Just had to share my joy on discovering that one of the four banana 'seeds'
I planted a couple of months ago has finally germinated (although it did say
to expect anywhere from 1-6 months on the packet!). OK, it's only an inch
tall at the moment, but I'm delighted - I'm totally (this season) new to
gardening, and every new germination is like a revelation to me. My question
is - should I repot it into a huge pot now, or just into a small one, with a
view to repotting again as it gets bigger? I read something about smaller
pots giving better root structure, but I can't remember where, now. Advice
appreciated! (It's indoors, on a windowsill at the moment).

On another note, I planted a few (very old!) pumpkin seeds (labelled 'pie
pumpkin' - someone sent me self-harvested seeds from the US) two weeks ago -
more with a view to proving to myself that they were out of date and
wouldn't do anything so I could chuck the rest out with a clear conscience
than with any hope of growing a pumpkin - and I now have three small pumpkin
seedlings. How big will these plants get? What size pot would they need to
grow successfully? (Everything I grow is currently in pots, because the
garden is still being built). Is it likely that they'll produce fruit in
time for Hallowe'en? I have pots from 3" to 3' at the moment!

Thanks for any help!

Jo


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Pumpkin plants spread and can have quite a long 'runner' although for bigger
pumpkins you can stop it going too far. I would think they would need a
biggish pot to support all that growth.
Well done with the bananas


Darkginger wrote:
: Just had to share my joy on discovering that one of the four banana
: 'seeds' I planted a couple of months ago has finally germinated
: (although it did say to expect anywhere from 1-6 months on the
: packet!). OK, it's only an inch tall at the moment, but I'm delighted
: - I'm totally (this season) new to gardening, and every new
: germination is like a revelation to me. My question is - should I
: repot it into a huge pot now, or just into a small one, with a view
: to repotting again as it gets bigger? I read something about smaller
: pots giving better root structure, but I can't remember where, now.
: Advice appreciated! (It's indoors, on a windowsill at the moment).
:
: On another note, I planted a few (very old!) pumpkin seeds (labelled
: 'pie pumpkin' - someone sent me self-harvested seeds from the US) two
: weeks ago - more with a view to proving to myself that they were out
: of date and wouldn't do anything so I could chuck the rest out with a
: clear conscience than with any hope of growing a pumpkin - and I now
: have three small pumpkin seedlings. How big will these plants get?
: What size pot would they need to grow successfully? (Everything I
: grow is currently in pots, because the garden is still being built).
: Is it likely that they'll produce fruit in time for Hallowe'en? I
: have pots from 3" to 3' at the moment!
:
: Thanks for any help!
:
: Jo
:
:
: ---
: Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
: Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
: Version: 6.0.500 / Virus Database: 298 - Release Date: 10/07/03

Robert The Devil's Advocate www.pafc.co.uk

Pumpkin plants spread and can have quite a long 'runner' although for bigger
pumpkins you can stop it going too far. I would think they would need a
biggish pot to support all that growth.
Well done with the bananas


Darkginger wrote:
: Just had to share my joy on discovering that one of the four banana
: 'seeds' I planted a couple of months ago has finally germinated
: (although it did say to expect anywhere from 1-6 months on the
: packet!). OK, it's only an inch tall at the moment, but I'm delighted
: - I'm totally (this season) new to gardening, and every new
: germination is like a revelation to me. My question is - should I
: repot it into a huge pot now, or just into a small one, with a view
: to repotting again as it gets bigger? I read something about smaller
: pots giving better root structure, but I can't remember where, now.
: Advice appreciated! (It's indoors, on a windowsill at the moment).
:
: On another note, I planted a few (very old!) pumpkin seeds (labelled
: 'pie pumpkin' - someone sent me self-harvested seeds from the US) two
: weeks ago - more with a view to proving to myself that they were out
: of date and wouldn't do anything so I could chuck the rest out with a
: clear conscience than with any hope of growing a pumpkin - and I now
: have three small pumpkin seedlings. How big will these plants get?
: What size pot would they need to grow successfully? (Everything I
: grow is currently in pots, because the garden is still being built).
: Is it likely that they'll produce fruit in time for Hallowe'en? I
: have pots from 3" to 3' at the moment!
:
: Thanks for any help!
:
: Jo
:
:
: ---
: Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
: Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
: Version: 6.0.500 / Virus Database: 298 - Release Date: 10/07/03

Robert The Devil's Advocate www.pafc.co.uk

The Devil's Advocate wrote in message
...
Pumpkin plants spread and can have quite a long 'runner' although for
bigger
pumpkins you can stop it going too far. I would think they would need a
biggish pot to support all that growth.
Well done with the bananas

Thanks for that! I swear the banana has grown since I posted this morning,
too - what a satisfying plant it already is!

Jo


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Jo wrote in message ...
Just had to share my joy on discovering that one of the four banana
'seeds'
I planted a couple of months ago has finally germinated (although it did
say
to expect anywhere from 1-6 months on the packet!). OK, it's only an inch
tall at the moment, but I'm delighted - I'm totally (this season) new to
gardening, and every new germination is like a revelation to me. My
question
is - should I repot it into a huge pot now, or just into a small one, with
a
view to repotting again as it gets bigger? I read something about smaller
pots giving better root structure, but I can't remember where, now. Advice
appreciated! (It's indoors, on a windowsill at the moment).

Don't overpot, just move it up to a slightly bigger pot as it grows so there
is no wasted space with compost it isn't using.


On another note, I planted a few (very old!) pumpkin seeds (labelled 'pie
pumpkin' - someone sent me self-harvested seeds from the US) two weeks
ago -
more with a view to proving to myself that they were out of date and
wouldn't do anything so I could chuck the rest out with a clear conscience
than with any hope of growing a pumpkin - and I now have three small
pumpkin
seedlings. How big will these plants get? What size pot would they need to
grow successfully? (Everything I grow is currently in pots, because the
garden is still being built). Is it likely that they'll produce fruit in
time for Hallowe'en? I have pots from 3" to 3' at the moment!

They get to be big plants with the runners spreading out for quite some
distance, probably be able to keep each to a 2m or 6ft circle if you train
it as it grows. Like plenty of compost and loads of water, especially when
they get big.
With luck you should get some pumpkins for Halloween although you are about
2 months late planting them.
Much better planted in the ground though so their runners can root at the
nodes and provide more nutrients to the growing fruit.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

I have to say my banana seeds didn't last very long as plants, very delicate
as I remember, so kid gloves might be in order, or maybe it's just me.
However I would add, keep it in a pot only just big enough, and don't be
fooled into thinking it'll need repotting to grow, I currently have a banana
plant over 12 feet tall in a pot little more than 18inches across.
I was thinking of entering it into the category "A pot plant", descirbed as
any plant in a container!, just don't know how to get it there !!!
Duncan

"Darkginger" wrote in message
...
Just had to share my joy on discovering that one of the four banana
'seeds'
I planted a couple of months ago has finally germinated (although it did
say
to expect anywhere from 1-6 months on the packet!). OK, it's only an inch
tall at the moment, but I'm delighted - I'm totally (this season) new to
gardening, and every new germination is like a revelation to me. My
question
is - should I repot it into a huge pot now, or just into a small one, with
a
view to repotting again as it gets bigger? I read something about smaller
pots giving better root structure, but I can't remember where, now. Advice
appreciated! (It's indoors, on a windowsill at the moment).

On another note, I planted a few (very old!) pumpkin seeds (labelled 'pie
pumpkin' - someone sent me self-harvested seeds from the US) two weeks
ago -
more with a view to proving to myself that they were out of date and
wouldn't do anything so I could chuck the rest out with a clear conscience
than with any hope of growing a pumpkin - and I now have three small
pumpkin
seedlings. How big will these plants get? What size pot would they need to
grow successfully? (Everything I grow is currently in pots, because the
garden is still being built). Is it likely that they'll produce fruit in
time for Hallowe'en? I have pots from 3" to 3' at the moment!

Thanks for any help!

Jo


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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I have read that watermelon seeds are produce best at 5 years of age if
stored properly. Maybe pumpkin seeds are the same. If you need a pie
recipe, let me know.

Keep the size of your banana pots down to one you can handle when you bring
them in and out as the seasons go from fall to winter and back to spring.

Have fun. Dwayne

"Darkginger" wrote in message
...
Just had to share my joy on discovering that one of the four banana
'seeds'
I planted a couple of months ago has finally germinated (although it did
say
to expect anywhere from 1-6 months on the packet!). OK, it's only an inch
tall at the moment, but I'm delighted - I'm totally (this season) new to
gardening, and every new germination is like a revelation to me. My
question
is - should I repot it into a huge pot now, or just into a small one, with
a
view to repotting again as it gets bigger? I read something about smaller
pots giving better root structure, but I can't remember where, now. Advice
appreciated! (It's indoors, on a windowsill at the moment).

On another note, I planted a few (very old!) pumpkin seeds (labelled 'pie
pumpkin' - someone sent me self-harvested seeds from the US) two weeks
ago -
more with a view to proving to myself that they were out of date and
wouldn't do anything so I could chuck the rest out with a clear conscience
than with any hope of growing a pumpkin - and I now have three small
pumpkin
seedlings. How big will these plants get? What size pot would they need to
grow successfully? (Everything I grow is currently in pots, because the
garden is still being built). Is it likely that they'll produce fruit in
time for Hallowe'en? I have pots from 3" to 3' at the moment!

Thanks for any help!

Jo


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.500 / Virus Database: 298 - Release Date: 10/07/03