Fwd: what are the odds?

In a message dated 5/18/99 11:05:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time, farm@eznet.net 
writes:

<<     For the second year in a row, I've ended up with a flat (or double or 
ribbon, whatever you like to call it) vine.  This year, I've detected the 
"problem" on one of my plants at about the 6" high stage.    My question is 
this: should I cut off the main vine and concentrate on secondaries? I think 
if I clip it now, it would it give the secondaries enough time to grow and 
become as healthy as a regular main vine. Has anyone else tried this?  Any 
help is appreciated.
  >>

Andy:

Do I read you correctly-you have detected a flat vine with the plant being 
only 6 inches high?  Hmmm.

I had a flat vine last year on a plant whose main vine was about 18 ft out.  
I watched it grow for a few feet before I took action: whacked it off and 
buried the end. Best move, as the end rooted in the soil and another new main 
took over, producing a lovely female that sadly ended up aborting due to 
heat. The plant grew out to about 40 ft. 

Sometimes flat vines split of into two runners and things progress fine. 
Other times, you just have to whack them off. If you leave them to grow, they 
often get unmanagably wide and produce clusters of females that never amount 
to much.

Please report back on your decision/progress.

Barb
Orlando, FL

  • To:
  • Subject: what are the odds?
  • From: a* w*
  • Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 23:08:31 -0400
For the second year in a row, I've ended up with a flat (or double or ribbon, whatever you like to call it) vine. Last year was the first time I've ever seen such a thing. I thought it was pretty cool, but the thing got so wide that it couldn't handle the pressure and tore apart in all directions at the end. I ended up growing a 245 pound pumpkin on a side vine which was regular, not double. The main vine only made it about 15 feet long. This year, I've detected the "problem" on one of my plants at about the 6" high stage. Sorry Wayne, it's a 625. My question is this: should I cut off the main vine and concentrate on secondaries? I think if I clip it now, it would it give the secondaries enough time to grow and become as healthy as a regular main vine. Has anyone else tried this? Any help is appreciated. Andy Wolf --------------------
    For the second year in a row, I've ended up with a flat (or double or ribbon, whatever you like to call it) vine. Last year was the first time I've ever seen such a thing. I thought it was pretty cool, but the thing got so wide that it couldn't handle the pressure and tore apart in all directions at the end.  I ended up growing a 245 pound pumpkin on a side vine which was regular, not double.  The main vine only made it about 15 feet long.  This year, I've detected the "problem" on one of my plants at about the 6" high stage.  Sorry Wayne, it's a 625.  My question is this: should I cut off the main vine and concentrate on secondaries? I think if I clip it now, it would it give the secondaries enough time to grow and become as healthy as a regular main vine. Has anyone else tried this?  Any help is appreciated.
 
 
Andy Wolf

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