Re: vine burial

Here is what happened: I pollinated on July 13th, and once the fruit
looked to be about beach ball size, I started measuring for estimated
weight on a daily basis. I had a few days of 3lb growth and the next
few days had a 5 lb growth and then a few nights experienced 12 lbs
for two days. It was worth looking forward too every morning! I could
visibly see the change- and let me tell you the shoulders on this chic
are wider than my boys and he is a Marine! That day I decided to bury
all the secondary vines and the few tertiaries. I went and put plant
food stakes by each buried vine and I had to feed the surrounding
companion planted sunflowers and grass with a 6-10-10. I also removed
all female blossoms and some male blossoms. I guess I put her through
the wringer! I measured the next two days and there was no growth at
all. I was so discouraged.  I figured the plant was healing herself
and diverting energies to the buried vines, maybe growing tap roots.
Then the leaves started turning yellow- I am guessing I over fed it.
Three days after I culled blossoms and buried vines, I am starting to
have a 3 lb daily gain, that has been for the last few nights anyway.
Its as if I am back at the starting block.
I also put a smartgrow pad around the base which has a slow releasing
feed as well as a moisture preservation component but most importantly
slug repellent.  I have yet to have to use Sevin- the Japanese beetles
are not too bad and I have not seen the moth that has the SVB in my
area yet. I did buy a 5% dust and make keen daily observations. I will
be ready in case I need to dust. Everything that is there are
attacking the  12 ft tall sunflowers, not the pumpkin. One sunflower
is being herbiverized from the inside out by the ants but are not
touching the pumpkin. I did not remove the grass- I figured just as
many good things are there as bad. Next year I will remove grass but
plan to keep the sunflowers as companions.
So I guess the main point is that the pumpkin was experiencing
phenomenal growth and I decided to bury the vines, cull the blossoms
and now I have stunted the growth considerably with only 7 weeks left
to weight off.  I was so psyched that at day 30, I had a  fruit that
exceeded 200 pounds and this is my first year growing and now it seems
as if I may have just lost my chance. My fruit is 8 ft from the base
and there is 15 ft more vine past the fruit but all my leaves are
considerably small for being on a Giant.  I think I may not bury the
end of it because I do not want to depress the growth like I did the
first time because if that discouragement creeps back in to my life, I
may just find myself curled up in the corner in a fetal position
calling for my grandma! !:
1:Is this growth pattern normal?
2: Do you think I need to bury the terminus of the primary vine and
3: How many hours a week does the average competitive giant pumpkin
grower spend in therapy?


On Mon, Aug 18, 2008 at 11:51 AM, vince <anaid_tecuod@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I always let the main vine continue to grow until it reaches
> the end of the patch which is about 30 feet.  Many growers will
> terminate it at some point.  I think this is probably pretty
> safe to do at about day 50 or so at which time all vines should
> be terminated.  I have seen significant pumpkin growth to day
> 100.  I like to have some newer leaves on the plant to help
> support that late growth.
>
> vince
>
> --- Bridgette Antoinette Tojek <honeybempowered@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> My main concern now is the Primary Vine. I removed all female
>> blossoms, as opposed to the blossom and fruit from the
>> primary vine.
>> That was how I culled. Every time I removed the blossom that
>> was at
>> the end, a new one would grow. This put on three more feet
>> because it
>> happened three times. I was trying to divert all energy to
>> the fruit
>> but as I culled, each time one more foot of new vegetative
>> growth
>> appeared with a new female at the end. What do I do with the
>> terminal
>> end of the primary vine because once again, a new female is
>> emerging.
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 11:04 PM, vince
>> <anaid_tecuod@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> > When terminating a vine or pinching off a teriary, I
>> usually do
>> > not bury the ends but leave them to dry in the air to
>> reduce
>> > the chance of causing the severed end to rot.  They will
>> air
>> > dry in a few days and I've never had a problem.  I usually
>> > pinch off teriaries when they are very small which leaves a
>> > very minor injury.  When I terminate larger secondaries, I
>> > always cut right   at the far edge of a leaf juction so as
>> not
>> > to leave a long hollow tube of vine.  The hollow part
>> narrows
>> > right at a leaf junction.
>> >
>> > I don't believe burying the ends of the vines provides any
>> > benefit and could cause rot problems.
>> >
>> > vince
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --- Bridgette Antoinette Tojek <honeybempowered@gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> Thanks for that info- I will carefully evaluate what I
>> have
>> >> been
>> >> feeding the plant and try to decide what went wrong. I
>> also
>> >> do not
>> >> know what it means to pinch the vine. Is this simply
>> bending
>> >> the end
>> >> and then burying it? Kind of clamping the end of the vine?
>> I
>> >> just
>> >> worry about leaving an opening/ gap for bacteria and such.
>> >> But I need
>> >> to do this as soon as possible but am reluctant to do so
>> >> without a
>> >> response from the experts. I am sure it seems simple
>> enough
>> >> to most but to me it seems as if I am missing something.
>> >> Sorry
>> >> Bridgette
>> >
>> >
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> The Angel whispers serentity,and the echo is peace.
>>
>>
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-- 
The Angel whispers serentity,and the echo is peace.

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