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Cornelius, Oregon

Okay, here is an age old discussion... What is the best plant pattern and why? Christmas tree, flag, centipede, viper, modified xmas tree rectangle, antenna, ect.

Personally I have switched to the modified xmas tree rectangle in a 25 x 25 ft area. Reasoning is that it is easy to manage and train the runners, and the secondaries do not get so long that they may not be feeding the fruit some 40 feet away.

1/11/2005 1:24:11 PM

huntsburg,ohio

I agree Brett.Xmas tree back to back 6 or 7 ft apart easy to take care of

1/11/2005 1:37:59 PM

Pemberton, BC

I was leaning towards the wishbone, simply to get 2 fruit set on 2 primarys but it still leaves a bit of a messy jungle type plant so... I'm still undecided. Brett I like your 25x25 pattern. What do you guys think about multiple fruit sets? (no more than 2) Not to get off topic but it dictates pruning pattern to some extent.

1/11/2005 2:17:56 PM

Central Mi

I also use the xmas tree back to back 6' apart with a 24x24 area per plant. I only run one per plant and this keeps the garden looking good and is easier to care for the plants this way. Thanks for a good topic Brett Todd

1/11/2005 2:32:06 PM

Ohio

XMas style for me too, I do kinda like the idea of a recent post of off setting plants that grow twards each other and letting them pass each other for people who dont have that much room.

Brooks

1/11/2005 2:33:32 PM

ipswich, ma usa

I tend to grow an inverted Christmas tree, by that I mean I plant in a corner and grow my seconadaries along each of the sides of the triangle (Four corners + Four triangles ='s one box or one patch). This lets me put my mains all towards the center of my patch and the secondaries fill in the space along side. You need to clip off every other secondary to accomplich the needed space for this technique.

John (5150)

1/11/2005 2:42:20 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Last year, my first, I did a Christmastree style. I plan on doing my 3-5 plants this year, in the same pattern.
On my prime spot, I plan on letting the secondaries get to 12', and prune off every other one.
On my 2-4 less than prime spots(less sun exposure, and smaller growing area). I plan on only 7-9' secondaries, and maybe prune off every other secondary here as well.

1/11/2005 2:49:43 PM

Spokane, WA

Jack LaRue grew his 1420 on a vine pattern called the modified spider. There was very little plant growth beyond the fruit. I'll try and post a pic im my diary. Adam

1/11/2005 2:51:00 PM

Ohio

Any Biggies grown from secondaries just coming off one side of the main? I would like to try this but I dont want to ruin(waste) a good seed in growing a pumpkin at its fullest potential.

Brooks

1/11/2005 2:54:50 PM

Edmonton, Canada

My biggest was grown on a secondary.

1/11/2005 3:12:09 PM

New Salisbury IN

I will do no pruneing in may and june I will try to grow the most vine and roots I can.I will train to Christmastree. After July when pumpkin has been selected I will cut off all growing tips .

1/11/2005 3:38:54 PM

Utah

Adam,

I grew 3 or 4 plants in 04 the same as your #2 sketch. (I even have the same sketch that I give to new growers) It worked well for me. I like that pattern. The only scary part is making the Stelts 90 in the main at the fruit.
All 3 worked out ... two really nice ... one worried me because of how the geometry ended up ... but it held till the weigh-off so I was happy.

Also I used the main as the last vine on top with another 90° in it ... not a 2ndary.

That's how I plant to grow all my plants again this year.

1/11/2005 4:38:14 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Brett,
Why don't you just tell us the best way?
YOU are the GURU! All fun aside...
How did you prune the 1104.5 producing plant?
Michel

1/11/2005 4:50:31 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Brett,
Can you tell me where you have more info about your 25x25 modified x-mas tree pattern?

1/11/2005 4:53:21 PM

berkshire M.A.

My main plants are modified xmas tree and the 2 other plants are flags.
BH

1/11/2005 5:44:06 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

I never heard of the centipede, viper, and antenna. Anyhere I can see these diagrammed?

1/11/2005 6:37:57 PM

Cornelius, Oregon

LOL, I may be the Pumpkinguru, but I far from hold the world record.

1/11/2005 7:19:42 PM

Indiana

I grew 4 in a flag pattern in about 1000 sq ft I'm gonna do 3 in a pattern suggested by G1t same area but i tilled up part of the neighbors yard so I have room for 2 more.

Steve

1/11/2005 7:28:40 PM

Garden

Is it just me, or does anyone else find holding to a specific pattern difficult? I mean, my plants are never symmetrical. The earlier secondaries arent necessarily any longer than some of the newer ones, and sometimes I have to put crazy bends in the main in prep for a developing female. Basically, my "pattern" is to run the main in a general SW direction and fill in the blank spots with secondaries. Then again, this shows through my results.
I'll get it one of these times!

1/11/2005 7:37:51 PM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

Fadedavid: Last year I tried to grow a Christmas tree pattern, and my first secondary ended up being almost as thick and aggressive as the main, and I ended up with a kind of modified wishbone pattern. You never know for sure. I usually try to grow a X-Mas tree pattern, but play it by ear depending on how the plant itself grows out.

1/11/2005 9:41:49 PM

Garden

Thats what I'm saying Lawman, I dont see getting a plant to go the way it theoretically should. Gotta work with what you get I guess :)
Not so much a problem for most, but with my limited space.....

1/12/2005 1:13:43 AM

Utah

Here is the sketch that I put together a while back...

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/displayphoto.asp?pid=3524&gid=1

Fadedavid- you are right, you always have to work with what the plant gives you. Each one is a little different from the others.

1/12/2005 9:43:42 AM

Utah

I think this is a more stable link to the sketch:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/displayphoto.asp?pid=3524&gid=-3085

1/12/2005 9:46:10 AM

Lexington, Ky

Can one get by with the pruning every other secondary vine when growing in the wishbone pattern? (Or is that the way it's supposed to be done?)

1/12/2005 10:27:05 AM

Lexington, Ky

I should clarify my question....can you remove every other secondary vine in the wishbone pattern?

1/12/2005 10:58:52 AM

Garden

Gordon- That is the layout I normally plan for, but it never really ends up looking like that :)
Give it another go this year. Thanks for the link

1/12/2005 12:50:34 PM

Utah

1320-
Most people do not grow wishbones style plants. So I don't think there is going to be a lot of people with information for your question.
I'm sure you could remove every other 2ndary with that style if you wanted to. The idea is to give the leaves more room. and a vine is a vine weather it is on a Christmas tree or Wishbone plant- the spacing that they put out 2ndaries will be the same- so it certainly is something to consider if you are growing a wishbone style plant.

1/12/2005 2:09:05 PM

Utah

Fadedavid-
All of my plant have a fixed limited space, last year it was 20x25 ft. I might add one more plant this year, so that would make them 20x20 ft. I pretty much forced the plants to grow close to that way. The only things that ended up different than the sketch were:
1) which side of the main vine the pumpkin was on
2) on two plants because I had the space ... The first two secondaries - one on each side- I let the tertiary vines on the back side grow back to fill up the patch completely.
3) on two plants- I left the 2ndary at the pumpkin (that goes to the same side as the pumpkin) attached to the main vine. I cut off the first few leaves and wrapped it around the pumpkin and brought it out the other side to fill that space. by the end of the season I had to cut off more leaves so the pumpkin was growing right over that vine. I had sand around the vine and a board on top of it (which is what I use to set my pumpkins on) Note: One needs leave lots of extra slack in that vine for when the pumpkin gets tall, mine was very tight at the end of the season. I think I streched it some.

1/12/2005 2:37:06 PM

Lexington, Ky

Thanks Gordon

1/12/2005 2:55:22 PM

Garden

Ya, positioning a bend in the vine for a developing female is what causes my erratic pattern, especially if the first few dont take. Should be easier this time though, as I am planning to set much further out.
Thanks for the info!

1/12/2005 3:16:43 PM

Utah

I don't position the main vine till I'm pretty sure it is the keeper ! I only pollinate on the main vine past 10-12 ft. and before the 7th-10th of July. For me using this combination only give 2-3 possiblities on each plant. Then 2-3 weeks later I pick "the one" and adjust the plant accordingly... by that time there might be a lot of vines to move around but if you are careful you can do it and not cause to much (if any) damage. That is what I did with all of my plants in 2004.

1/12/2005 5:44:37 PM

San Diego, CA

Is there a reason more don't use the wishbone shape, is it more of a space issue? I was thinking of using the wishbone & growing a pumpkin on each of the two mains, as insurance. Also, it might be less likely to split? Or is each main really autonomous, as some have suggested? At least, that was my theory, but I've never grown AG, so I have a lot of theories, but no experience yet!

1/12/2005 9:52:13 PM

Utah

Yes is it a space issue. I know at least one Heavy Hitter uses the wishbone on his plants - with one fruit on each main, like you said. He is very successful with it.

1/13/2005 8:52:10 AM

Sweden

,

1/22/2005 5:52:56 PM