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Connecticut

I want to move my 1579 Wallace to another spot.my 2 best plants are in the same hoop.the other 2 in the other hoop aren't doing as well as the 1579.it is starting to vine,is it a good idea?and what precautions should I take?thanks.

5/11/2013 4:18:09 PM

Muddy Waters

How long have they been in the ground at what temps?

5/11/2013 4:21:45 PM

Germany

No idea as to the design of your patch (the location of the two 1579 Wallace plants), but if their location would allow for some kind of back-to-back growing (i.e., plants at least 1 ft from each other and enough room to grow them in opposite direction...maybe upon redirecting the main vines after a few ft), this could be an alternative. Getting one of them out of the soil would definitely disturb the root systems of BOTH of them (you will terminate many roots of the one you transplant and some roots of the one which remains there).

Also, before transplanting you should make sure that the different development of the plants isn´t caused by different environmental parameters (different soil temperature, different light intensity, different soil composition)...if there are just some less advantageous parameters around one of the hoops, this could mean that the plants in there could also have nice potential but less of an opportunity to reveal this potential (and the same will still hold true for the one you want to transplant there).

5/11/2013 4:55:18 PM

Connecticut

been in the ground for 2 weeks now at sixty five degrees.i guess I could redirect the mains since I dont want to pull it since it is growing so nicely.they are 3 feet apart.i only have one 1579 and the other one is the 1278 Lombardi.i will have to wait till it gets warmer out before I move it.thanks.

5/11/2013 5:15:42 PM

South Hero, VT

I moved a plant once using a snow shovel and a lot of swearing. But I will never do that again, even though the plant didn't seem damaged by the move. And it had been in the ground only a week.

5/11/2013 6:33:01 PM

Muddy Waters

If its 3 feet long the roots should be about the same.I wouldn't move it.

5/11/2013 7:45:26 PM

So. Maine

I've transplanted several times with vines up to 3 foot long . Have your new area all prepped & fertilized before you start digging up the plant . Dig in about a foot deep with a spade shovel in a circle about 8 inches from the stump and once the circle is complete use a large shovel to do the dig & lift .

Once resettled in the new growing area get it a good drink with 3 or 4 gallons of fertilized water . Good Luck !

5/11/2013 9:14:29 PM

Western NY

What Al said - if you're going to move a plant, do it now. Water it in good at the new spot, and you'll benefit from a cooler spell also to give the roots a chance to recoup before the weather warms up.

5/11/2013 10:02:51 PM

Wi

theres a good chance the plant you move will go from best to worst real fast. So be ready for that.

5/12/2013 8:20:31 AM

Ely Mn

im moved one last year after it was in the ground for a month.of coarse i killed a bunch of roots doing it. it was in full sun with 85 degree temps after the transplant.it didnt look good but it did come back to life and grew a 250lb pumpkin on 50 sq feet of plant.and most of it was on the grass.

5/12/2013 9:10:42 AM

East Jordan, MI

If it is an option, turning it and doing back to back seems like a better option.

But to answer your question, I moved a 3 ft plant my first year just to see if I could. It was a backup and needed to be cut. I figured I could move it instead and see if it could be done. Like mentioned above, dig down around it and then use a big shovel and move it. The one I did looked like it was going to die for a few days, ended up losing the first 3 or 4 leaves completely, but it came out of it in about a week and took off like crazy. Not sure how it affected it long term, since I didnt grow a pumpkin on it.

Good Luck.

5/12/2013 10:58:26 AM

Long Island,New York

Ive done it...took as big a hunk of soil as possible...dragging the shovel to new place because soil hunk and plant were so big....re-set with no issues...no wilt at all.

5/12/2013 11:29:13 AM

NILES , CALIF

Can you fix a main that is going the wrong direction;
it bends to the north; need to go south;? it looked fine this morning

5/13/2013 11:40:52 PM

Colorado

Id tend to get it down on the ground in the easiest direction.Easy to do a 180 when its on the ground. You can prob.get it partially corrected off to the side while its still airborn(id its doing a total dudley doright) and then its a easy turn once on the ground.

5/14/2013 10:43:24 AM