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Manchester, Maryland

My 2 plants are just starting to vine, but they are going in the opposite direction from what I had planned for.... they are headed for my lawn, instead of the garden.

I'd like to induce them to turn around 180 degrees. What's the best way to accomplish this? Should I make them do a half-circle around the base of the plant, or should I try to stake them so they will flip over the top and go in the direction I want?

6/14/2005 1:12:35 PM

Ohio

If they havnt started to lay down yet and are still in the air I would try to coax them the other way "SLOW". Use a couple long bamboo sticks and cross them at the top where the main is to point it in the other direction.It worked for me on two plants this year,but when my main finally did lay down I had leaves coming out of the bottom of the vine i had to cut off to get it to lay down right. Some other guys will ring in also,there has been guys on here turn their main 180 degreess while it was on the ground.

6/14/2005 1:49:25 PM

New Hampshire

I planted my 1458 backwards because I was to excited about getting it in the ground. I was able to turn it 180 using plastic coat hangers

6/14/2005 2:02:14 PM

Manchester, Maryland

I'm not sure if I planted mine backwards out of excitement, or out of just being wrong, or if I planted them right and just got unlucky....

At any rate, I will try using sticks to coax the plants to flip the other direction... thanks for the info.

6/14/2005 3:21:51 PM

Western NY

i'd flip them if they aren't too far along. it's an ugly process, though. slowly turning them around works, and that's usually what i do, but you may have to cut some secondaries on the inside of the turn.

6/14/2005 3:26:33 PM

Utah

I'd try to flip them ...
this is what i do ... but you have to be REALLY careful !
(no Scott - I'm not going to tell him to force them down- I did that this year ... but that's a different story)

water the base of the plant pretty well... very gently push on it ... right at the base... just below the cots. don't force anything ... but if your soil isn't as hard as a rock you should be able to lean the plant in the direction that you want it to go. I have done this a few times...and I have broken anything yet. i feel i need to consult a laywer and have a long disclaimer at the bottom of this message... but this will have to do ...
TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK !
good luck
gordon

6/14/2005 3:43:45 PM

all those ideas are good. next year, start coaxing them like Gordon does before they start leaning a particular direction. AKA they don't get a choice in the matter, they're going where you want em to go!

6/14/2005 5:12:00 PM

Puyallup, WA

All I can say is, "Don't push your luck by moving it too much in one day." It is so easy to get greedy.

6/14/2005 5:54:54 PM

C N Y

put a SHARPENED wooden 1/2 inch dowel into the ground,
2' long or so, whatever length is necessary,
about halfway between the stump and where the end of the main vine is that you want to re-direct, up against the
vine itself or slightly away from it to avoid making a notch into it as you POUND the dowel into the ground with your hand or small flat rock....you do NOT want to PUSH it
or it may snap or bend, along with whatever it is next to!
then, do the same exact thing about 9 or 10 inches from the end of the main vine, on the OPPOSITE side of the vine, when it is warm out and you are comfortable with how much you think you can bend the
last section of the main vine---yeah, do NOT push your luck!
you are basically "prying" the main vine here...
be sure to HOLD the stake as you POUND it into the ground.
this process will avoid stressing the stump of the plant
by TWISTING it, and you are using the fact that near the TIP of the main is of course going to be the most flexible area of it. yeah, disclaimer: i hope this helps anyone reading it in the future. lol----eric

6/17/2005 1:43:12 PM