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Queensland, Australia

Are these good or bad? My latest node has four females. If I choose the biggedt will it be any good
Regards
Down under

1/25/2001 6:23:38 PM

Deer Park WA

Dear Down Under, not really clear on what you are referring to by nodes? If you are asking about flower lobe segments then more is definatly better. Are the female flowers on a main or secondary vine? Main vine pumpkins are better in that they get more nutrients than the secondary vine pumpkins. Also you may want to feed your baby a balanced foiliar solution like Peters 20-20-20 weekly to help reduce plant stress and fruit aborts. One last note, if you are hand pollinating use the biggest and brightest male flowers.
Lots of luck. Gads....

1/26/2001 8:14:49 PM

walton n.y.

flat vine in general is not a good thing but with care you should be able to keep fruit on the vine till weigh off the more nodes as you called them in the flower the better if you want a specific cross put cheesecloth over the m and f flowers so the bees can't get at them hand pollinate and keep the female covered until fruit set good luck

2/3/2001 1:14:59 AM

Rush, NY

I have had at least 6 flat vines since 1988. I have found that if you completely cut the flat vine tip off about 2 feet after it starts, it will send out good side runners. You can train one to become the main vine. In 1999 a LaRue plants main runner flattened about 4 feet from the main root. After cutting the tip off, I kept 4 side runners in the flat area. They grew rapidly and I pollinated a fruit on each on the same day. It is difficult to find a good place to set fruit on the flat vines. So, cut the tip off, and you will get good side runners to set fruit on.

2/28/2001 3:06:34 PM

Rush, NY

To GADS and Randy: When "Down Under" referred to his latest "node" I'm sure he was talking about a leaf joint that on a normal vine will have 1 leaf. He said it had 4 females, not a 4 segment flower. At the leaf joints of flat vines you will have 3 to 4 leaves and several fruit.

2/28/2001 3:18:59 PM

Buffalo, Minnesota

i also had a flat vine plant last year, very cool to watch grow, it grew considerably faster than the other plants and when it was putting out flowers it would put out doubles males and the females.

3/3/2001 1:30:37 AM