From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Santa Cruz, CA

We have three pumpkins going that are only a few days old each. I was wondering what growers do to get the best angle off the main vine and to avoid problems down the road with the stem. Most of our mimi pumpkins are reaching for the sky now. How do you encourage them to do what's right? What is right at this point? Thanks in advance for the help!!

7/5/2007 2:31:16 PM

southwest MO

As they grow they will gently fall to the ground. move them to a 90 degree angle adjusting them a tiny bit over a period of days.. Do this in the early evening when everything is warm and pliable.

7/5/2007 4:31:09 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Yep. I usually move 1/2" per day until the fruit is perpendicular to the vine. I support it with a dowel rod placed in the soil and against the blossom stub.

7/5/2007 6:14:07 PM

Rhode Island

i would not reccommend putting any pressure on the blossom to move a fruit.
put something flexible under the fruit and keep banking soil along side the fruit to move it a little each day into position.
if only a small move is needed then just move it by hand a little each day as boy genius suggested

7/5/2007 7:21:16 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

I must be dense today, I'm not sure I can picture how you all are doing this. Do you wait until the fruit falls to the ground and then ajust the pumpkin to a 90 degree angle or as the fruit is falling you ajust the angle. Do you pile up dirt or something flexible (What might you recommend?)under the small pumpkin as it falls ajusting the angle slightly each day. We had a stem that curled over the main vine last year making it shorter than it should have been and we ran into trouble. I'd love to avoid that this year. The help is much appreciated!

P.S. Is there a good picture of this process in someones diary?

7/5/2007 7:55:44 PM

Carrollton, Ga.

How big do you let the fruit get before you start moving it?
Thanks,
Doug
Jn. 3:16

7/5/2007 8:41:20 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I start after the fruit hits the ground. I also cut the secondary at that node. Sometimes, there is a secondary vine right behind your set and moving the fruit toward it to achieve 90 degrees puts a lot of stress in that area.

7/5/2007 9:26:26 PM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

One thing I have learned this year is to remove the secondary and tendril that emerges with the female blossom. I do this as soon as it becomes visible. It seems the female naturally turns to a more perpendicular angle if you eleminate the side and tendril. I have had to do very little adjusting on my fruits this go round since learning that.

7/5/2007 10:30:33 PM

southwest MO

I think JD in Alaska has a picture of positioning a fruit in his diary... I know somebody does. Some where there is a picture I saw useing rubber bands, but to complicated for me!!

7/5/2007 10:41:45 PM