Pumpkins

[debbiem]

I've got five healthy pumpkin plants dying to get out of their pots. The question is, what to do with them next! I'm thinking of using black binbags and empty animal feed bags, filling them up with compost and then hopefully the plants'll be up high enough to escape the hens and their pecking. Putting them in the ground isn't really an option as there are too many beasties out there ready to get them, hens included! I do have the top of an old water butt for one of them but that would use up so much soil and compost, unless I fill most of it up with stones first.
Do you think this will work?
Can anyone suggest anything else, like the containers Keith is growing his spuds in?

[emseypop]

I think what you suggested sounds OK, you could always use polystyrene to bulk up the water but? I've got toms in a grow bag on a garden bench, to escape the hens They're in such a tangle! One thing I did spot which might be OK, might be too small, is the £1 shops are selling collapsible garden buckets, they put me in mind of the sacks Keith used to grow his spuds.

[debbiem]

Ooo thanks, I'll keep an eye out for those. I think the water butt'll definitely have one in there - we have a huge heap of stones excavated from all over the place so I'll just put a load of those in.
Isn't it amazing all the ingenius plans we have to hatch to keep things out of reach of chickens!

[4pygmies]

Did you grow those pumpkins in the water butt, Mrs B? I 've just been fighting my way though the nettles and have harvested 7 pumpkins of a good size and some butternut squashes too...coo! Remembered to get them in time for Halloween too....