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Pocatello ([email protected])

Let me explain. We all try to eliminate tertiaries and terminate secondaries at some predefined limit. Here is the actual question:

At what point do you have all secondaries between the stump and the main vine fruit terminated?

That is, my first fruits are just now reaching the 20 day mark. This is where the real action begins. (Well, one can hope......) What I'm wondering is, at what point do you (should you) terminate everything and (hopefully) send all new energy into the fruit?

For example, my vines almost always seem to grow more slowly than most. At the current time with fruit reaching day 20, I probably have the first three secondaries on each side terminated, with another couple secondaries on each side still growing. At some point I figure one would want to terminate all of this and send it all to the fruit. What do you think?

7/25/2007 11:24:53 AM

Coupeville WA

Cliff,
I am sure that my response will not be popular, but I am just speaking from experience.
This year I am allowoing some vines continue to grow to divert some of the energy away from the pumpkin. When these plants are in full production mode, they are sending a lot of energy into the pumpkin, and that baby is growing quick. The past 2 years I have tried terminating ALL secondaries and have had ALL of my fruit split. There are many factors into fruit split, I realize.
I know you have to have a set of steel balls when growing these things, but I have not been successful when ALL fo the juice is going into the fruit.
Look at the unfortunate circumstances is Iowa this year!

7/25/2007 12:37:46 PM

Georgia

Hands on if your worry about splitting why not just keep two pumpkins on the plant. It seems pumpkins dont split as often when theres more then one fruit on the plant. Ive heard of several growers growing very big pumpkins on one plant. Ive heard some folks even got two over 1000 pounds.

7/25/2007 1:45:46 PM

Cliff , I hit great early weather this year and was able to have all secondary's termed at 12' to complete the "box" on most of my plants at pollination,,so far so good as the heat dumps in the daily's have come in line here. This wasn't an option last year so time will tell as to how they do over the course,,,,weather being the key as always.

7/25/2007 2:11:26 PM

Bristol,RI,USA.

Hey Cliff
I am only speaking for my self here but if you only let your sides grow to ten feet on each side of main you should have them all terminated to the 11 foot mark by the time your pumpkins are at day 16 i have started terminating the vines after the pumpkins

calcubit

7/25/2007 2:47:31 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

Cliff,
I have been wondering the same thing. I have some vines that have reached the edge (17') and have been terminated. What about the rest? Do I let them grow to the edge and then terminate? Invariably if I do that I still have some vines growing september 1. Should I pick a day August 1, August 10 or something and terminate all vines then. I don't know the "correct" answer.
At some point the energy to grow a new leaf will not be "recovered". How old does a leaf have to be to make enough energy to "pay" for itself and return energy to the fruit?
Lacking any definitive answers I will probably terminate any vines that are still growing two weeks from today. No science behind that date just that I am leaving town for 5 days and I won't have to worry about burying vines.

7/25/2007 3:06:42 PM

Deer Park WA

We terminate the secondaries as they reach the predetermined boundarys of each plant site (15 foot on each side of the main), the plants allways have the "keeper" set befor this occurs. The main is allowed to grow as long as she wants, very rarly do the side vines after the fruit reach the 15' boundaries. Long and short of this reply is we prune to keep the plant at about 800 square feet more or less. Good question!

Gerry Gadberry

7/25/2007 3:10:07 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Thanks for the responses. Like I say, my vines don't grow as fast as many of yours. I'm terminating them at 10 feet (although they tend to go out to about 12 when the last few leaves are done stretching out...) And, at 20 days on the fruit I still have quite a few vines before the fruit that have not reached 10 feet yet.

I do worry about splits. Boy do I get splits. But on the other hand, I've never been above 600 pounds (and my 597 was a split). Something has got to give. Hopefully the calcium that I've been doing this year will help prevent the splits.

7/25/2007 3:32:46 PM

Coupeville WA

Dont get me wrong. Probably 85% of my vines are terminated and buried at 12-13 feet. I am just using the secondaries beyond the fruit as an "overflow" if you will. I have attempted 2 fruit on the same plant- yes it can be done, but as I said: at some point you must have a set of steel balls when growing these things.

7/25/2007 4:00:59 PM

[email protected]

One of the heavy hitters said he terminates all side vines by August 1st no matter how long they are. Of course you could adjust this depending on your location, how old your fruits are, how fast they're growing, etc...

7/25/2007 11:03:07 PM