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Picton,ON ([email protected])

I have a bit of a decision to make on my 500 Beauchemnin, I trained it with twin mains (Wish bone). The fruit on one main measures 65 inches on day 19. The other measures 73 inches on day 18. The larger is a five lobe and the smaller a four. Do I keep both cull the smaller one? Both are on track for 1000 lbs. The larger fruit has slightly better shape but the smaller one is ok. The vine on the smaller fruit is also a smaller weaker vine.
Any suggestions would be helpful.

7/23/2006 9:57:15 PM

San Diego

depends on your goals. A plant with a wishbone can sustain two 1000 lb fruit, the 1230 and 1016 daletas were grown thast way. If you cull down to one, all the eggs are in one basket, keeping two gives a better shot of having a security if one goes down. The decision is totally up to you on this one, but if you have a secondary main with secondaries coming off of it, most growers would say that it has become it's own plower plant and doesn't affect the other main part of the plant.

7/24/2006 12:22:13 AM

Goffstown,nh

Hi John,
That's a good problem to have, two good fruit with great potential. I must say however if it were me i would only keep the larger fruit on the heavier vine. You may only have one shot but it's all or nothing in this hobby. Doesn't one 1300lb'er sound better than two 900lb'ers ?? The 500 has a good tract record of holding together and reaching exceptional weights. Hold your breath and CUT the smaller one... Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Jim

7/24/2006 6:18:40 PM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

Thanks for the advice guys. I started a two day cut on the smaller fruit this morning and started to remove some of the side vines on the second main to make more room for secondaries on the primary main.
Measured the primary fruit this morning, day 20:
12B=79+58+53=190" (155 lbs), well within the chart for 1000 plus.
I'll post pictures soon.
John

7/25/2006 11:30:10 AM