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western Kentucky

I began to think last night... I started thinking about pollinating my pumpkins. I know that you have to remove the secondary vine that is next to the female blossum so the pumpkin will have room to grow. But when do you use remove it? At what stage is the pumpkin in when you cut off the Secondary? You pollinate more than one pumpkin... do you remove all the secondaries that are beside every pumpkin that is pollinated or just beside the one that you are planning on keepin'?

Thanks for the help Justin

6/7/2001 2:34:53 PM

CT

Another part of your question I was wondering about is...when do you cut the tap-root(s) next to the pumpkin?

Hmmmmm

6/7/2001 4:59:10 PM

Commack, NY

when it gets close to pollination, what i do is if i see a female i like, i just pinch off the secondary vine when its about an inch long at most.

scott

6/7/2001 7:00:43 PM

western Kentucky

Scott
Ok, but if I have, say eight nice females that I pollinated, then that would be eight nice secondaries that I just severed. No offense, but it looks like that would hurt the plant more than it would help it.
Unless you only pick say 3-4 females that you like... So about how many do you choose?

But ok... I guarantee that you know more about pumpkins than I do so I had better take your word on it.

Thanks for the advice I will put a lot of thought into it, Justin

6/7/2001 7:33:48 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo snowskeer,
If you put a growbag (bag of compost) under the vine near the pumpkin/squash you can let the tap root grow into the compost. Then when you lift the vine you can lift the growbag as well..letting the taproot stay in the compost and carry on feeding the fruit.try it man.

Alun just getting a few words in before Mr Llpumpkin (who is really a squashman) he he he

6/7/2001 7:34:39 PM

Commack, NY

bob,
you would be surprised what a plant will produce. jon hunt grew a 991 pound pumpkin in 99, he took off every other side vine on the plant. think about how many vines every other would be..........alot right? 8 side vines is squat on a full grown AG plant. odds of you pollinating 8 pumpkins on a main vine are slim anyway. what i've noticed, now this is not always the case, is that the first one pollinated will get the "juice", pollinate another one on the same vine down the line, and it doesnt grow as much. this isnt' always true, but i've seen it more often then not. if you pollinate on a side vine, then you would have pinched off the vine next to the fruit anyway. any vine coming off a side vine is considered a tertiary, and most,if not all growers pinch off all tertiarys. pollinate as many as you can during peak pollinating time, watch them and decide what to keep based on, size and condition of plant, proximaty of other fruit, position to the vine etc. good luck!

scott

6/7/2001 8:31:00 PM

Leicester, NY

Bob,
I usually trim away the vine next to the new little pumpkin when I start turning it 90 degrees to the vine, which I begin doing when it's close to basketball size. I cut off the tap root under the fruit at this same time, but one could wait a while longer to do that. As the pumpkin gets bigger, I trim off the leaves that are getting in the way, especially the ones that are scraping against it and leaving marks....Joe P.

6/7/2001 8:56:07 PM

western Kentucky

Scott,
I told you that you would know more about these things than I did. I did not know that pruning that heavy would have such a small effect, but I guess that when you take into consideration the fact that a full grown plant can cover 900 sq. feet, I understand exactly what you are saying. Thanks Justin

And while I am at it... thanks everybody else for your input.

6/7/2001 9:36:04 PM

Grants Pass, Oregon

I am curious as to when you should pollinate. I've heard that you should wait until there is 200 leaves on the plant,
but what if you start getting flowers before this time? My plant only has about 30 leaves so far.

6/8/2001 12:05:24 AM

Deer Park WA

Hi Polka Dot, I also have gotten female flowers on my specimins that are vining (about 6' to 7') that have around 30 to 40 leaves, and are starting to throw "Party Girls" I let them have there "night out" and then I dump them. I never pollinate untill the plant can "financially support children" Witch is, at minimum wage around 300 leaves. Unless you want CPS after you for "child abuse" Good parenting.... Gadberry

6/8/2001 1:57:44 AM

Commack, NY

Justin,
we're all in this together, sharing ideas, and info. and every year we all learn/try something new. just have fun, and do the best you can.

good luck,
scott

6/8/2001 8:49:16 AM