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San Luis Obispo, Ca.

So my girls are up and running with first set of leafs showing. I want to put them in the ground now, I always get confused with direction? If I want plants to grow in one direction, put plants in the opposite direction of the first set of leafs showing? Is that right? Cam someone make this simple for me, talk to me like I'm six.

4/14/2007 3:59:36 PM

there is no way to tell which way the plant will grow.

4/14/2007 4:11:30 PM

San Luis Obispo, Ca.

Not from what I have heard, on this site no less.

4/14/2007 4:19:42 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Skid, usually the plant will vine "opposite" of the first true leaf.

Has worked for me 9 out of 10 times so I don't know what matfox is smoking!!

4/14/2007 4:20:29 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

For example, JD's plant in this picture should vine opposite of the first true leaf (the big on in the back)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=61389

4/14/2007 4:27:17 PM

San Luis Obispo, Ca.

Thats what I thought? What ever "matfox" is smoking, it must be really good and I want some! Thanks guys and gals!

4/14/2007 4:39:58 PM

Also a little 20 degree tilt leaning in the direction you "think" it will go helps when setting them in the dirt.

(a trick I learned after all my plants were in last year,,lol)

4/14/2007 5:54:50 PM

Danville, CA ([email protected])

Opposite the first true leaf and give the tilt unkadan mentioned. Very rarely will it go the other way when you do this.

4/14/2007 6:09:53 PM

San Luis Obispo, Ca.

Why the "tilt" in the direction of expected growth?

4/14/2007 10:58:10 PM

No Place Special

To help influence it to go the way you want / think it should grow.

4/14/2007 11:20:06 PM

Danville, CA ([email protected])

Also helps to lessen the "fall" of the main to the ground.

4/14/2007 11:22:55 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

We are going to tilt our plants this year because last year we didn't and had some vine binding problems. Ie: like a crimp in a hose as the main vine heads to the ground. I'm pretty sure tilting would have solved the problem. We also plant on mounds to increase heat and the tilting seems even more important with that planting method. Tilting also seems to train the plant to lay down on the ground instead of shooting up to the sky as the main vine does sometimes.

4/15/2007 1:51:17 AM

ummmm,,just to clarify here, the tilting will help get the vine started in the desired direction. You still need to support that vine as it lays down,,sticks or dirt, but let it go down slow or it will still crimp. "Sky walkers" are sometimes a genetic trait I am told or maybe just an overly aggressive plant.

4/15/2007 5:53:26 AM

Rhode Island

SOMETIMES THE SKYWALKERS ARE A RESULT OF TO MUCH NITROGEN IN THE BASE AREA.
SAME WITH THOSE ERECTIONS THE SECONDARY AND MAIN TIPS GET. EXCESS NITROGEN OR ANY WATER SOLUABLE ADDITIVE KEEPS THEM POINTED TOWARD THE SKY ( AND MAKE THEM VERY BRITTLE )

DO AGREE WITH MAJORITY HERE. PUT PLANT IN ON A DOWNWARD ANGLE AND MOUND UP UNDER MAIN VINE AS SHE STARTS TO GROW.
ID STAKE ON EACH SIDE OF THE NEW MAIN AS WELL ---UNTIL SHES ON THE GROUND.

Pap

4/15/2007 8:58:32 AM

San Luis Obispo, Ca.

Ya know, I have never used "mounds" for pumpkin. Does it really make a difference? I just make a resevoir around the plant, that way plant receives all the water she wants ferts too. Mounding seems like all good "stuff" rolls off in another direction, not my intended direction. Has anyone not used mounds with luck? Has anyone used both and have a good argument?

4/15/2007 12:38:59 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

I have always used mounds works well, holds a lot of water, for our dry summers. But my biggest is only 453.

4/15/2007 1:16:26 PM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

My experience with mounds has worked well. You can still make your "reservoir" around the stump. The good thing is that should you get a really heavy or long period of rain you can break that reservoir a little and drain the water off. Help reduce chance of drowning and once the rain stops dam her up again!

4/16/2007 12:13:48 AM

Minnesota

You could email bill foss quantum.com, he said something like the oposite way of the first true leaf, that is the way of the first vine. But, I'm new to and mine are boys, like me, I expect them to be the size of jupiter and weigh 2200 pounds, thanks

4/18/2007 9:01:42 PM