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Cologne / Germany

Yesterday I found the main vine of my 996 Bobier broken off at 12 ft including the female I wanted to pollinate in 2 or 3 days. Nothing on that main vine now.
I have a few secondaries available, others still developing.
How would you train a plant like that, and where to set fruit?

7/7/2005 4:11:06 AM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

I guess you can train the secondary to be a main vine and You could set the fruit just like on a main vine at least 10 to 12 ft from the stump.

7/7/2005 8:34:06 AM

Montoursville, PA

Bring forward the next vine that is close to the break off as is possible.

If the break off is jaggerd cut it off again with a very sharp knife. It will heal faster and better. I use a treatment, of sulphur or any fungicide at hand, on the cut. This may not be a needed step but it makes sense, to me.

Do not remove the growth from this new leader. The growth from this secondary you may want, to use, as if it were the secondary growing off the main.

7/7/2005 10:29:04 AM

Utah

Another option that you could consider is... to set fruit on your longer secondaries. Females might open on those sooner. Then you could also try to set something on the main later and go from there.
In 2000 I had a plant that I had trouble getting fruit set on, especially the main. I ended up growing a pumpkin at the very end of the 1st (or 2nd) secondary. It was my 2nd largest pumpkin that year. 365 lbs. My largest that year was 520 lbs.

7/7/2005 12:13:42 PM

Oz

I have been messing with rooting hormone on broken vines.
I dust it and bury it in good fine soil.
Seems to work.

7/7/2005 12:21:39 PM

Nikiski Alaska

you can try cutting the two ends smooth slip tipend inside stump end only 1 to 2" thats what i was going to do but mine did not snap in two

7/7/2005 5:44:14 PM

Cologne / Germany

Thanks everyone! The problem is at 12 ft I can´t find a good secondary right now, the "good" is coming from behind. So maybe instead of using a sec. close to the break off some well developed sec. from behind (with a female on the tip) might work, like Gordon said.
For pollination, time is a problem right now. From former experience, I don´t expect much after end of July.
The main is definitely lost, the break off looks like a clean cut with a sharp knife. Too much rain, too cold - that´s what I guess. It was my best performing plant before.

7/7/2005 7:22:52 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Ingo,
How big are those females on the secondary? Why do you think you won't be able to pollinate before the end of July?
If you can see a female in the tip of the vine it will most likely take about 14 days for it to open. Maybe 18 days if the weather continues to be like it is now and 10 days if the weather improves significantly.
Can you send me a picture of the plant? Maybe I can give you some advice...
Also, you have other plants that can do well for you so not all is lost with the broken tip of the 996.

7/8/2005 5:57:45 AM