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Berlin,mi.([email protected])

I would like to keep a 2nd pumpkin on a couple plants.My question is, would it be better to isolate it from the main plant by cutting the vine were it comes off the main or cut the stem of the pumpkin part way to let it grow slowly? I am not looking for a huge pumpkin, just growing them for the genetics. Any thoughts or opinions are welcone.Thanks: Steve

7/20/2006 7:04:01 AM

[email protected]

I did this once. Over a 1-2 week period you can gradually cut through the seconday vine. You do want to make sure it has sufficient adventitous roots of it's own to support the pumpkin.

7/20/2006 7:10:48 AM

Rhode Island

leave the second pumpkin on a side vine farther down the line (PAST the main vine pumpkin).
main vine fruit will get the first shot at most of the energy and nutrients. side vine will get whats left over.
LIKE DANNY DEVITO IN THAT MOVIE TWINS-- arnold got all the good and danny got the crap that was left over.

7/20/2006 7:12:14 AM

ENGLAND

Steve. If its for genetics only i would get one pollinated out on a side vine and, as you said above, isolate that side vine by cutting it from the main vine. If you do go that route i would wait until that genetics fruit is a little larger than basket ball before isolating it from the main. Also, make sure that you have a good amount of rooted down Side vine before setting a fruit and cutting it from the main vine. I would also allow a good amount of vine to root down after the set fruit and, if space permitted, allow what would be secondarys to grow a short distance from what is really a 2nd main vine.

Hope that help a little.
Regards
Mike

7/20/2006 7:25:26 AM

ENGLAND

Ah, looks like Steve & Dick beat me to it while i was typing the above. LOL. (Note to self: dont take so long over typing a reply to a thread) LOL.

7/20/2006 7:29:41 AM

Berlin,mi.([email protected])

ok: the pumpkins are set on the 1st secondary off the the main vine. they are out around 10 to 12 ft. i still have time to set one past the main vine pumpkin but the ones i have set are pretty good ones. they are rooted good and i have room to grow them out as far as i want and let extra vines come off them. so dick do you think i should still go for a set past the main vine pumkin or isolate the ones i have set.

7/20/2006 7:37:20 AM

ENGLAND

Steve. While you are waiting for Dick to come back to you on this here is my take on what i would do to get even more additional, isolated Fruit that will not interfere with any Main Vine Fruit. Being as you have Fruit set on the first secondary, and it is well rooted and you have room to expand it further, i would now cut that secondary off from the main and treat it as a seperate new main. As for going for a set on a secondary past the Main Vine Fruit i think it really depends upon the current length of, and distance of, secondarys past your Main Vine keeper. If you have say 6 to 8 ft of main vine past your keeper and you have a secondary at about 4 ft past the keeper then i would concider that to be eligable as the next new vine to set further fruit on and isolate that as you would that first secondary.

We have to also think about how that Main Vine Keeper may suffer a loss of growth as a result of producing a secondary past it with sets on it before it is isolated from the main Vine. However, if your Main Vine Keeper is racing along then for the short amount of time it will take to establish an isolated secondary past it i don't think you will lose out a great deal.

Just my thoughts.

Regards
Mike

7/20/2006 9:49:56 AM

Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

Steve:

Which plant? I'm all for the great genetics color crosses you are making, but if it is your most competetive plant, I think something on the first secondary as you describe will suck juice from your big one on the main. An exception would be if it was a back main that is growing its' own secondaries, i.e. the way Steve Daletas pruned his 1230/1016...

Frank

7/20/2006 10:43:23 AM

ENGLAND

Frank. The first Secondary, with existing extra fruit on, would be cut at the main vine isolating that secondary from it. By doing this Steve will effectively have another plant growing those extra Fruit and in turn would not deprive a Main Vine Fruit from any nutrients etc once it is cut.

Mike

7/20/2006 11:16:32 AM

Berlin,mi.([email protected])

Frank: I have a 1370 x 1101 on the 1st secondary or back main depending on what you want to call it.I have the plant trimmed spider style, so this vine comes out 12 ft and turns 90 deg running the same direction of the main. I have about 12 ft of main past the main vine pumpkin to work with if i want to set one there. I also have a 810 dill x self and a 670 daigle x self. both are similar conditions. the 1370 has my best prospect for competition growing on the main vine.

7/20/2006 11:28:45 AM

Danville, CA ([email protected])

This may be a dumb question but if you have two, is there less chance of a blowout since they will be sharing? I could then pump it hard and worry a lot less or is it really that bad. Stories abound of two 900 pounders on the same plant, but then 900 pounds won't win you anything except the complete astonishment of your neighbors.

7/20/2006 11:54:47 AM

I set one on a very agressive first side 11-12ft out, the vine turns the corner at the fruit. I cut the vine off the main at about day 5, never missed a beat, hit 24" day 10. Some challenging weather coming tho..

7/20/2006 11:57:15 AM

Rhode Island

steven

it really comes down to a matter of personal choice.
i said a vine after the main vine pumpkin because we do not grow backup pumpkins. we cull gradually to one and go for it.
if i did grow a backup though i would do it like i suggested in my earlier reply.
i suppose you could cut the side that has the pumpkin before the fruit and still have that pumpkin grow. i would question how much growth one secondary cut away from the main would do toward the pumpkins nutrient supply.
pap

7/20/2006 6:08:29 PM

Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

Mike:
I'm thinking that if we are talking about a competitive plant, the fruit on the secondary will grow at the expense of the 'competitive' fruit on the main. If you sever the secondary, then you also effectively lose the 'juice' that secondary would have been providing for the fruit on the main. Either way, the competitive fruit is not helped...
Being that we are talking about Steve's best prospect on his best plant, I'd rather see him maximize its potential. Anything less and he will wonder for years to come if his 900 pounder would have been 1100 if he hadn't let that sidevine 250 pounder go for genetics...
Just my two cents.

7/21/2006 7:17:27 AM

ENGLAND

Frank. I certainly agree with you on the above and i see where you are coming from, i guess i was looking at the production of Pumpkins for Genetics over the keeper on the main for competition. I think it's one of those scenarios where, to lose at the expence of an end of season 1100 or have 900 and a 250 for genetics is a hard call. Frank, your above advise is worth more that 2 cents buddy and in all honesty i would rather see a main vine keeper max out than have another sink in the system.

Regards
Mike

7/21/2006 11:17:51 AM

Berlin,mi.([email protected])

Thanks for the replies everyone. Frank i'll talk to you tomorrow about my situation.The 1370 is my best chance so far for a real competitive fruit. but i am not all that competetive when it comes to growing these things. I really like to do some good crosses to share the seeds with other growers. You guys really make a guy think about what to do. lol

7/21/2006 2:45:44 PM

Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

Mike:
O.K. maybe 3 cents, factoring for inflation. :)
I do agree that the best way to keep the extra fruit, if Steve wants to do that, is to use the method you describe...
I guess we'll wait and see which way he goes with it.

7/25/2006 10:44:59 AM