[Gardening jem]

Hi everyone,

my first post on here

I have several pumpkins that I have grown from seed - they are long trailing ones and one has a pumpkin about 8" long at present. But, they are really long and taking over what little bit of land I have - what do I do? There are lots of leaves (a bit white and speckly) and lots of flowers but only one pumpkin to date.
any help much appreciated please before I'm overtaken by the triffids!! 

[LilacSandy]

Pumpkins do take up a huge amount of room.  If any of the leaves are shading the fruit I would remove them to let the light to it, also lift it up on a piece of wood or slate so that the bottom stays dry and the slugs cannot get to it.  If you pinch out the growing tip you may not get any more fruit but the one you have will get all the nutrients and grow a lot bigger.

[allotmentann]

You don't have to let them trail either, you can just spiral them around, I have done that with some of mine that were encroaching on other beds

[LilacSandy]

Good idea Ann, or do you have anything they could climb Jem as they can go upwards as well as outwards, all you need to do is support the fruit when they start to get big, obviously you could not do this with very big ones but if you are happy with smaller fruit it can work.