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Erlangen, Germany

This year one of my plants climbed from my balcony into a nearby tree and is now growing a pumpkin there. See my last photo in the Photo Gallery.

That tree is too weak to climb, there's no way I can get at the fruit to relieve this extreme form of stem stress... or to measure. I just checked: it's still there and putting on the ... ounces. I guess it's now about 35cm diameter, maybe 40'' circ, between 10 and 20 pounds.

Anyone here know how large such a thing can get before going down... or should I say: crashing down? Luckily it's not my only one this year.

7/30/2006 1:02:13 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Seaman, be careful because when it does fall out of the tree it's going to rip your plant out of it's growing area. If it's your only plant, you might want to take care of it now before it gets too big. If not, it might be fun to see what happens to it as it grows. Good luck with it whichever way you go.

Phil

7/31/2006 7:59:24 AM

Erlangen, Germany

Phil, thanks for the advice! I hadn't thought of that...

Luckily I have 2 plants. One of them got most of my balcony space (which of course isn't very big for AG standards), the other one I kept as a kind of backup. I didn't want to kill it and therefore let it go into the tree.

Let's see what happens :-)

7/31/2006 4:36:27 PM

Salmon Arm, BC

Seaman, Make sure you have the area under it cordened off! It sounds funny now but death by pumpkin squash I'm sure would be hard pressed to cover through insurance much less guilt. lol but no seriously...I'm sure it would fall off before it gets big enough to hurt anyone but you never know! Better safe than sorry. Deb:)

7/31/2006 9:37:08 PM

Salmon Arm, BC

more thinking kids here...

7/31/2006 9:38:11 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Time to build one of those well known, pkn tree houses??? Best of luck!!! Peace, Wayne
PS My second largest fruit, right now, hangs approx. 3.5' high from a sunflower plant!!!!!!!!!! No danger, except maybe for my silly dog!!!

7/31/2006 9:55:11 PM

Erlangen, Germany

Deb, thanks for the warning. I thought of that also, but that "tree" is actually several trunks with a lot of growth and shrubs down at the base. Kids would have to really creep into that to run any risk.
I fear if I made a kind of cordon with poles and tape, that would just lóok like an invitation to the kids over here. As it is, I don't think they have even noticed anything out of the ordinary yet.

Don't worry, it's still up there (just submitted a new pic), doesn't seem to grow much anymore, looks like it's ripening.

From 8 August I will be on holiday. Think I will have to get it down before that day, or someone else will...

8/1/2006 12:21:00 PM

Erlangen, Germany

Today there was a lot of wind and that "sky pumpkin" was swaying so terribly that I thought "it's coming down anyway."

So I fixed a knife to a long stick, climbed a small ladder, spread a blanket about half-height in the tree, and cut that pkn off.

I got it down undamaged. Just submitted a pic.

Circumference 90cm = 36'' (both directions), weight 9.1kg = 20 pounds uow.

For the record: "double coconuts" on Seychelles palms are the largest fruit growing on trees. They can weigh up to 25kg.

8/2/2006 1:58:35 PM