Re: double main...
In a message dated 6/3/03 11:30:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
cliffrwarren@hotmail.com writes:
> ar list,
>
> It seems every year we have a few threads on the double main phenomenon...
> Maybe I should pay more attention. Anyway, my 296-inch Holland plant
> (845 Bobier X 940 Mombert) is a terrific plant, but has developed about one
> foot of a "double main", which has now split into two "main" vines. I'm
> definitely keeping this plant.
>
> Should I clip one of the mains, leaving only one? When should I do this?
HI Cliff
Last year I had an Emmons 996.5 develop a double vine. I elected to keep it
and train the vines away from one another with secondaries on only one side of
each vine. One vine could only grow secondaries about six feet long before
reaching the edge of the patch. The vines grew at the same pace, a female flower
opened on each vine on the same day and were pollinated. For a while the
growth rates of the two pumpkins were identical. I think the lack of the
secondaries length contributed to one pumpkin outpacing the other. This didn't begin to
happen until the fruits were over 300 pounds. I cut one off for an August 15th
weigh-off at the local fair. It weighed 403 pounds at the time. The other
grew to 621 pounds. Powdery mildew had ravaged the plant curtail;ing the pumpkins
growth. You probaly should go with one main, but you may go with the method I
tried.
Good Luck
Ed Pappas
Marshfield, Ma
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