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Canada

Well It's almost Aug now and i still dont have a fruit set due to animal damage in the patch, I have 2 plants

# 1 620 Boyton, Main vine well out over 15 ft, with secondarys around the 6 ft mark, I have 2 females on the main and one on the secondary.

#2 1178 L Wentzell, Main vine out to around the 13-14 FT mark, secondarys around the 4 foot + mark further out on the main vine, a total of 3 females 2 on the main and one on the secondary.


Ok all of these females will be pollinated by end of week first one will be tomouro and all should be pollinated by end of week, Temps are perfect high low 90's all week and Hot and humid :-)

ive been collection males from the 1178L wentzell since sunday all females on both plants will be pollinated by the 1178 L wentzell male flowers.

Would you :

1. Cut off the end of the main and any secondary tips were the fruits have been set to let all the growth go towards the pumpkin on each vine?

2. just pollinate and let the main and secondarys continue to grow after pollination and then cut tips off later?


what i'm getting at is.. Will be cutting and ending the vine at were the fruit is set let that pumpking grow larger or not really?


thanks
Dave

7/21/2004 3:35:46 AM

Southern WI

From what I've read... DO NOT CUT THE MAIN. You never know which fruit will take and which won't, cutting the main leaves you no more chances, maybe a secondary, but you say you already cut them right. I don't remember what they say about how long to continue, the others will chime in soon

7/21/2004 7:53:33 AM

Knopp, Germany

This might go against the "one sink" theory, but I have a video were Geneva Emmons said that she lets her main continue to grow, and I even believe she said she lets it continue to produce females, that she culls. In the same video Al Eaton said that he terminates all growth when the main and secondaries get to a certain length, and he has fruit set. He goes so far as to cull all flowers, male and female. I think that these two rather different approaches go to show us that the real importance is in the soil.

7/21/2004 7:59:43 AM

Walkerton Ont

Dave dont cut anything of just yet, as you dont have a pumpkin set, and you dont have a pumpking growing well. If you say you have a pumpkin to polinate at the end of this week, then you still have a little bit of time left. After you polinate and the fruit has set then terminate your vines. I usually terminate my vines the first week of auguest or the second week of auguest.
Your secondaries are still a bit to short. Dont wory i polinated one of my pumpkins last year around july 26 - the first week of auguest, i forget and i still managed to get 547 lbs out of that deal. We both have the same weather almost but i think you get the warmer weather a bit more as you are south. I think you should be ok if u let the vines grow a bit more. I ask that guestion to a local grower about mine this weekend and he said the same thing i did.

7/21/2004 8:28:06 AM

Vermont Green MTN State

So if I have a good friut on a secondary vine should I cut the vine off at the pumpkin? I have seen others do this in their diaries. What would be the reason for doing this? I imagine it cuts back the chance of the pumpkin breaking off the vine, but does it put more power into the pumpkin instead of the vine? Or is it better to leave the vine because it helps feed the friut????
Doeski

7/21/2004 9:00:01 AM

Ohio

Dave, cover them bad boys up with a laundry basket or something so nothing can eat em this time. Make it impossable for anything to get to em. Good luck, I hope you get one growing soon.

7/21/2004 9:40:51 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Dave,
what i'm getting at is.. Will be cutting and ending the vine at were the fruit is set let that pumpking grow larger or not really?

Answer, No I don't believe so. My suggestion would be continue and let your vines grow. Terminate them only after you have 10 to 15' past the (keeper pumpkin). I like to treat them the same as a side vine once a pumpkin has set. Remember Good rooting produces good fruiting.

7/21/2004 10:08:02 AM

Minnesota([email protected])

Dave,
I'm wondering, if it's going to be 90s on pollination day, should you put ice in containers by the females, to keep them cooler after pollination?
I pollinated my first yesterday, and it hit at least 93 degrees. I did put buckets with ice near the female, and a shade cloth over the area. I did it kind of late(1:30 PM). The pollinated female looks a little larger today, so I hope the pollination took.
Can anyone chime in on if cooling is recommended in this situation?

Doug

7/21/2004 1:08:06 PM

Canada

Thanks allot for all the information, No vines have been cut as of yet, Plants are growing like crazy main and secondarys have been growing at least 8" per day, The female on the 1178L Wentzell should be open by Friday for pollination the other ones any day now, all pumpkins not pollinated yet on the main vine are covered with old laundry baskets and staked down so nothing can get at them.

By first week in Aug I should have at least a good 2-3 fruits set on each plant. all vines are currently barried ( both main and secondarys) up to around 2 foot before the pumpkin on each vine, do you guys usually burry the vine once again after the fruit say 3 ft past the fruit or just let them grow?


Thanks again

Dave

7/21/2004 1:16:56 PM