From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Torrance, Ca.

What should I do if my main vine is growing way to fast
?
It’s almost impossible to keep up with it.

Any suggestions would help..

6/27/2018 5:03:08 PM

west central IN/East central IL

My experience, take the first pollination you can get because you might not get another one.

6/27/2018 5:34:19 PM

Central NY

Cut it off...that’ll slow it down

6/27/2018 5:58:26 PM

pumpkin about day 15 will slow it down

cold weather will slow it up but in so cal might need ice semi truck

6/27/2018 6:35:49 PM

Western Massachusetts

Rip the plant out, have a stress free summer

6/27/2018 6:37:38 PM

Fullerton, California

Step on it a few times

6/27/2018 6:50:26 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I’m going with the ice truck for sure!

6/27/2018 7:09:33 PM

funny how several respond with no advice at all. great help you guys are. Without knowing your limitations on space it's hard to give sound advice. Most say terminating the main vine is a no no because it still sends hormones back to the base and pumpkin. whether or not there is sound science behind that is yet to be determined. If your soil was decent to high in Nitrogen then you add stuff over the top you will see growth like this. its not bad, but if space is an issue you should think about doing the following. As Megakin said, you should try and get fruit set on asap 10-18ft. 2 weeks after this you will see vine growth slow down. If you have good color in your leaves right now start on a blossom booster of some sort and halt Nitrogen / fish / kelp products. Serpentine the main vine as best as possible, once you get a fruit set remove every other secondary if you need the space. best of luck!

6/27/2018 7:43:29 PM

Partlow,Va

I would bet the females on the whole plant are super tiny. No advice here just hoping to get some! I have one doing the same thing Chris, secondaries are like 4 feet apart. Been thinking about doing a JohnnyB then a Porkchop. Good luck!

6/27/2018 8:04:37 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

dig out your soil....pay me to replace it with my soil. Next year, you will have 6 foot main vine, 3 months after planting. Problem solved. I keep seeing the growers that are experiencing very fast main expansion. Is this the next frontier or are we going backwards. Time will tell. It used to be that the ideal plant size for pumpkins was upwards of 1200 sq ft...then it dropped to 600-750 sq ft. Maybe 1800 is the ideal size. We keep trying new things...you are a great grower Chris...keep us informed on what you decide and the results.

6/27/2018 9:04:18 PM

Arizona

What % shade do you have. 70% is making my plants stretch.

6/27/2018 9:08:11 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Thanks Hank and lol to a couple of those.

I run 31% shade on sunny days and yes, it does make them stretch out. I’m just going to start bending the main near the chosen fruit.

6/27/2018 9:27:08 PM

Central NY

Chop that sucker right off ...you’ll be glad you did...

6/27/2018 10:07:57 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Chris, sounds like a perfect opportunity to harness all that growth with some rope, maybe a ramp and some old commercial fishing nets, and hook it all up and grow something in the blossom downster category.

6/27/2018 10:31:49 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

Lay off the viagra Chris

6/27/2018 10:54:40 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Lol

6/27/2018 11:05:54 PM

Torrance, Ca.

That’s it!

I’m never asking a question here again...

Who is this Glenn, pork chop fellow and this patchmaster guy?

6/27/2018 11:07:52 PM

Home of happy lil plants

What you guys don't get 2ft a day on the mains?

6/27/2018 11:40:49 PM

Wisconsin

Spray the tip with double strength eagle 20, it will shut it down for a few days works on secondaries as well.

6/28/2018 3:21:38 AM

Grittyville, WA

Lol yes a longer vine really would help with getting them blossom down. And on that note I do really hope we are still talking about pumpkins...!

6/28/2018 4:13:07 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Happened to me this year too probably because we had the hottest May on record followed up by 3 weeks of indexes well over 100 in June. I was at 25 feet out by mid June and had to terminate the main then. Some days it was doing 2 feet. I'd put on your beer goggles and pollinate everything just to slow it down.

6/28/2018 8:29:28 AM

Westmoreland, KS

So cal one of my plants was doing the same thing this year and i did exactly what smallmouth said...pollinate everything, at one time i had 8 pollination's set however the vine eventually split about 8-10 feet after the chosen one so I cut it and let a secondary keep growing to hopefully keep sending a signal for the pumpkin to grow. (if that doesn't work porkchop and the Beard may be onto something!)

6/28/2018 9:26:10 AM

stoughton WI

Let's switch patches chris, I know you won't have that problem here

6/28/2018 12:06:11 PM

Griffith, In

Chris, you have got one of the best mentors in the pumpkin business, Why aren't you asking him this question??? When you do, can you tell us what he said.

6/28/2018 12:44:54 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Thanks Rick! Lol

Judy, steve told me to get out the blow torch and fry the tip! Lol

6/28/2018 5:03:18 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

Sounds like Steve. Did he tell you the secret knife trick too?

6/29/2018 12:10:41 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Lol me master!

6/30/2018 3:50:49 PM