I've got a pumpkin plant!! One of our pumpkins died last fall in the front yard, luckilly in my flower bed, LOL. Today I saw a huge plant growing!! I need some tips on maintaining it!

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

I have just been letting mine go. You really need to be careful though, they will take over. I have one that is vine-ing 25+ feet. We have 3 pumpkins on it ~ can't wait until Halloween

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Do they grow back every year??

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

Don't know ~ this is the first year we have had them.

I did find this blurb about pumpkin mulching, so it's possible they will come back...

"It's never a good idea to leave plant debris in the garden over the winter. The practice seems like a lazy-man's approach to composting. Rotting pumpkins will supply the soil with some nutrients, but will also provide a place for overwintering insects and disease pathogens. Plus, the seeds from the pumpkins will certainly sprout in the spring. This may not be a problem in a commercial field because the debris will be tilled into the soil before the field is planted again. I expect disease problems and errant sprouting seeds are dealt with chemically. But for the home gardener, the stuff will have to be picked up and thrown in a compost pile before the site can be used again. I'd rather handle the plants and pumpkins before they turn into a slimy mess! For the healthiest garden site, compost your end-of-season plant debris and add the compost to the soil before planting in the spring."
~ University of Illinois Extension

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