Re: Roots vs Leaves
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Roots vs Leaves
- From: V* B*
- Date: Sat, 05 Dec 1998 10:32:45 -0800
- References: <1dc78202.3668bf8c@aol.com>
COMPUTRESE@aol.com wrote:
> Hello!
>
> It would seem to me that the a grower would do well to strike the perfect
> balance between the plant's root system development and leaves. Too much plant
> is a waste of nutrients, water and maintenance. The plant needs to be just
> large enough to support a large pumpkin or two. Didn't we discuss this last
> Spring and figure 1,000 sq. ft. is a good size, and pollination should happen
> after the plant has reached this size, or having at least 300 leaves?
>
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Barb, I don't think that there is a right or wrong answer to this and
determining the perfect balance is tough and may vary in different climatic
conditions....................the point is How you fill out your 1000
sq.ft....................if your pruning out every other secondary thats
different than filling it out with all the secondaries..................what the
plant seems to do is the more you prune out the more the plant compensates and
makes bigger leaves................and fills the area.............YOU have to do
tests and see what seems to work best for you...for me this year I pruned more
than I ever have and hit a heavier pumpkin......for years I would ask growers how
big is your plant and they mention 1400sq but I didn't pick up on prunning out
every other secondary..some do and some don't..big difference..though... so on
700sq....had two pumpkins on a plant 744,615...........I am really curious how
much you can prune the plant ....as I think a small totally controled plant is
better than one that is huge and your having trouble getting a harness on
it...... another plus would be this would give you less tertiaries to
pinch...............an interesting test would be to watch and measure the growth
on the main in correlation to different pruning.........trying to prune and
produce an optimum amount of growth....but the variables are many.......soo next
season going to do some test with the soil depth 18" and a smaller
plant...........one pumpkin............then theres the test to try only letting
the vine on one side of the plant.......grow.....as it appears that one side
feeds the pumpkin and the other the plant.....remember that this is not
gospel..............and brock could be known as the guy with puny pumpkins and
puny plants......................
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