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Scranton, Pa

Walked in to the patch today with the main vine snapped about a foot from the tip with clear cat print walking to vine tip. I sprayed fish fertilizer last night and I had cat prints all over. The main is about 6 feet long and since its June I’m forced to turn a secondary into the new main vine. Do I just chose the newest secondary closest to the break and train it forward or should I chose one back 2 vines that from the start was growing faster than any other secondary. Also is my season pretty much over or have people had success growing on a trained secondary main vine and what was your heaviest grown on them. My last question being how do I keep cats out of the patch when using fish fertilizer?

6/7/2016 3:44:04 PM

Central NY

I had the same happen last year...not a cat though ...I let both vines you are talking about grow and thought , first one with good pumpkin gets to stay... I ended up keeping the one in the secondary behind the first..ended up w 1543...if your going for a state/world record, you might be in trouble ...but you can still grow a "big" pumpkin..don't give up ...good luck!!.

6/7/2016 5:04:21 PM

Central NY

Get a dog for the cat....

6/7/2016 5:05:11 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Pork, did you end up growing plenty of secondaries (actually terts) off that secondary you grew the pkn on?

6/7/2016 6:21:24 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

Last year a storm broke off a main and I set a pumpkin on a secondary. Another secondary was broken off and took about 60 sq ft of leaf area. Then I missed an open pollinated female until it was quite large so I let it grow. The best one went 962.5, and the open pollinated one was estimated around 500#. I'm sure that if I had gotten that extra one cut off I could have had one well over 1000# and a new personal best.

6/7/2016 6:53:43 PM

Portland, OR

Replacement main vines can still grow big pumpkins.
Last year hot temps fried my main. I took the next secondary back & set a fruit about 6 ft down on that one. Grew 1586. Dogs will help, only other treatment I've used w/ success is black pepper. But that was in the vented green house. Cats like those enclosed spaces to crap in.

protect that main with something. I use my lawn chairs. Put them over the top & by the side of the main for additional protection. Oher growers use laundry baskets

6/7/2016 8:20:13 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Agreed, a lawn chair with a sheet over the butt part on both sides will shade the main and possibly deter animals. You have to be able to move it daily though as I have had my main break itself growing into the chair after just 2 days.

6/7/2016 8:49:03 PM

Central NY

Yes smallmouth.. Grew seconds(terts) off both vines..terminated all "terts" off the leading main after I culled that fruit

6/7/2016 8:59:10 PM