Re: Vine pruning questions

duncan wrote:
> 
> I have addressed this question over the mailing list and they  have
> state yes on pruning the side vines.  Now I see these side vines are on
> the secondary vines, but I thought they were left on to help secure the
> plant down for windy days.
> 
> Should we remove the side vines and tretrails?

I wouldnt remove the secondaries, but the tertiaries(the vines comeing
out of the secondaries) have to go..
  
> Do I treat the side vines with anything after they are purned?

Matter of opinion, I do not, but my friend up the road, who has grown
many 500 + pumpkins, uses captan like it is a paste, and kinda bandages
every cut with this..

> When is the best or worst time to prune the side vines?

The best time to trim a side vine is in the mid to late part of the day,
because the water is coming soon after, and any that has traveled
internally in the plant itself, has already found its way there.. With a
watering right afterwards, you should be very successful in the trimming
jobs.. 
 
> When should I prune the vine which is perpendicular to a pollinated
> pumpkin?

I get those off as soon as possible, because the longer you wait, the
bigger it gets, and the chances are much greater for problems when you
are trimming larger sized vines.. 
 
> What happens if the vine becomes to big, should I still prune it?

I have taken 6 ft sections off of my plant, and up to 40 ft (in total
cuts) in a day this year, and had no problems. Yes, definitely prune it,
but always, I repeat, always bury any vine that is cut..
  
> Can you pinch a vine, and when should you not pinch a vine?

Only if she is cute!!!! In order to cut down onthe amount of pruning of
tertiary vines later in  the season, I "pinch" or :"sucker" my vine ends
as they grow.. At every leaf junction, is either a male, or a female
bloom, and with it is a small little leaf cluster, that if let be, will
become a tertiary vine.. Get em small by pinching or suckering them..  
> 

Duncan
Hope that helps a bit Duncan... I do what I can..  
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-- 
Lyle "Rocky" Rockwell

website: http://www.cyber-quest.com/home/rocky.r
email: rocky.r@cyber-quest.com
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