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Grants Pass, Oregon

I have gently moved the pumpkin a little bit every day for about 2 weeks. Still wanting to touch. I have put a piece of styrofoam between the vine and pumpkin, is there anything else that I can do? Should I prop the vine up with a piece of styrofoam also. Please help me ...Polka Dot

8/3/2003 7:14:46 PM

you have to move the vine, not the pumpkin. Cut a few tap roots under the leaves for a few feet all around the pumpkin, this will enable you to move the vine alittle bit in any direction you want(away from the shoulders) I usually drive in a stake to hold the vine as far as I can stretch it away from the pumpkin. As the pumpkin gets bigger you will have to repeat this a few times. The vine should lift up with the pumpkin after the tap roots are cut.

8/3/2003 7:46:18 PM

Amherst, WI

Make sure the tap roots are cut free at least 3 feet on either side of the pumpkin. This should give you a bit of slack in the vine. If the pumpkin isn't too big you could try moving the pumpkin. Have someone help hold the stem and vine while you slide the pumpkin a few inches from the vine, creating a bit of a curve in the vine. This should give the shoulders some room. Make sure you support the vine so it minimizes stem stress. Good luck.

8/3/2003 7:50:02 PM

New Brunswick

I had the same problem and I ended up moving the entire vine! For a day or two it was very unhappy...lying on its side. I piled some soil over the vine in a place or two and it turned itself rightside up and is doing fine. Other vines had to be chopped. They would not move without that horrid snapping sound...so right or wrong they had a date with my jackknife!

8/3/2003 8:24:39 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Well, Last year my 1025 Bobier had the same problem. So this is what I did. I went a good 3 feet on each side of the pumpkin and dug into the soil and cut all the tap roots off. Then I drove a wooden 2x2 about 3 feet into the ground. Then I took a pair of the wifes nylons and looped it around the main then back up top the wooden 2x2. Each day for a few days, I would tigthen the nylons up more and more to pull it away from the pumpkin. It worked for me. But be careful to only do it a little each day. Have a great day Polka Dot

8/3/2003 9:53:34 PM

[email protected]

It is also wise to make such moves in the heat of midday when the vine is a little more flexible.

I've had to move a few & one of them literally turned itself back every time. I finally wrestled it over a good one & the thing threw a hissy fit & flat vined the next few secondaries just to get even with me. Funny plants these AGPs.

8/3/2003 10:04:44 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Yes Carrie, same problem here in my 869.5 now and its short fat stem. And you can be sure is no any vine root 4' away from the pumpkin in every direction from the very beginning of the fruit life. I remember everyday the advice of Geneva Emmons to curve the vine at the stem in 90º. I curved it, yes, but not so much, I wanted to don't disturb the stetic of the patch. Damn stetic. I found the only way is what Brat said, to take the vine almost over the pumpkin shoulders. I am carefully doing it with styrofoam pieces every afternoon, but his method seems to me to work better.

Don

8/4/2003 1:42:34 AM