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Long Island, NY

Dispite all the obvious problems with Ozzie - deformed stem, curved stem on wrong side of vine, overcrowded patch with no vine maintanence, he continues to grow and just measured in at 45" Which is about double what it was a week ago.

Well I finally cleared things out enough to trace the vine back to the plant so I wouldn't accidently prune wrong vine.
After moving some leaves aside I noticed that the main vine the pumpkin is on is shreaded just two feet past start of the plant. The is a gap about three inches long and extends to the center of the vine at that spot. Looks like a little dug out canoe. The vine is already hardening in that area. Is this the End? What should I do? Just leave it or can I bury that area of the vine to protect it?

Any advice would be welcomed

Thanks

Steve

8/3/2002 9:40:59 AM

Myrtle Creek, Oregon

I have had vine's split all season and was cuting them off,
Then I was pruneing and found a split in one of my vines,
the thing is one of my fastest growing pumpkins is on that vine.
My thought is that it has enough tap roots to sustain it, so I did nothing, and it is, I am happy tosay still growing 6" to 7" a day.
H-K-J <;-)

8/3/2002 6:21:19 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Stevo, It's amazing how lengthwise splits don't seem to effect the plant. They are pretty resilent to them. But try and move the vine and hear the pop and ya sit there and say I didn't move it anywahere. That pop is usually across the grain crack. it's done! If it appears to be dried up and had split a while back it won't be as flexible as the reat of the vine ergo subject to a crosswise crack if disturbed, If it's in a protected area one not traveled often and doing well I think your okay...leave it be burying it might put undo stress and cause it to crack...Just a newbie's impression! second year vine grower! no pumpkin experience.LOL chuck

8/3/2002 6:48:40 PM