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Minnesota([email protected])

I was wondering if pruning every other secondary, or all secondaries on one side(flag pattern), would result in increased growth in the main vine and a other secondaries? I was thinking that maybe the energy that would have went into the pruned secondaries, would go to the remaining vines. Or would the decrease in photosynthesis negate this? Anyone with experience have observations regarding this?

Doug

7/2/2004 11:52:30 PM

C N Y

go to a site called "Henry's Hole"...yeah, lol, i know...
ummm, it does exist. the site of Henry Holman, another AG grower------if you no find it, email me and i'll give you a few pointers. anyway, on the site, look for "Henry's Rules On..." there'll be fertilizing, pollinating, seed-starting, and, OH YEAH! PRUNING! i haven't actually looked at the site lately, but it is worth EVERY SECOND you are there----
good luck, and yes, pruning off every other secondary causes the plant to become more open, less susceptible to fungus and disease, and the leaves get HUUUUGE to compensate for the loss of surface area of the (sob!) now-missing leaves. there has also been talk on Big Pumpkins.com of LEAVING the secondaries on there, but removing every other.....LEAF!!! i myself will try this.....\\\\\\//////eric\\\\//// ------------------'pal2

7/3/2004 12:53:30 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

I'm doing flag on several and the growth side is becoming quite robust, to the point of pruning it back some.

7/3/2004 1:40:57 AM

Colo.Spgs.CO. Pikes Peak Chapter @ [email protected]

Henry's Hole....LOL...as in pumpkinpal 2 post..lol..well the Holoman hole found a hole and burrowed deep into it, with his new grower theories of the computer site all running and hooked for life...( look when last time holoman grew and updated his site ..lol. old news. ) I hope you are reading Kevin, wake up and let us know you are still alive..here in colorado..or did your wife roast & throw away the seeds...come on Kevin.....what's up..I know you must still want to do a patch ??if not now in 2004, why not 05....JK

7/3/2004 4:58:37 AM

[email protected]

Henry's Hole:

http://www.homestead.com/henryholman/pumpkins.html

Pruning is used to focus or concentrate growth where we need it. Terminating & removing secondary vines does force the plant to refocus growth on other sink areas & hastens the time to reach source by other sinks.

7/3/2004 7:08:50 AM

Rhode Island

tremor
you are a wealth of knowledge
what is your personal best ?
mine is 1068, 961, 885, 850, etc
you had to have beat up on allen in conn, i bet
hes a good guy
by the way what the hell is a sink area?
i use mine to wash my hands

7/3/2004 11:34:13 PM

[email protected]

Pap,

Then that would make you Ron's dad! We missed you in Niagara. I roomed with Alan, Ron & Don. I probably had your place in the RI group.

My knowlege is trivial unless I turn it into a decent fruit this year! I'm a second year grower of AG's. So the PB "should" go down this year. The only fruit ever I ever placed on a scale was last year at Durham. We grew it at my son's school (no pesticides at all) & it weighed 194 lbs.

We did grow a Prizewinner to an estimated weight of over 150 lbs a few years ago, but never gave much concern to single fruit weights until hooking up with this crowd.

In agriculture, a sink is the part oif the plant where energy goes. The source is that part of a plant that is mature enough to have started producing more of that energy than it needs to survive thus feeding the sink(s).

All growing tips (meristematic growth regions) are sinks. So once we have enough leaves to fuel fruit growth, we terminated vines (or remove the meristematic growth region). Then the leaves turn into source material. And growth is fueled.

Improved air circulation is another benefit of pruning that folks feel is important. I personally don't think that is what is contributing to growth. Fungicides are still required to control Powdery Mildew in our part of the country regardless of air circulation.

Alan ("Mr 600" I think you guys call him) is a great guy. I've been lucky to meet many fine & helpful growers here at BP & Alan is one of them. He speaks very highly of you.

Any chance you'll be able to make our "Summer Spy Tour" if we intrude on Alan again this year?

Steve

7/4/2004 8:29:11 AM

Rhode Island

steve
the last time i went to allens i had trouble diving over all the junk in his yard just to get to the patch
once there the weeds were so tall i needed a hay baler to get in
just kidding, allen is a good guy
ron and i have a lot of fun with him
good luck to you and your son this year
with the knowledge you have im sure the skys the limit for you guys

dick

7/5/2004 6:56:46 AM