allowing for the fact that one
catalog/county/person's squash is another's pumpkin, it resembles the
pumpkin I'm currently growing (Kakai - hulless seeds) more than the
squash or melon I'm growing. Which is nearly worthless, but you get what
you pay for sometimes.

I had to delve into hand pollination - the bees were not doing it, and
the squash bugs evidently don't offer that service along with their more
detrimental aspects, despite being in all the flowers. I'v seen a bee or
two about, but the micro-fruits were just rotting off the vine until I
started pollinating.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

Volunteer Cucurbita
 

Jim Elbrecht said:


any guesses on what I've got here?
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/l...h%20Volunteer/

Leaf, blossom, 'overall' and a tiny fruit photo.

Not a C. maxima squash (the stem is wrong). Could be a 'pepper'
squash (C. pepo) which includes the classic Jack o' Lantern pumpkins
as well as a host of other varieties, including the summer squashes.
The blossom in the picture looks very much like a classic pumpkin.


It volunteered early this spring on a pile of sod and topsoil next to
my compost bin. I *suspect* it could be from a wintermelon

No, I think the leaves of that would be more cucumber- or luffa- sized
and smaller than the Tahitian squash leaves rather than larger.

or a
squash from the Asian store.

No clue there...

I *did* grow a Tahitian Squash last year, but I don't remember the
leaves being so big-- It does have the *spirit* of the Tahitian as
it is headed across the garden at a rapid pace.

Tathitian squash is C. moschata, which would have a similar stem
to the one in the picture. Not all C. moshata are 'butternut' shaped,
but I don't recall the 'cheese wheel' types starting out so... pumpkin-y.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Volunteer Cucurbita
 

On Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:16:26 -0400, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

any guesses on what I've got here?
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/l...h%20Volunteer/

Leaf, blossom, 'overall' and a tiny fruit photo.

The fruit is kind of egg shaped today-- but the blossom hasn't even
opened yet.

It volunteered early this spring on a pile of sod and topsoil next to
my compost bin. I *suspect* it could be from a wintermelon or a
squash from the Asian store.

I *did* grow a Tahitian Squash last year, but I don't remember the
leaves being so big-- It does have the *spirit* of the Tahitian as
it is headed across the garden at a rapid pace.

Jim

If the seeds were from a hybrid vegetable you will most likely get one
or more of the parent plants.
--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a
To find your extension office
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html

Volunteer Cucurbita
 

"The Cook" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:16:26 -0400, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

any guesses on what I've got here?
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/l...h%20Volunteer/

Leaf, blossom, 'overall' and a tiny fruit photo.

The fruit is kind of egg shaped today-- but the blossom hasn't even
opened yet.

It volunteered early this spring on a pile of sod and topsoil next to
my compost bin. I *suspect* it could be from a wintermelon or a
squash from the Asian store.

I *did* grow a Tahitian Squash last year, but I don't remember the
leaves being so big-- It does have the *spirit* of the Tahitian as
it is headed across the garden at a rapid pace.

Jim

If the seeds were from a hybrid vegetable you will most likely get one
or more of the parent plants.

I look at these pictures and try and take a guess then sit back and see who
agrees with me and why. Often those that disagree are correct but I make a
point of noting why. The main thing I get from this is volunteers make life
interesting.

Mike

Volunteer Cucurbita
 

"Jim Elbrecht" wrote in message
...
any guesses on what I've got here?
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/l...h%20Volunteer/

Leaf, blossom, 'overall' and a tiny fruit photo.

The fruit is kind of egg shaped today-- but the blossom hasn't even
opened yet.

It volunteered early this spring on a pile of sod and topsoil next to
my compost bin. I *suspect* it could be from a wintermelon or a
squash from the Asian store.

I *did* grow a Tahitian Squash last year, but I don't remember the
leaves being so big-- It does have the *spirit* of the Tahitian as
it is headed across the garden at a rapid pace.

If that plant grew near my compost heap or out of where I'd spread some of
my always cold composted stuff, I'd say it was a 'pumpkin' or what Nth
Americans would call a 'winter squash'. I suspect the best guess you'll get
here is that it is indeed a member of the cucurbit family.

Could you report back please as it develops?