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Delaware, Ohio

Do I bury the main now that I have a fruit set? Do I cut it to stop the growth? Do I cut or bury the secondaries? I have vines taking over the entire garden and 4 nice fruit. And when I say bury, do you bury them so they don't grow any more or just like you bury the leaf nodes on the main and secondaries before the fruit sets? I've searched here and need to know what to do. Pumpkin vines in the melons, pumpkin vines growing over the fence...vines every where. I don't want any more females, or males for that matter.....Or do I just let it keep going and going and going (insert bunny here)....
Thank for your help!
~CG

7/31/2007 12:12:37 AM

[email protected]

You can bury the main but don't need to especially once Squash Vine Borer season ends. You really should NOT have the main buried near the pumpkin. You'll need to keep it free & "loose" so that it can rise up with the growing pumpkin.

Do bury at least the nodes to promote secondary rooting. Most folks bury all secondaries for this reason.

If you have crossing vines they are probably "tertiary vines". These should be removed as soon as they start growing. If secondaries cross you might want to remove the offenders.

Once the secondary vines have reached their limits or your desired length you'll want to "terminate" them by cutting the tip off.

7/31/2007 12:32:17 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Chris,

You'll get some really good ideas during the upcoming patch tour.

7/31/2007 4:44:54 AM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

I learned a hard lesson concerning "not" burying side vines. One good wind storm here and my patch looked like crap because I didn't bury them. If I had of buried I feel sure my damage would have been much less or maybe none at all!

8/1/2007 9:57:32 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Some tips about burying:

1. Bury only during the heat of the day. Vines are less rigid at this time and less likely to break.

2. Apply M-Roots or Bio-Endo to the trench. It creates unbelievably thick roots at each leaf node.

3. Extend the trench at least one foot beyond the end of the vine. When you're burying after another foot or two of growth, this will take pressure off the vine from the soil beneath it.

4. Use a tri-corner hoe to make your furrow. Very effective.

5. Bury only 2-4" deep. AG's are shallow-rooted and most of your amendments are in the top 6" anyway.

6. Don't force the vine into the bottom of the trench where it requires excessive pressure to do so. Just cover over the vine instead.

7. Cut off all tendrils, blossom buds, and tertiary buds at each leaf node prior to burying. Leave the leaf buds. This will save you a lot of work later AND makes burying a lot easier.

8. Do not obsess with burying terminated vines all the way to the end. It is natural for the ends to protrude due to curling.

Burying has been the biggest improvement I've made in the six years I've been growing....absolutely no wind damage and the best root system I could have imagined.

It also helps control weeds by loosening the soil and allowing the canopy to discourage weed growth.

Personally, I keep all secondaries prior to the fruit at 12-15 ft. All secondaries after the fruit are terminated as soon as the first one reaches 12-15 ft. Also, I do not remove every other secondary.

And don't become impatient with burying. You're going to break a couple vines before you get the hang of it and learn the "feel" of a vine with too much pressure on it.

Also, prepare yourself for a lot of work on your hands and knees. But after Aug. 1st at the latest, it'll be over.

8/1/2007 5:37:53 PM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

Giantpumpkindude, thanks for that great advise. I will be putting it to good use next season.
One thing I am confused on though. You said "cut off all blossom buds". where do your male/female flowers come from if you cut them all off? I know the answer to this is simple and I should already know it but...

8/1/2007 6:03:08 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I guess I should have expanded further. I don't cut off all buds on secondaries until I have set a fruit, which means only on secondaries after the fruit. By that time, I have used all the pollen off of it to cross with other plants.

Also, by that time, all blossoms on secondaries prior to the fruit are basically used up and will appear only occasionally.

8/1/2007 10:14:55 PM

Rhode Island

somebody needs to get city girl a couple of dons "how to" books

8/2/2007 5:41:48 AM

Wood River, IL ([email protected])

Joe,

If your growing every side vine, is there a trick to getting in between them to care for the plant (spray, water)? Thanks for doing all that typing, I'm going to try that next year. I never thought of making a trench.

Kenny

8/2/2007 6:45:50 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

My irrigation system allows me to apply nutrients via drip tape and I spray with a backpack blower, which means the only reason I need inside the foliage is to remove tertiary vines.

And thank God I've never had to battle disease. I use a strict preventive insecticide and fungicide program weekly.

I read a post in here where someone invented a device used to remove male blossoms without entering the foliage. Maybe someone can help us out?

8/2/2007 5:22:25 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

That tool is a carpet knife or a linoleum knife....taped to a long pole. The carpet knives are curled and quite sharp, they allow to cut the tertiarys then kind of pull the vines out.....it seems that no matter how hard to try to get them all one or two find a way to grow......
Grow'em BIG.....PS great post GiantPumpkinDude you rock!

8/3/2007 8:52:42 AM