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Edmonton, 53.5N, 113.6W

does having a main after the pumpkin help with pumpkin growth? I've hit a point where I need to reduce some vine stress and snipping the main would be easiest. Anyone know this for sure - I've seen lots of growers keep the main and secondaries after the 'kin and lots that snip it at the pumpkin.

8/13/2014 7:00:30 PM

Central NY

If it's gotta go, it's gotta go

8/13/2014 9:57:17 PM

East Jordan, MI

in my opinion the direct question of will it help with growth is no. The vine tip sends signals back to the main root to send more nutrients/water I'm still growing, the pumpkin gets first dibs as the flow goes past it.

But, reality is reality, if its going to break the stem off, the pumpkin will be done. Better to lose a vine than a stem.

That said.
You can move a pumpkin (carefully when it's warm outside) to relieve stem stress. The idea is to get a little slack in the vine and then hold the weight off of the stem.

Pull up a couple of roots from the vine closest to the pumpkin and support the weight of the vine with some Styrofoam or swim noodles so it doesn't just hang on the stem.

8/13/2014 10:17:07 PM

Edmonton, 53.5N, 113.6W

So I don't really buy that the vine tips are sending any signals but that said I've already terminated the main around 6' past the pumpkin. I've only allowed two secondaries to grow past the pumpkin as well (also terminated). My real question is do the leaves and roots past the pumpkin help it? I could pull a bunch of tap roots and move the vine but if they're not helping why not cut them off. I just want to know that they really aren't helping. I'm only growing on around 200 square feet and getting rid of these vines cut down another 15+ square feet of root/leaf area.

8/14/2014 12:04:26 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Ask your Mail Man.
Well an experienced grower gave you an answer that you were not happy with...Good Luck. You have two choices Cut your main vine before your pumpkin. To see if the vines and leaves after the pumpkin contribute to growth, or listen to the advice of others when you seek advice.

8/14/2014 7:41:27 AM

Wi

Many world class pumpkins have been grown with main vines growing after the fruit and with vines terminated at the fruit. I've done it both ways as well.

8/14/2014 10:46:10 AM

Edmonton, 53.5N, 113.6W

Hi Shannon, I'm sorry if my response came off as sounding irreverent. My frustration is that I've been doing a little research and, like Chris says, the best growers in the world do both. It's almost as though the main after the pumpkin can't hurt but may not help.

To that end I'd like to solicit opinions from the folks here in the form of multiple choice:
a) Any plant after the pumpkin does nothing to help the pumpkin's growth.
b) Growing the plant after the pumpkin helps with the pumpkin growth as much as the plant before.
c) Growing the plant after the pumpkin helps with the pumpkin growth but nowhere near as much as the plant before.
d) Not sure if the plant after the pumpkin helps but it definitely doesn't hurt so if you've got the space why not keep it growing.

8/14/2014 2:26:52 PM

Germany

I vote for a modified b')
and I would call it "Growing the plant after the pumpkin helps in a pretty proportional manner which is composed of the contribution of leaves (equal contribution, perhaps better contribution of this new growth in the late season when some of the leaves of the plant between stump and fruit are old or perhaps dead) and the contribution of roots (which is less than the contribution from the stump because the plant beyond the fruit has "only" tap roots).

...and now please visit the following thread and read what Pap has written about the plant which had produced his 1104 Wallace, and then it´s up to you if you still think that all those gains simply came from a few leaves left on the plant of the "old" side of the main vine after pulling the stump or if the growth beyond the fruit might have contributed to the gains of several hundred pounds to significant extent.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=461263

8/14/2014 2:58:51 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Reckhard, when possible, I try and keep the main going past the pumpkin, but it has to have the right angle, positioning and most importantly...the pumpkin must have enough plant behind it (minimum of 8 secondaries each side and those secondaries 15' long).

This year, bad early positioning on our 1602 Glasier resulted in terminating the vine after the pumpkin, but the plant is of sufficient size, and I was able to run tertiaries on the last vine on one side, to fill in the remainder of the patch. On our 1043 Chan plant, the main vine is about 15' past the fruit, but the shoulders have caught up on the one side, and the main past the fruit will likely be eliminated by the end of August.

There is no scientific proof, but I also believe like cntryboy and many other growers that growing the main and secondaries if possible past the fruit, keeps the plant more vibrant and stimulated...thus increasing your pumpkin weights.

My biggest pumpkins have all been grown with the vine terminated after the pumpkin.

8/14/2014 9:09:15 PM

Edmonton, 53.5N, 113.6W

Thanks Pumpking, that's an interesting thread - it definitely tells me that I should do what I can to keep the vines past the pumpkin. I'll work on pulling up the tap roots to loosen the vine so I have a little room to play. It'll keep the greenery but I'll have to sacrifice roots.

8/14/2014 9:40:37 PM

Central NY

If it's gotta go, it's gotta go...

8/14/2014 9:52:16 PM

Stanwood, Washington

I vote for C.
The leaves and roots ahead of the pumpkin will back feed some but not nearly as much as the ones before the Pumpkin. If your worried About your stem I don't think its worth it to keep it on there for those few extra pounds you will get. As for the vine tip hormone theory, I don't think there is any way to verify it one way or another but it seems like you would get the same effect off of a secondary or tertiary that you would off the main so as long as you still have some vine growth somewhere I wouldn't worry about it. On my 2009 I terminated the Main right at the pumpkin for positioning reasons and trained the last secondary before the Pumpkin as a new main. Its my best pumpkin ever by far so the anecdotal evidence from my end is that It is not really necessary to have the main out in front of the pumpkin. who knows though it might be doing even better If I had kept the main.

8/18/2014 2:09:37 PM