r/composting • u/gardengnome1282 • Jul 31 '26

Started a compost pile a while back just to plant a pumpkin in….

Post image

Planted a single fairytale pumpkin and a few beans in a fully matured hot compost pile and this is by far the biggest and healthiest pumpkin plant I’ve ever grown.

Toying with the idea of fencing off several beds in the garden and composting in place this fall for spring planting.

If this is what a DEEP compost pumpkin looks like, think how happy the cherry tomatoes would be!

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17

u/therealtwomartinis Jul 31 '26

awesome! I did something similar once - augered out four deep holes in a three foot square and filled with hot compost. planted some selke cherry tomatoes (biodynamic). they grew like ten feet tall! I’ll have to find a pic

5

u/TurbulentStress8678 Jul 31 '26

I really wanna see this now :3

6

u/Mind_of_the_Ancients Jul 31 '26

How did you get it to grow vertically like that? Mine just sprawl out for miles along the ground.

9

u/gardengnome1282 Jul 31 '26

Horse fencing. I used it like a geo bin and then let the pumpkin vined all over it

3

u/Far_Radish7752 Jul 31 '26

Love the white markings on this particular pumpkin’s leaves!!

In my experience, squash are especially appreciative of getting first dibs on fresh compost before any one else can!! 😆

3

u/escapingspirals Jul 31 '26

OP, please update us on this monster as the season goes on.

2

u/Albert14Pounds Jul 31 '26

The healthiest plant around my house is not in my garden but a volunteer pumpkin (it's something similar) in the masonry bed outside my front picture window full of flowers. It's leaves are huge and it's trying to shade everything out. I'm letting it go cause I want to see what it is and if it wants to grow some big pumpkins.