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Santa Cruz, CA

It seems by what I've read that some growers terminate secondarys at certain lengths. Do you terminate secondarys and if so at what length?
What about the main vine? What length do you terminate past your set pumpkin?

7/17/2006 9:20:30 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I was told by a veteran grower to try and let the first couple of secondaries on each side grow as long as possible and then terminate all other secondaries from 12' to 18'.

Guess it depends on your patch and whether or not you have squirrels that assist with secondary termination or not.

7/17/2006 10:14:21 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Years ago we were taught to let the vines grow forever..needed 1200 sqft plants....today we're saying only 500 sqft...I think depending on you sunlight and soil you have to make the determination what the "sink" needs as far as plant size...what someone else can grew in primo soil , in full sun...might not be what you can grow in your backyard with limited sun....backyarders can compete but...we may need a larger plant to push the pumpkin...just a thought...these guys are good ansd maybe they have another idea...hope some of the big guys answer....always a newbie here. GrowEmBig! Chuck

7/17/2006 10:54:39 PM

Denver, CO

At the point you are ready to set a pumpkin, I would terminate any secondarys that are greater then 12ft in length, and conisder it with 10ft. The theroy being that you probably have enough sq ft of leaves to support the growth of a 1000lb pumpkin and any more is wasted energy going towards secondary growth and not towards the pumpkin. (However, looking at Hollands video from 2005 ,all his plants are huge, at least 600 sq ft in size maybe 800 ft.!)

7/17/2006 10:58:51 PM

Montoursville, PA

Experts can do anything they want any way they want to do it. It is my opinion that one plant well managed, to seven hundred or so square feet, of canopy, will give some benefits and provide error correction, for the learning grower. I'm still learning so that is what I did this year.

I was taught, to keep the main going, if you can. Makes sense, to me. If Mother Nature had wanted no contiued growth the pumpkins would all be growing, on the vine tips only.

7/18/2006 8:25:55 AM