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Cummington, MA

I ran across some older information about how every other side vine should be pruned to improve air flow and allow better access to the plant. Then I read how it really isn't recommended to do this anymore.

I thought maybe I would try this. It will be just my second year growing giant pumpkins and anything that makes it easier to work the plant or reduce fungal disease looks like a good thing. Of course I want a big pumpkin, too, but I'm not going to be breaking any records either way. :)

So what do you think? I'm going to be growing three plants, two patches are 20x20 and one is 20x30. Thanks for your ideas on this!!!

2/28/2013 7:21:45 PM

Germany

It will depend on many variables if and how you need to prune your secondaries. If you don´t have excessive nitrogen in your soil and the leaves develop in a moderate manner, then airflow should be fine. Also, an alternative to pruning every other side vine is the pruning of every third side vine (I have read someone is doing it that way, but can´t recall which grower it was). The advantage would be to retain 66% instead of 50% of the secondaries and still having good access to every secondary for spraying.
I prefer to stick with what god has equipped your plant with (NOT!, because at the tertiaries I´ll start with terminating the unleashed growth). Try to set your plant a few ft into the patch (which should be great for root growth in each direction), and then try to angle back some of the first secondaries, i.e., to grow the plant in a modified X-mas tree pattern (some kind of star fashion). This will open the spacing between the secondaries the further out you go along the secondaries (which is the bigger the leaves usually grow...you´ll find larger leaves further out on the secondary). ...just my opinion.

3/1/2013 7:23:48 AM

Cummington, MA

Pruning all tertiaries is a definite must. Pruning every third secondary would be a good compromise, the best of both worlds maybe. It all sounds like good advice, thank you!

3/1/2013 11:09:34 AM

Cincinnati,OH

Ive been doing every third. No way to get in and spray the underside of leaves without doing it. Seems like the leaves grow larger to fill in the space though. The leaves seem to grow taller and more crowded without pruning.

3/1/2013 4:45:30 PM

Cummington, MA

Thanks, Ron. It sounds like pruning every third side vine is the plan. Since I'm a new grower, I really want this season to be about learning skills to take care of the plants. Making it easier to spray and work with the plant is first priority. Big pumpkins will hopefully follow! :)

3/2/2013 12:00:53 PM