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San Diego

I need some advice from expreienced growers. My plant is very thick with leaves, about 250 sq ft with one main vine. I have a fruit set at 14.5 ft and is 10 days old, thing is, no secondary vines are growing after my pumpkin. The main is around 20 ft now. I have cut off the tips of all but four of the secondaries before the pumpkin. What should I do, just let the four secondaries grow as long as they can so my plant still gets bigger? And should I chopp off the main at 15 ft passed my pumpkin or just let it grow? And is it normal for secondaries not to grow after a fruit is set on the vine? Thanks for the help, Jim

7/14/2002 5:50:29 PM

derry n.h u.s.a.

Jim:
I wouldent cut off any more vine tips till that pumpkin is bigger then a large beachball maybe 70" in circ it's probley between 20 and 30 inchs now in circ.If you cut those now you will probley split the pumpkin from end to end.But when the time comes yes cut the main at 15 ft or so and when a secondary does grow off the main let 1 or 2 of them grow (past the pumpkin) 5 to 7 or 8 ft just to stabilize the main from wind.Secondaries will come in time.John

7/14/2002 8:15:33 PM