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New Brunswick

One of my pumpkins was growing right against its vine which branched out right at the pumpkin stem. (The vine had already scuffed up the side of the pumpkin.) I attempted to sever the tap roots and move the vine away from the pumpkin and ended up with all the little white roots exposed on the remainder of the vine beyond the pumpkin. Also the only place to put the vine was in the grass..so the little white roots are now high and dry on a now sideways lying vine. I dumped some soil on top but wonder if I should just sever the vine just beyond the pumpkin or leave it the way it us. It certainly does not look very happy.
I also noticed that one of my pumpkins on another plant is growing at the very end of its vine. The vine simply stopped with the pumpkin being at the very tip! Is this common?

7/29/2003 10:44:34 PM

Dillsburg, PA

I just did that a couple of days ago and my pumpkin is still growing well. Had to cut off over 10 ft.Look for my post. Jeff

7/30/2003 9:13:56 AM

Nova Scotia

growing a pumpkin at the tip is less common than it us to be. but still practiced. as far as your vine on the grass you sould get some dirt from some were and cover it. for if you have vine ahead and behind your feeding it both ways mouth and ....

7/30/2003 10:57:29 AM

New Brunswick

Well, unfortunately, I got my answer this morning on whether to leave pumpkins resting on or against their vines. My largest pumpkin (65 inches in cir) was resting directly on its vine. It quit growing in the past day or too and when I was checking it over I discovered the vine had split right before the pumpkins stem. See my vine split post) Mr. T... I did put some dirt on the vine I moved the other day and this morning I moved some more offending vines. If they are laying on the grass...they will just have to deal with it. Either that or chop chop! (I am in a very bad vine hating mood at this time) I may lose my largest pumpkin to a vine that I stupidly had not trained.
Jeff...I just reread your post and you did the only thing you could do...sever the vine...I wish I had done just that on this pumpkin plant a week ago. How is yours doing by the way? Maybe I will chop some more offending vines rather than covering them. I wonder if leaving them high and dry on the grass and covering them with soil would cause less stress to the main stump than just severing them in the first place beyond the pumpkin. How well could they support the pumpkin after being uprooted in this way?

7/31/2003 11:55:11 AM

Whidbey Island

I have a similar problem and would appreciate some help. I hav a volunteer (self fert) that is growing like gangbusters, but the angle of the fruit to the vine was wrong and I found it too late to try and change it. I now have a vine to the fruit that is at a good angle, but the vine away from the fruit is kinking and about to break. I'm afraid it will split the stem. Should I cut this distal vine off near the fruit and hope for the best? I appreciate your thoughts.

7/31/2003 9:53:50 PM