Haunted by the ghosts of pumpkins past

Rochfortbridge writer Danny Dunne is haunted: by the ghosts of one of last year’s pumpkins!

When the popular ex-teacher went to harvest his crop of pumpkins, he was amazed to discover he had a phenomenal 48 – all from just one of last year’s haul.

“I saved the seeds of last year’s pumpkin and I sowed the seeds in early May,” says Danny, explaining that anyone can do the same – although they will need space.

“I sowed about 200 seeds and I got 66 plants. I planted them in a big area of the garden that I wasn’t putting anything else into, and they just took off.

“There’s no minding of them required at all, no watering; and they took over the space. You couldn’t even see the ground.

“Through the summer I could see some pumpkins in it but I didn’t know the exact number I had until I harvested them about a week ago, and I counted 48 altogether.

“I grow pumpkins every year. They’re very easy to grow: all you need is plenty of space, and also don’t put them near your vegetable plot. They are rampant when they start to grow.

And then they die off, and literally disappear.

“When you take the seeds out, they’re very mushy and soggy, so you place them in a saucer or plate in the window and you turn them every day and they dry out, and they end up bone dry. Then you pop them in an envelope and sow them again next spring.”