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CT

Hi Everyone,

We have many secondary vines that are now approaching the end of our patch. The patch is surrounded by a snow fence.
We don't want all the vines to get tangled up in the fence.
Could someone tell us exactly how to terminate the vines so they don't get hooked up in the fence, but continue to remain strong and healthy. Do we cut them off and bury them? Or just bury the ends or?????????????

Thanks for your help.

7/12/2000 9:52:48 AM

Commack, NY

pinch off the growing tip, and bury it. some let it air dry first, while others just pinch and bury. dont' bury the whole vine, just the tip. be careful you dont' get the soil wet in that area for a couple of days so you dont' get any fungus, and you're good to go.
scott

7/12/2000 10:04:04 AM

CT

Hi Farmer Scott,

Thanks so much for your help. We will file this information with the rest of our reference materials. We still have a little time before we have to deal with terminating the vines. In the meantime we will make sure we have some good dirt to bury the ends when the time comes.

7/12/2000 7:50:29 PM

Western Pa.

Hi Riverview School kids!
I just checked out your pictures, and I'm not positive you captured a cuke beetle, it looks more like a ladybug, which is a beneficial insect! Cucumber beetles are more long than round and yellowish, about the shape of a firefly but a little smaller! It also looks as if you've lost your pumpkin,be real gentle when you pollinate and try again.Good Luck!

7/12/2000 8:32:45 PM

CT

Hi Kilrpumpkins -- Yes,our picture does make this insect look like a ladybug, but it is much larger. Also, we had a hard time capturing it's color with our camera. It is not quite as red as it looks. Last year, these were the insects that ravaged our squash! Also, there were some that were more yellow than this - also with spots on their backs. Bad, bad, bad! Maybe they are some kind of mutant ladybugs. If anyone knows exactly what they are, we'd love to hear from you.

7/12/2000 11:29:29 PM

Long Island,New York

From here it looks like a colorado potato beetle.Will eat the leaves leaving only the viens.......GlennA

7/13/2000 7:02:01 AM

Rush, NY

Hello Riverview School Kids:
Maybe this will help you and others in 2001. I did my first trial of terminating and burying vines in 1989 on 1 plant and got a New world record Squash on that plant. Since 1990 I have done it for all my plants. As the vines are growing, I shovel loose dirt from outside the plant and cover the vines every 5 to 7 days to within about 2 feet from the end of runners. When the plant is as large as I want, I cut the vine off so the last little leaf is just above ground when the vine is buried about 3 inches. I immediately lift up the runner back to the last root and make a trench about 3 inches deep. Put the vine in the trench and cover it with the dirt you removed for the trench. Sometimes an extra shovel of dirt is required where the runner angled into the ground. When the ground is dry, I water the buried area that day and I get a lot of rooting. The leaves in the buried vine area usually get much larger than the other leaves on the plant. I do not cover the plants trunk (at main root) anymore because I lost 2 plants 1 year when leaves at the trunk broke down (high wind) and rotted. Black bugs followed the rotted leaf stems to the trunk and the trunks rotted. Now, I tuck 3' x 3' pieces of REMAY around the trunk as best I can to keep Borers out of the trunks. Sometimes I have to remove a leaf or two to put the REMAY in place. Keep a close watch for leaves that colapse and remove them before they rot.

3/2/2001 7:02:13 AM