Help!!! Calling All Vegetable Gardeners...

That looks like a watermelon to me. If you have ever eaten it and spit the seeds out, you planted it.

It does to me too BUT I looked at watermelon plant/vine pictures and the leaves don't look the same as these.

Yes, that looks like a watermelon to me. The round type.

The leaves and vine look similar to those of pumpkin, so maybe some type of gourd, which could be an edible squash type vegie.

Thanks Katie, I keep thinking that's what it looks like but the leaves have me stumped, I have not seen watermelon plants with leaves shaped like this one. I'm almost tempted to pick one and cut it open to see for sure but I don't want to waste any of them!

I agree the leaves, vine, and flowers look like squash plants. I just don't know which one it would be, when to pick it, or how to use it!

When it gets a bit bigger, you may have to. Or, if the little critters get to them, you'll know sooner. Squirrels love pumpkin and gourds.

Thankfully I don't think I've ever seen a squirrel around here, too many people maybe. We sure do have a lot of frogs, though!

watermelon

This is a flat-striped cucurbita pepo plant. I can't tell very well from the pic if the leaves are right or not, but the gourd looks very similar.
<center>


</center>

I should mention that I know precisely squat about gardening (I can't even keep a houseplant alive!!). My previous post was just what I got out of a quick bit of research. A barely-educated guess at best.

You're right, it does look similar. I don't think the leaves are exactly the same, though, and the gourd in your photo doesn't look as "round" as mine are. Argh I think I'm going to have to cut one open. :(

That is probably a squash, or maybe gourde.
What kind of squash I can't tell, but it does not look like zucchini, they start out like little dark green hotdogs ... and then grow into huge dark green sausages! I had some zucs get loose in the far corner of the yard and I forgot all about them ... they grew to 6-8 inches in diameter and over 3 feet long! With the white and green stripes you have some other kind of squash on this bush.

Well from what I can find it's a Wild Gourd. Check this webpage, toward the bottom it shows some that look like what you've got growing :)

Gourd Pictures

Thank you both! I definitely believe it's the same wild gourd shown in the photograph on that website like you said Melanie. I wrote the person who posted the pictures to hopefully find out more about how it can be used. Thanks again!!!

I was going to guess a gourd.

I've done more reading on gourds and it appears most are not edible but instead are used for creative/artistic purposes. Looks like I'll be curing and painting them...sounds fun! :)

wow

Well I finally know for sure, it is a wild gourd (not the edible kind). That's ok, though, they are great for fall decorating! :)

There is a variety of zuchinni that is "Ball" zuchinni.

Most of the inedible gourds have fragrant white flowers that open at night and none of those (as far as I know) are round with blunt points on both ends. The round gourds are flat or slightly depressed at the blossom end.

It is difficult from your pictures to tell how big the fruits are, but I think you have a hubbard squash climbing all over your shrubbery. If it is, you have a winter squash that's sweet tasting with a smooth, dry texture and keeps very well. If my guess is right, each one will grow to about 12" to 15" in dia. and about 15" to 24" long (an obese football shape). As they mature, the skin will harden and develop a warty texture. When cut open, there will be a large seed cavity surrounded by a shell of deep orange flesh an 1 1/2" or more thick.

Let things grow for a few more weeks and report back to let us know what it turns out to be.

Right now they're about the size of tennis balls. I guess I will just have to wait it out and get more pictures of it as the fruit matures! Hopefully they are edible but if not I'll still enjoy them as decoration. :) Thanks for all the help!

so what did it turn out to be?? I'm guessing a gourd of some type?