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If you had 3 female flowers (not open yet) 9 feet, 10 feet and eleven feet from stump, which one would you keep. If they all grew at the same rate would you pick the one that had the best angle away from the main vine even if it was closest to the stump. Also how long would you let all 3 grow before culling

12/2/2011 5:15:37 PM

Lloydminster/AB

I'd bet the second or third one will give a little more slack in the vine when the pumpkin grows. I've never had much success pollinating the first flower to open. That may be because I tend to over fertilize though. My best ones seem to be a little further , maybe around the 14' mark which for me is usually the second one. You need to make the decision while you still have time to manipulate the vine for clearance. I try to make the cull before they get 10" in diameter. That's how big your first one would be before the third one opens. That's where intuition and experience comes into play.

Short answer, 10' at least and hope it has the best angle, cull as soon as you know your chosen one has taken for sure and is not misshapen.

It's the toughest decision one has to make in AG growing. Worthy of discussing.

12/2/2011 6:56:49 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Depends on the maturity plant...plus the odds of 9,10 and 11 are more like 250 lbs

12/2/2011 8:20:11 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Odd half my post did not post.. the flowers would most likely be 7-10 days apart...

12/2/2011 8:22:00 PM

Minnesota

quick answer trust your gut and never look back, not worth playing the "what if game".
Here is what I do to avoid this problem. I pick a target date and plant size and cull anything before that date.
Example: This year my taregt date was june 20th but I only had one plant that was big enough to support a big kin by that date, so i culled all kins on my other plants until the plants were big enough, so I ended up with two plants with kins pollinated July 3rd, a late pollination by many peoples standards, but better then a 7 foot pollination by june 27th. If you have no intention of keeping the pollination cull it before you have to make that tough choice.

12/2/2011 8:27:09 PM

Deer Park, WI

Solid wisdom, Chad. If memory serves correctly, Harp's 1725 was pollinated at 8 ft? Proof positive that position on the vine may not be a crucial variable. I would put more stock in the criteria Chad described above.

Us guys up here in Western WI typically shoot for 8 laterals before making. We dont really have a scientific basis for this, rather it serves as a metric/guideline that gives that "trust your gut" feeling.

12/2/2011 8:58:39 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

13-17 feet works here, but I grow to about 750 square feet or a bit more.

12/2/2011 9:14:42 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

1K#er, lots of variables...how many lobes in each of those 9/10/11 ft females...what pollinators were available when each of those females opened up...were you doing, due dilligence on each of those days? Angle, can be adjusted!!! If so, keep track of daily gains, and pick the best!!!, or beast!!! Grow em BIG!!! Peace, Wayne

12/3/2011 4:48:22 AM

Joliet, IL

I agree with Chad and also prune early ones immediately if no intention to keep it for an additional reason also. I have found a higher percentage of second pollinations on a main not taking if the the first set was successful. This could be a defense mechanism with the higher temps down here in illinois so the plant is not spreading too much juices and instead insures itself better chances of concentrating on the first one and aborting the second. Some plants they all set easy. Some plants are very hard to set like the 1725 last year for myself and many others. 21' out was further than I like. I have found 11' to 16' to do the best for me and 14' to 15' the true target. Heat is also a factor. If you have one at 11' opening on a cooler morning and one at 15' the next week in 90 plus heat, then I would do everything I could to ensure the first one takes. The thickness of the main vine going into the stem seems to be smaller in diameter the further out you go. If you look at a main after the season you will see how it continues to get massive in that first 15' all season and then the circumference slowly decrease towards the end of the main. Similar to a trunk of a tree as it narrow going upward. If you hook one about 14' the main going into the kin can be over pop can thick.

12/3/2011 7:38:33 AM

Joliet, IL

And to clarify, I am not talking about the main being smaller after the pumpkin. This always happens where the circumference of the main going into the stem is thicker then the going out the back end.

What I mean to say is that when I saw the thickness of the main of a 21' set I noticed it did not reach the same circumference by the end of the season as those set about 14' or 15'. I am not sure if thickness equals more volume of juice flowing, but it makes sense to me and I think this could be a critical factor for optimum set distance.

12/3/2011 7:58:57 AM

Lloydminster/AB

Shazzy I've noticed the same things about the main vine that you've noted.
I always know when I have a good one set when I can no longer get any fruit set on the main vine. They'll just abort on their own no matter how big, good sign of strong sink. I had a hard time setting fruit on my 1725 as well. I've had my strongest sinks closer to the crown than 18'. I think secondary length and quantity have alot do do with it as well. I tried longer secondaries the last couple of years and would begin to believe that anything longer than 16' may be detrimental depending on where the fruit is.

12/3/2011 12:39:10 PM

Ct

I just finished my 2nd yr of growing. this season I had my first pmkn set at about 11'. Every pollination after that did not set. Shazzy's comments about the defense mechanism now make sense as to what I experienced.

This coming season I may not pollinate the first female.
I would like a little more plant behiind the set pmkn.

12/4/2011 5:58:46 AM