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derry n.h u.s.a.

Q.If you cut off 20 or so leafs(old leafs,end of vine secondary leafs) at the vine leaving the vine ,just removing the tubes and leafs,should this put a little more energy towards the fruit? Q. has anyone tried this before.Thanks John

9/6/2004 7:07:10 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Be sure and let us know how you make out! LOL
I was wondering along the same lines this evening, is a tattered old decrepit leaf more injurious to plant than leaving it on? Hate to whack them off when you don't know if the wind or powdery mildew will do it for you tomorrow?
Good luck, Duff

9/6/2004 7:34:45 PM

[email protected]

John,

To slow down a late season growth surge (which will more than likely split any older fruits), you can cut leaves, or actually just take every other secondary off, cutting the uptake of nutrients and slowing it down, without killing the plant and the fruits longevity. This is done quite often, especially the closer to weigh off day we get.

9/6/2004 7:57:42 PM

Whidbey Island

Not a problem here....no growth for several days now !

9/6/2004 9:54:21 PM

So. Maine

Hey John, with all the rain on the way for later this week it may be a good idea to tie down the pumpkins so they don't get washed away. Al

9/6/2004 11:47:45 PM

Nh

john
my largest pumpkin has all but stopped growing. This is my 2nd year growing and my fruit weighs about 220lbs. Its just big enough that my interest in growing bigger is off the charts.
so much so tha i have a hard time even posting my ?'s in an understandable manner!
i have about 6 pumpkin plants growing this year.
5 of these i'am now(more or less) using them to expieriment on in relation to the questions i have.
hopefull, i can then take what the outcome of such expiriments and then (if they work) apply them to my biggest and see what happens.

9/7/2004 12:15:58 AM

Key West, FL

hmm, I've heard cutting leaves will give the pumpkin a little surge. I cut off a bunch of brown and half brown ones, didn't make a noticable difference to me but I didn't cut off that many or any good leaves..

9/7/2004 1:46:35 AM

Ohio

I think hes talking about cutting leaves and vines before the pumpkin, I got some growth cutting all AFTER the pumpkin, fluke maybe? I dunno, but it worked for me.
Brooks

9/7/2004 5:09:01 AM

[email protected]

I have 5 good sized fruits, and the tropical depression Frances is heading to PA tomorrorw for a day or so.. My fruits are very old with early pollenation dates, and the slightest growth surge would pop these babies. Cutting the secondaries (every other one)at this point is being tossed around, as the hard shells wont be able to take a surge.

Yes, the leaves are dying off from Powdery Mildew, but the root system remains the same. Any uptake more than the daily watering could be splitsville. That is why I would rather have 5 fruits that are 550, 560, 580, 740, and 850 than 1 that got lucky and 4 splits.

9/7/2004 6:39:39 AM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

My 135lb micro pumpkin has all but stopped growing as well. The other day we had a bit of a wind storm and one secondary was badly damaged (ie flattened). I decided to hack it off. 2 days later, the pumpkin had gained 9lbs. Then, over the next 2 days, back to almost nothing. Then I removed another damaged section of vine (all of which is after the fruit by the way) and 2 days later, another 6 lbs of growth. If this keeps up, I'm hackingthe main right after the pumpkin in another day or so...

9/7/2004 4:22:51 PM

derry n.h u.s.a.

Al ,They say the 1/2 ton fruits dont float away as quick,so im taking my chances,dont want any rope burns on my baby now!!Rock the reason i asked this question was i cut maybe 20 leafs around the stump area and 10 or so from secondary vine ends,fruit is over 60 days(barely)fruit went from a 3 day everage of 9 lb a day to over 15+ gained 95lb in 6 days,thought i was all done,then this burst of energy after i cut the leafs,so its still a guessing game,cant say it was leaf cutting,could be the weather,could be the pumpkin.Who knows?? thanks to all that replied.John

9/7/2004 5:10:46 PM

Springfield, MO

Food for thought. Great thread. Take a look at my "Do pumpkins suck?" thread. If water goes to leaves first, then after that to fruit...MAYBE if a few leaves are removed then temporarily the water that would have gone to those leaves will go straight to the fruit. As the plant readjusts the water flow to compensate for the missing leaves, then the growth surge would slow down again. The water going to the fruit might not have the "good stuff" that the leaves provide in as high a proportion during that surge, but in the grand scheme of a high weight fruit, a few pounds of "unenriched" water might make no real difference. And, I doubt that this is a strategy that one could use long term anyway. Just some thoughts...Chris

9/7/2004 9:59:34 PM