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Sydney, Australia

Here's my minds ramblings! Thought I'd seek some advice on my fruit choice on the 1260 Weir plant. I have 2 fruit on the main, one at 14 feet and one at 24 feet out.
The 14 foot fruit is looking awesome, great shape and colour developing too. Its short stemmed, with no room for stem stress release. Its been a slow grower, but is picking up the pace, now at 77" circ on day 23, gaining 22 pounds last day, now 140 pounds. Its way behind 1000 pound pace. Its looking so nice it would be hard to cull.
The 24 foot fruit is growing way faster at the same age, is long in shape, but it has the room to grow, due to vine management. It measured 26" on day 9, much bigger than the 14 foot fruit at the same age. It seems the one to keep.
What do you guys reckon? What would be a good way to cull the fruit at 14 foot? What day should I wait until on the younger fruit, before getting a knife out? How many days should I gradually cull the 14 foot fruit? Do you think 500 sqft of very healthy plant could overcook a young fruit? The young fruit is already weeping around the blossom from fast growth and its only football sized!
I would like to keep the fruit(and cross) at 14 foot limping along somehow. If I left about a tenth of a stem on the 14 foot fruit do you think it would limp to maturity without taking much energy away from the fruit at 24 foot?
Going to make some sort of choice in the next 3 or so days. I have a feeling the young one could get very big indeed with a 700sqft healthy plant behind it..... Thanks for any advice or ideas. Ben

12/14/2005 7:22:19 AM

Western NY

i'd chop the 14' asap. i know it's a hard decision. i had to make a similar choice this year and it paid off. you might want to cut it near the shoulders, then trim the stem again the next day to keep the wound fresh and weeping an extra day.

but then again, it's pretty easy for us to make the calls form all the way around the globe, lol.

any fruit set on secondaries?

12/14/2005 9:05:04 AM

Sydney, Australia

No fruit on the secondarys, have been pruning them with the tendrils. Did the day 10 measure at 30" circ and its looking like a winner. The 14' only gained 15 pounds in 24 hours...... The choice is becoming easier,lol. Thanks for advice Andy!

12/14/2005 3:23:56 PM

Sydney, Australia

OK its done, started chopping the stem on the 80" fruit, its weeping tears though! I will remove it slowly over a period of a week or so..... Ben

12/14/2005 3:37:48 PM

Long Island,New York

Well, as tempted as I was to tell you to pack it in for a year and tend to family biz while growing cover crops over the summer- I didn't. I was way outnumbered and didn't wanna be the party pooper. Therefore, it came as no surprise you yanked some plants. Now with one plant all answers are easy....if you are going for big cull the 14footer. If your growing to have a couple great big pkns for Alex to have pix taken with and enjoy the experience of new fatherhood and keep the wife sane (and off your back) then grow both with a beer in one hand and a child in the other...chill a bit and get two. Its up to you....

12/14/2005 3:37:51 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

OHH G he already cut it...

12/14/2005 4:49:18 PM