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Northwest Missouri

Hi everyone,

I trained my main and secondary vines into a Christmas tree shape. The base of the tree secondary looks like it has become a main. It is getting massive and the tertiaries I need to be pruning are actually looking like secondaries. The are starting to cross the secondaries of the original main(which looks real good too). Anyone have some ideas on how to handle this? I removed to of the base main's secondaries but stopped when the vine really started taking off.

I had a thought of letting only one side of them go and trim the others, but thought that may really limit the potential.--I fertilized a female on it a day or two ago. Not sure if it took.

Thanks again for everyone's help. The questions are starting to really pop as this season develops.

6/28/2007 8:36:53 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Hound, lots of folks terminate secondaries at 12 to 15 ft. Almost everyone eliminates tertiaries, way before they can cross a secondary. Hope this helps. Peace, Wayne

6/28/2007 2:20:18 PM

Cut off all the tertiaries where they attach to the secondaries. That is the "I need to be pruning" part. So go do it!

6/28/2007 11:04:29 PM

Northwest Missouri

So I shouldn't be trying to grow a 2 main vine plant? This "base of the tree shape" secondary is performing almost as well as my "trunk" vine main.

Thanks Wayne and Brigitte.

6/29/2007 7:54:03 AM

Cornell, Wi

If you want to grow a 2 main vine plant, do it in a "wishbone" style. Anything within 18 inches of the stump could be considered or used as another primary vine. If you grow X-mas tree keep only 1 primary "original" and all or every other secondary. Keep NO terts. Bury all secondaries. Seems like every heavy hitters largest pumpkins are always on the main primary. Remember the reason for X-mas tree is to provide as much vine growth behind the pumpkin as possible, and good air flow. Although, some very good pumpkins have been grown on 2,3,and 4 primary plants. One pumpkin per vine. Just my thoughts, good luck

6/29/2007 10:21:30 PM