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Location

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St. George, NB Canada

This may seem simplistic, and the answer may be: all of the above, but here goes.

What drives the growth of the pumpkin fruit, the leaves, the root system or the fruit itself? In otherwords, where does the fruit get its food from? An apple will do better if not overly shaded so presumably sun on the fruit is playing a role. If its all of the above is it fair to say the leaves and roots closest to the fruit will be the most important. Would branching vines be irrelevant to a fruit on the main vine? Bill C.

7/29/2001 2:40:28 PM

Greencastle, PA

Atlantic Giant fruit should be protected from the sun. This is because the sun will harden the rind to soon which is a problem because the fruit keeps growing but its skin doesn't so the skin will crack and the fruit will die. Only the leaves should be given full sun. I hope this helps,
Tom

7/29/2001 3:01:32 PM

St. George, NB Canada

Yes it does. Have an Atlantic Giant that has only now put out a female flower after many many males. I was turning it back toward full sun. I'll stop.

If I bury the stem behind this pumpkin-to-be, how far back should I stay? At this point not counting on a world record, but it is a good healthy plant in very good soil conditions, with lots of water. Bill C.

7/29/2001 3:56:43 PM

Herndon, VA

I wouldn't bury the vine within 3 feet of the pumpkin. You will need to raise this section of vine as the pumpkin grows to avoid unnecessary stress to the stem. If you bury it, you will just have to dig it up later. --Bruiser

7/29/2001 8:18:36 PM

St. George, NB Canada

Thanks. Bill C.

7/29/2001 8:29:45 PM

Long Island,New York

Bill C....Shade the fruit to keep the skin supple and able to stretch easily during high growth periods.The roots absorb the water and minerals the plant needs and transports them to the leaves where the leaves go through the photosynthesis cycles creating starch (photosynthate) which has to be stored somewhere=the pumpkin.The more starch to be stored the bigger the storage container needs to be(pumpkin).The nutrients absorbed by the roots (and through the leaves if foliar feeding) are needed and used by the plant to carry on the photosynthesis and cell building neccessary to plant and fruit growth. The side vines will produce photosynthate and send it to a pumpkin somewhere else on the plant automatically. If you relied on the main alone for the fruit to grow you'd have a small fruit as there are many more leaves on secondaries than on the main.The plant knows what to do.Our job is to create an environment of full speed ahead...optimum availability of food and water...optimum photoperiod,optimum temps,etc......Glenn A.

7/29/2001 8:33:43 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Glenn,
Love it man...really love it.

Alun........in a sunny Liverpool again

7/30/2001 8:41:14 PM

Deer Park WA

Glenn, Try feeding your pumpkin some of that beer you have been drinking and see what it doe's for the plants photosynthate!!! I'm serious bro. I pour a six pack a week down my prize specimines gullet, and it's twice the size of any other of my pumpkins. I named it sludge belly.... :}
Best wishes gadberry... P.s best one so far this year = 257# OTT.

8/1/2001 1:30:10 AM

Omaha, Nebraska

Feed the Pumpkins Alcohol... what if they get too drunk to grow and pass out? At least they will get lazy and Fat!


hahahah

8/1/2001 1:48:15 AM

St. George, NB Canada

The key question to answer is such as what Glenn said in: "The side vines will produce photosynthate and send it to a pumpkin somewhere else on the plant automatically." Others have told me that side vines will result in more leaf and less pumpkin.

Bill C. <who prefers to drink beer over feeding it to pumpkins, boy that seems really obsessive - As if jumping from my pickup every night after work and running to my pumpkin first and foremost (bypassing my wife) isn't a bit obsessive>

8/1/2001 6:16:20 AM

Ga.

what kind of beer???(352) thinks to his self,,is this guy serious,,or just having fun....Thought bout doing that,,but,,figured it is a bad thing to do.....

8/1/2001 11:09:07 AM

Long Island,New York

A couple questions and comments:
1.) What part of the pumpkin plant is the gullet? I cant find one on my plant to try.
2.) It doesn't surprise me that pumpkin size appears to increase with alcohol consumption.Lets confirm it however on weighoff day.
3.) Cut off all the side vines and get back to us on weighoff day with the results.If someones telling you you don't need sidevines then THEY'VE been drinking too much beer.
4.) I don't drink beer. My VERY impressive resume(belly) is the product of Doritos and coke classic. I also can't deny a few Hostess fruit pies ,Funny Bones,and an over indulgence of vermicelli. And these New York bagels are hard to resist.But don't call it a beer belly-thats too easy.

8/1/2001 4:41:25 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Glenn,
Hey man...bagels..coke..doritos..fruit pies..funny bones..vermicelli...I know what your problem is.....you've only got one butt.
lol lol

Alun

8/1/2001 9:21:17 PM

Omaha, Nebraska

I wonder if a bottle of RUM would help?

8/1/2001 9:22:49 PM

CT

I can't take it LOL LOL .
one butt LOL LOL LOL

8/1/2001 11:10:43 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Skeer,
You still laughing? how about you Glenn?

lol lol

Alun

8/2/2001 8:59:53 PM

Greencastle, PA

yo, guys, he worked hard on it, I eat tons of doritos and only wiegh 75, that is VERY impresive, Glenn. Don't lagh to much, that is quite an achievment, I can tell you that his evrything-belly is bigger than my pumpkin. Mybe I should feed my pumpkins doritos and HoHo's. Warning: Don't buy twinkies that are on sale, they have NO cream fillin, I repeat, they have NO CREAM FILLING! Isn'y Hostess's slogan, "Hey, where's the cream filling?" Very odd.
Tom

9/25/2001 10:11:22 PM