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Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

OK you 1st year growers now is one of the most important times of the season. We tend to get overly excited and lie awake waiting for those Females to be ready. We have spent the winter season planning our crosses. we Worked many hours of sweat equity in to our patches. Then it never fails every year some one will get a big pumpkin going and they forgot or did not realize how big that pumpkin is going to get. Stem stress is one of the most preventable occurences. Once your Girl or Guy gets 300 lbs the act of repositioning becomes almost impossible. Large "C" or "S" curves are needed with the pumpkin being placed on the outside radius of the curve. Thanks I feel better that I got that off my chest...and if you are going to grow them big grow them orange :)

6/26/2004 7:21:21 AM

Indiana

thanks Linus im on it got things in good shape c curves 18 inches day 8

6/26/2004 4:46:05 PM

Eugene, OR

Do you guys curve the vine at every pumpkin set on the main or curve after you make your decision on which one to keep? I have one set at 6 and 10 feet with one ready to open in a week or so at 13 on one plant and have one set at 10 and one ready to open in a few days at 12.5 feet on another plant. That's a lot of curves so I'm interested to hear how to deal with this.

6/26/2004 10:50:18 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

I did lots of curves last year, some of my mains looked like snakes the whole length. I found it to be alot of work on top of the pruning, weeding, etc. I plan to just curve when a fruit I like is set...cut tap roots and gently work it for a couple days, just like I had done years past.

6/27/2004 12:21:16 AM

Eugene, OR

Thanks for the info Kyle. It'll be a couple more weeks before I pollinate the potential keepers but when do you normally make your decision on which one to keep? Day 10?

Also, is it customary to remove the leaves, secondaries, and tendrils from the area around each of your potential keepers before you make your decision or take care of that after you cull down to one pumpkin? I'm a little confused on the process involved in properly preparing the main around the pumpkin. Thanks again.

Brian

6/27/2004 10:01:29 PM

Cologne / Germany

I never used the curve method and it worked for me up to 500+ simply raising the vine before and behind the pumpkin with some styrofoam blocks to take any kind of tension away from the stem.
How can you do these curves for every potential keeper all along the season?

6/27/2004 11:29:44 PM

No Place Special

I agree with Southern. I just adjust as the pumpkin grows. I tried to curve the main in advance in the past, and found it to be a lot of extra work. Just my opinion. Mike Frantz

6/27/2004 11:30:00 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Atleast you guys got them curves in...

6/28/2004 4:34:40 AM

No Place Special

Very true, one way or another you DO need to curve the vine. Glad that you brought this up for the new guys to see.

6/28/2004 11:04:24 AM

Indiana

you guys must be lazy! It takes about 1 minute to put the curve in a vine! Only curve for the 1 or 2 or 3 fruit that interest you! I didnt curve anything til after 10 ft out. Put curves in 10 plants in 5 minutes yesterday. All I do is grab the vine tip, move the vine over the side of the fruit is on. put a round stake 6 inches before the female, and pull the vine back the other way.
Tom

6/28/2004 1:08:17 PM

Cologne / Germany

Thank you Tom. A simple explanation how to do it quick and easy is the best you can look for. People sometimes explain things as if you need to go to school and practice about a month before anything is done.
Thanks again, Ingo

6/28/2004 1:27:46 PM

Boyertown, PA, USA

This is only my second season at this so the advice from all of you is very helpful, thank you. On the main I have a female set at 10 ft and one at 11 ft (yes that close), the tip of the main is about 13-14ft. I have not curved anything, is it too late to curve it now? They are my only two females and I only have approximately 6 feet before I run out of room and have to end the main.

6/28/2004 1:42:11 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Yep, I'm lazy. I'm still not doin' it until I have to :0)

6/28/2004 1:42:50 PM

Commack, NY

nuts to that. i just hack the main vine right after the fruit! LOL

6/28/2004 1:54:52 PM

Eugene, OR

LOL Scott. I think that would work great for me. With my clumsy feet I may yet do that without meaning to. Seriously though, thanks for all the info guys. It may be a bit optimistic to think one of my pumpkins will actually get big enough to require a curve but it never hurts to dream! Great thread Linus.

6/28/2004 2:59:28 PM

Commack, NY

I actually have done it more times than i would have liked to. It does work ....LOL....seriously

6/28/2004 5:25:06 PM