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Mill Bay, British Columbia

I’ve used this awesome photo from Mark as an example (great photo Bubba) for my question.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=291261

I’ve always pre-trimmed the leaf, tendril and secondary adjacent to female flowers in preparation for pollination. I was advised that by removing them early, there is a smaller scar, gives the baby fruit room for adjustment, and it saves the hassle of removing them later and leaving a bigger scar to heal.

What does everyone else do, remove them before pollination, or after? And why?

I can understand leaving the secondary, just in case the fruit does not set, but why not remove the leaf and tendril earlier?

Thanks in advance/Glenn

6/18/2018 10:23:27 AM

Westmoreland, KS

I just had a similar question/issue. I left my leaf on hoping to get extra nutrients to the fruit from the leaf. However, my leaves are large and as the pumpkin grew the leaf adjusted and put pressure on the stem which started to crack the vine/stem so I had to remove the leaf.

So if you have large leaves I'd suggest removing them early, a few days before pollination.

I removed the leaf last night and here is a video of what it looks like today...you can see the water from where I cut the leaf off and you can see the large area which will be a scar.

https://youtu.be/oe1iIGm3YXk

6/18/2018 12:02:49 PM

stoughton WI

I started to remove leaf, tendrils and secondary before pollination this year. Smaller wounds this way and I remove 2 secondaries on the opposite side ahead of the kin to keep from having to criss cross them to make them fit

6/18/2018 12:48:07 PM

New York

I saw Dave Stelts diary and he puts a Atkin in between the female flower and the leaf before it’s pollinated I don’t know what he does after. I think this year I’m going to try and keep the secondary next to the pumpkin. I believe this will send nutrients directly to the pumpkin. I don’t know what I’m going to do about the leaf yet I might try and keep that to.

6/18/2018 4:25:36 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

Some people keep the leaf temporarily to aid in shading the blossom.

6/18/2018 9:27:47 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

I keep them until they get in the way. Never know if fruit will take so don’t want to risk removing leaf and sidevine for no reason.

6/18/2018 11:31:35 PM

Eugene,OR

I keep everything until I know that I am going to keep a particular fruit. That is at least 10 days after pollination.

6/19/2018 1:13:56 AM

Bethlehem CT

I wish I could prune and start preparing the plant for the fruit. But for whatever reason once I do that the pumpkin aborts, so I wait until I know it's set and growing.

6/19/2018 6:19:43 AM

Stanwood, Washington

I remove all of my tendrils as the plant grows anyway. I leave the vine and the leaf until they get in the way. I like to leave the leaf to shade the fruit. I leave the vine in case the pollination doesn't set i am just gun shy because of way too many experiences of failed pollinations. I am not sure why you would be worried about a scar. Its not on the pumpkin itself so looks isn't anything to worry about. You're not actually cutting the main vine itself. If you notice when you cut each node is sealed off so that each section off vine is like its own little sealed tube and I don't think that it it poses any greater risk to the health of the vine by cutting it later.

6/20/2018 11:23:17 AM