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Littlerock, WA

What's the prevailing wisdom on the secondary next to the pumpkin? I've always cut it off, along with the leaf to relieve vine stress, but I notice some growers' photos with it intact. What do you think?

6/10/2012 11:41:17 PM

Rochester, MN

I think if you can set the pumpkin 16 ft out...it allows you to cut 3-4 feet on both sides of the pumpkin and thus you should end up with a STRESS FREE Stem..which I think is critical...I don't like to see Stems that bend...I like them parallel to the ground.
Just my thoughts.

6/10/2012 11:45:42 PM

Rhode Island

along with training the main vine away from the fruit, cutting sides before the CHOOSEN fruit prevents vine and stem stress later in the season once the fruit grows and the shoulders expand.
also, pulling the fruit back away from the main ( a little every couple days ), can also help relieve shoulder stress. tricky though of your inexperienced.very easy to do when the fruit is still under a couple hundred pounds and there is plywood or piece of belting under the fruit.
pap

6/11/2012 5:16:57 AM

Colorado

Ive tried it once where I kept the secondary right at the fruit.It can be done but i wouldnt recommend it.Daves advice is sound.Set on a large plant and prune any secondary that gets in the way.

6/11/2012 12:16:41 PM

Minnesota

Joe ailts had a post about this topic a few years ago, ever since I try to save that secondary, best technique I found was to prune the vine like a upside down T. When you pollinate a pumpkin take the main vine and turn it 90 degrees, take the secondary before the fruit grow it 180 degrees from the turned main vine, the pumpkin grows at the intersection between the two, wouldn't grow any other way.

6/11/2012 7:09:49 PM

Littlerock, WA

Thanks guys!

6/13/2012 2:12:18 AM