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Duxbury,Ma.

just got the answer under Fert/water . They say to cut it.

5/19/2012 5:52:34 PM

Buffalo, New York

its only 1 leaf.......cut it

5/19/2012 6:33:19 PM

Ohio

most of the time you can just turn your plant left or right by losing the ground up a little bit down at the base of your plant with out disturbing roots very much at all if any.
Once the plant is lose just a little, you can then keep your kick stand by moving it out of the way for your plant to lay down the main vine.

5/19/2012 8:48:46 PM

Joliet, IL

Plant specific. Do it if it needs it. Get a kneeling pad and get ground level eye on the horizon and vine. See all immpeding things carefully. Tendril feet, sometime the third true leaf started on one side but some how went under the main instead and around. That curved leaf needs a little dirt removed under it similar to the kickstand leaf if heavy arc. If you allow the plant to grow up initially and only keep supporting the sprout stem base with dirt like a hershey kiss, then the kickstand leaf has more room in the lay down process. It is at that point I dig a small trench for the kickstand leaf. Basically the entire leaf surface is laying on the ground with the curved leaf stalk now buried. I then rake soil to the plant and raise the level around the entire plant up to the cots with a gradual slope away from base and make a dirt ramp for main to start laying on. The reason for leaving the kickstand leaf is not only for more leaf surface to produce energy to small plants, but more importantly to act a a plant stabilizer until secondaries get running perpinducular and more support against main vines roll over in higher winds. I will trim that buried beat up kickstand leaf at the main and expose cut stalk base and captan it. And any third leaves that started on one side and found its way to the other somehow and stalk is buried with main....watch these for stalk rotting at base later on and you not being aware cuz its buried.

5/20/2012 10:00:52 AM

Joliet, IL

But sometimes it has to go to get them down. If that is the case, do it. It won't hurt a thing. You can use more bamboo if needed to stabilize if needed once removed.

5/20/2012 10:04:00 AM

Long Island,New York

Usually they get cut off w/o a problem. Here, opening a wound so low on the plant when you have soil disease issues is like inviting disease in for dinner - at least you'd have the second half of the summer to do things with the family. So, evaluate your situation disease-wise...plan or make appropriate moves to prevent issues...I just dig a hole under the leafstem so it lays flat on its own.

5/20/2012 11:57:26 AM