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New Brunswick

I was told you completely severed a primary vine complete with its pumpkin with good luck. I have two pumpkins on one plant. One is on a smaller vine growing directly off the stump. It is only 3 feet out and is doing fairly well. The other one is about 10 feet out and is on a huge primary vine but does not seem to be growing much. The larger one OTT s 166 1/2 about 108 pounds. It is a lovely squareish pumpkin and is the one I want to keep. Should I completely sever the large long vine with the other one or should I just cut off the pumpkin. What I want to know is...does the pumpkin plant itself receive nourishment from this primary that I am planning to sever or does this vine only feed its pumpkin? How did you make out?

8/16/2003 7:50:48 AM

Sydney, Australia

Desert Storm,
I set a few fruit on secondary's and decided I couldn't cull them. I Gradually cut through the secondary right next to the main vine over a long period. Eventually I cut right through leaving the fruit to limp to maturity with about 20 leaves supporting it. I left them on for a bit of a shock absorber effect, and I wanted to keep the seed cross's. The 2 fruit I did this with made it to 301 and 374 pounds. They produced seeds.
If you want one bigger pumpkin cut the smaller one off completely. But do it over a period of 4 days or so(gradually cut through the stem of the pumpkin)
If you want the fruit on the main to get to its potential, and keep the smaller one, cut off the secondary next to the stump over a period of 3-4 days. This would leave the smaller pumpkin to limp to maturity supported by the leaves and secondary rooting on the vine(if it has secondary rooting) And the fruit on the main would still grow to its maximum size. If you do this it would be a good idea to let the vine that the smaller fruit is on to keep growing, or let a few tertiary vines to run. Could produce a nice carver for halloween.
Doing either of these things should pick up the pace of the fruit that's now at 108 pounds estimated.
Hope that helps and good luck.......Ben

8/16/2003 8:33:03 AM

New Brunswick

I am having a "duh" moment. I thought a secondary was an offshoot from a primary or main vine....or is a secondary the name given to any vine that grows from the stump that has an inferior pumpkin on it. If I understood the pumpkin book properly, the vines connected directly to the stump are all primarys and any vines growing from them are secondarys. This vine that has the smaller pumpkin on it is the largest vine...so would it be a primary because it is the largest vine attached to the stump or is it a secondary as it has the smallest pumpkin? Would this make the short vine with the largest pumpkin, (this vine also attached to the stump) the main?? Have I got you confused yet?? (I know I am) LOL. My question is ...is it ok to sever a large main primary vine from the stump? or does the plant need this primary to support itself and the other pumpkin on the other vine? Cheesh am I confused!

8/16/2003 10:09:54 PM

Sydney, Australia

If you run a vine from the stump in a different direction to your primary main and allow secondary's to grow from it, you would call it a secondary main. If that vine is allowed to grow but pruned I would call it a secondary.......is that clear.....lol. Confusing stuff.....well I got confused! The big one (108lb) is on the small vine....3 foot out......now that's right.(Too close to stump really). Other one is 10 foot out on a much larger primary main. That should be your keeper. Either cull the 108 pounder on the small vine.....or cut through that small vine next to the stump and let it grow slowly to maturity. The one in the prime spot will take off then..... Don't cut the primary main!!!! Cut the smaller vine or the 108lb'er. The stump does a lot to provide nourishment and the fruit at 10 foot out will definately need it!
Sorry if I confused you....Ben.

8/17/2003 6:52:13 AM

New Brunswick

Nope....LOL, I am easily confused. Given our short season and the nice squarish shape of the larger pumpkin, I just cannot terminate it. It is not my largest pumpkin ( its on another plant) soooo I will wait a few days and see what happens. Thanks for all your help....but I just have to play out this hand going for the larger better grower. I cut off the middle pumpkin on one of my other plants and it did not increase the growth of the others substantially. Guess its the same as the eternal question..."If I geld this horse will it grow taller?" or "will it grow taller if I leave it entire?" No one knows and once a decision is made noone knows or will ever know what would have happened "if" the decision had been reversed. Anyway, thanks again for the help...I will let you know what and if I decide to chop chop. *grin*
Happy growing, Sue

8/17/2003 5:15:30 PM