Pumpkin and Squash problem!!!?

Question

Okay, I'm a first time gardener, and I am already in love with my garden. I love pumpkins, and I'm not a huge fan of squash, so you can imagine how I felt when I discovered that the orange blossoms on that huge plant that as come labeled as Pumpkin; were growing little thin yellow summer squashes. I sighed, and watched that plant grow anyways. Then I discovered that instead of just one huge plant with orange blossoms growing, where I had planted the 'pumpkin plant'; there were two!!! They both had large leaves, but they were shaped differently, they both were large and had little runners. But one of them was producing squash while the other is showing signs of being a pumpkin plant. I think that when sowing the seeds, the people who sold me the plant must have meant to put in just two pumpkin seeds, but accidentally sowed one squash seed and one pumpkin seed. So now I have two huge viney plants growing next two each other, I'm worried about this... What should I do?

Answer 1

It's probably too late to move them and have them live.  I'd let nature take it's course.  You can trim the vines, if they get out of hand.  If you don't like squash, I'll bet your neighbors or the local food bank would love them.

Answer 2

Squash makes great pies, just like pumpkin.  My kids love them!  Also, makes great muffins.  You can cook them and mash flesh, then freeze in recipe ready quantities.  Also makes good filler for soups/stews.

Or, give the squash away.  Your neighbors will appreciate it.  No need to tell them you don't like them.

Answer 3

Put up a cheap wooden trellis next to the squash plant and trail it up the trellis to get it away from the pumpkin plant.  Take the squash, as was stated before me, to a food bank.  They would love you for it - don't let it go to waste.

Answer 4

You dont need to do anything.  Cut off the squash plant if you dont want it, but I wouldnt waste it!!  Give the squash to neighbors if you dont eat it.  Just be sure to provide plenty of water and occasionally a little Mircle Grow type fertilizer.  Squash and pumpkins need lots of water...

Answer 5

I did the same thing, I thought I had planted the squash somewhere else. My pumpkins are fine and My squash was outstanding.  I didn't have any cross pollination issues. At first I thought I would when the pumpkins were yellow starting out and then turned a nice bright orange. But that's how they grow.

Congrats on your first garden, mine too and I'm already planning my fall garden. Even got into composting.  It's nice to see the fruit of your labor.