[AnneB]

When is a pumpkin a pumpkin?  And when is a squash a squash?   I only ask as belatedly I will need to sow a pumpkin to enter the largest / prettiest pumpkin competition, unless a winter squash counts as a pumpkin, in which case I have my entry, albeit only for the pretty half of the competition.

[JayG]

They are both cucurbits, and closely related - Wiki has a good description which will probably tell you much more than you need to know! 

[AnneB]

Thanks JayG.  It seems I am growing a variety of Cucurbita maxima, called a Boston squash, but which counts as a pumpkin.  Assuming we have a better summer than last year when all my squashes got eaten by slugs, I should have an entry.

[mumofstig]

Any winter squash counts as a pumpkin for the competition, as far as I'm concerned. It just means there's not much chance of growing the biggest

I rarely grow anything labelled pumpkin cos I grow for the kitchen and find squashes taste better

[Kleftiwallah]

Our local pub runs a 'largest circumference pumpkin comp' (cannot afford scales) and the seeds are only available across the bar (50p for two).  Seems to work O.K.

Cheers,   Tony.