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Upa Creek, MO

Had a 4 foot main vine get snapped on me Saturday, and I decided today it doesn't look like it will recover. The break is at 2 feet so would you:

A)pull the plant and put in a small rootbound backup

B)cut the main back to the first or second secondary and let one of them take over?

I feel like "B" is already cutting the plant short of potential so I am leaning towards "A". If anyone has successfully grown on a secondary as the new main please post. I know some have, but only recall Doc Liggett (sp).

Thanks

5/12/2015 7:13:50 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Bummer Luke!
I had this happen on a plant two years ago, ran a secondary as the main and one month later couldn't even tell.

Being as hot as you get,,, every day counts as you get close to pollination...

5/12/2015 7:35:57 PM

South Hero, VT

Never give up. Go for B. Your best fruit may not be as large as it would have been on the main, but the 1317 is too good a seed not to grow it once it gets going.

5/12/2015 7:42:11 PM

Home of happy lil plants

dangitttt luke!

perfect time to snap it if you are going to snap it in my opinion,chop main even with furthest along secondary and it will feed into that 2ndary in 30 days you wont even know thats not the main besides the other true sides will be bigger than normal, i would probably chop any sides before the new main anyways so you ensure no wasted vines or space. roll with it AND plant that root bound plant over there a few foot away and if it catches main plant in 2 weeks it wins. way i see it is less that 5 days setback on waiting on new main to get same growing pace thats it

So B except maybe pluck all secondaries but new main cause I know you are tight on space and cant afford waste

5/12/2015 7:43:38 PM

Muddy Waters

Plan B for sure

5/12/2015 7:51:43 PM

Midwest

I had the same thing happen to me so I cut the main back to within 4 inch's of the next secondary,sulfured the cut and the plant never skipped a beat. grew 1,062.5 and won 1st at republic pumpkin daze!

5/12/2015 7:54:02 PM

Bethlehem CT

Plan B, you will be back to where you started in a week or so.

5/12/2015 8:26:38 PM

East Jordan, MI

Luke
we grew our PB (1718) on a secondary that we turned and made the new main (because I broke the main) last year.

5/12/2015 8:57:43 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

1882 gehwieler .. Grown on a retrained second

5/12/2015 10:11:00 PM

Upa Creek, MO

This is all great to hear and much appreciated.

I'm going to cut back to a secondary at 18 inches. There is one other strong one before that and ill watch them for a few days to see which is stronger.

Thanks

5/12/2015 10:49:40 PM

Nottingham, UK

Definitely plan B.

You may have a little set back and have lost some above ground growth but you don't want to be throwing away all that underground growth.

5/13/2015 7:25:17 AM

Central Minnesota

My 1873 was on a secondary last year. It kept throwing doubles so I cut it back to the first good secondary, that was at 2.5 ft from the stump, removing 6ft of good plant. No problems after that. It is very early, if you have a good secondary cut it back and turn it, it will turn into your main.

5/13/2015 11:19:51 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Thanks again. To those who cut back I have another question. It leaves a "tube like" whole in the main where I cut back to the secondary, and I can see all the way into the main. Does that heal up, should I bury or what? I know this is normal, but have never had this problem so early and just want to be cautious.

Thanks

5/13/2015 11:49:20 AM

Central Minnesota

Keep it covered so water doesn't get into it initially. Dust it with Sulfur and eventually it will scar over basically.

5/13/2015 11:58:07 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Thanks. Maybe this will be a good thing

5/13/2015 12:51:17 PM

Central Minnesota

It will take longer than normal to get secondaries to grow off the new main, don't worry about it, they will come.

5/13/2015 1:01:44 PM

Rudolph

I grew a 1364 pound pumpkin on a secondary last year, the main vine was snapped by hail at around 6 feet,,to trained a new secondary right at the break, it's a set back for sure, but once the secondary gets going you wont be able to tell the difference,,

5/14/2015 9:14:34 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Thank you

5/14/2015 9:57:24 AM