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Location

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Torrance, Ca.

How many that deal with disease aren't burying vines this year after seeing Dave's slideshow at the convention? I'd hate to loose that top root but with my disease pressure so high I'll be giving it a try this year.

5/17/2025 10:08:18 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I didn’t see the slideshow but after a couple years of some vine rot, we are going to only cover the tap roots and not bury the entire vines.

5/17/2025 8:58:33 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

I have historically buried vines. I’m going to only bury those nodes close to the fruit this year to keep the vine healthy.

5/17/2025 11:26:28 PM

Bethlehem CT

I don't bury

5/18/2025 8:03:22 AM

Upa Creek, MO

I am in the same boat Chris with disease pressure. I saw Big Moon's results last year not burying so I am giving it a shot.

We get some pretty bad storms in the midwest, so not sure how the plants will hold up not buried. I might try to anchor them with padded U shaped garden staples.

5/18/2025 8:19:29 AM

Westmoreland, KS

No burying here

5/18/2025 11:56:28 AM

Bethlehem CT

Luke i use bricks, rocks or split firewood on top of the vine or tendril to anchor them down while they are sending down taproots.

5/18/2025 1:26:11 PM

Bethlehem CT

It sounds harsh... but I don't baby my plants. Lol

5/18/2025 1:28:32 PM

Jericho Vermont

This will be the first year since the early 2000's that we will vines. The first reason is, I am old and have a bad back! The second is we don't have the option of moving the patch in our small backyard and each year we have vines that have some rot in them. Hoping to get all vines to last the whole season and will use 2 foot bamboo stakes to hold vines down.

5/18/2025 4:04:39 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Sounds like a lot of you aren't burying vines. It will be fun to see how we all do. I've buried vines the past 16 years and this will be the first time not burying.

Let the games begin!

5/18/2025 9:51:14 PM

Grittyville, WA

The rest of us are coddling them like we are pumpkin mommys... bigmoon is being a real pumpkin dad. Carry your weight and then some! Lol, I like it.

5/19/2025 2:18:19 AM

valtierra/spain

Last year, I didn't bury many of the nodes on the main vines. My soil reeked of fusarium, pythium, and other diseases. The top root never became infected because it didn't exist... but the bottom root, every single one, became infected. In 2022, as in 2023, as in 2024. I hope this year, 2025, in another greenhouse, the same thing doesn't happen. I don't bury the main vine, but I do bury the rest of the plant. Dave Stelts uses crop rotation; that's the best information. He has four patches, and he uses one each year. That's the most important thing about Dave and Carol; they're doing it really well.

5/20/2025 5:41:38 PM

Kutztown, PA

I am happy not to bury vines. LOL In fact I am elated! I have some disease issues, a bad back, I'm old, I get blisters, it sucks, and any other reason I've forgotten to add. That said, the wind is a big thing for me. No telling what I'll have to do to keep them standing. Maybe small burlap bags filled with clean sand? What do you think?

5/22/2025 3:16:42 PM

Syracuse, NY

Garwolf: I have a bundle of 500 bamboo stakes 3 feet long each that are still in that plastic burlap bundle from A.M.Leonard. I really like how they pictured these, like you're in a lumber yard if zoomed in. They are not spindly. Perhaps one at each leaf at a 45-degree angle would help, and look cool, lol. eg
https://www.amleo.com/3-foot-natural-first-cut-premium-bamboo-stakes-10-12-mm-diameter-bundle-of-500/p/N36

[Last edit: 05/22/25 10:24:51 PM]

5/22/2025 10:23:38 PM

Torrance, Ca.

What I would do to have those 4 patches to rotate Rmen! He's growing in patch 4 this year which he considers his best soil.

Looking forward to the results!

5/25/2025 12:14:25 PM

Kutztown, PA

That's a lot of bamboo! What will the Pandas do? If I use something like that I'll have to redouble my efforts to block the wind. My leaves get beat up pretty bad. I'd probably have to tie the stalks up. Hmmm - wait a minute here - this is starting to feel like I'm not getting out of the vine burying work. LOL. I bought 100 nylon fruit bags with tie strings. I'm going to fill them up with very small lime stones, i.e. smaller than pea gravel and lay a couple over each node. If that doesn't work, I'll starve the Pandas. First I'm going to rinse the stone, fill up a couple of bags, sit them in a bucket to see if they leach enough out to change the PH significantly. Here we go again! LOL

5/27/2025 2:30:23 PM

Syracuse, NY

Aww, shoots, I forgot about them, lol.
You may be onto a new weigh to 'Timed-Release' feed your plants - Great Job! If big enough, holds down vines and fertilizes. Boinngg! I'll maybe devote 10% of my bamboo stock holdings to one plant, right out in the open.
You have fun with the Happy Bags. eric g

[Last edit: 05/27/25 11:45:45 PM]

5/27/2025 11:45:11 PM

Whidbey Island

Plastic coat hangers are great to help pin the vine to the ground. Cut off the part that hangs on the clothes rod and cut the body of the hanger in two. You now have two V-shaped plastic pieces which can be pushed into the ground on either side of the vine. BUT BE CAREFUL, many newer plastic hangers have a thin layer of plastic inside the V which would cut your vine in no time at all.

5/31/2025 2:05:08 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Need to be very careful with any hanger/landscape staple type hold down. I missed one under a leaf one year and it girdled my main vine...couldn't recover after that! Good luck!

[Last edit: 05/31/25 4:13:42 PM]

5/31/2025 4:12:57 PM

Massillon, Ohio

Whidbey.......I thought I was the only one left still using plastic coat hangers!!! This has been a successful way to train and hold down the vines.

5/31/2025 8:02:51 PM

Kutztown, PA

I'm going with this. I was going to do it with burlap bags and sand, but I think this is a better idea.
https://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=352977

6/3/2025 9:42:44 AM

Whidbey Island

duff is correct. You need to be very careful. I still bury my vines and use the coat hanger just to keep the end of the vine under control. When I go to bury them, I pull the hanger first, bury the vine and then replace the hanger. If I'm done burying and don't have a hanger at my feet, I clearly left it further up the vine.

6/4/2025 6:26:27 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Going to be a fun year to watch. I tell you one thing, it's been so much easier in the patch not having to bury vines!

In the next few months we'll start to get some answers.

6/5/2025 9:46:20 AM