From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Minnesota

I've got a late start due to damage from deer. They terminated my main at 12 ft and a number of secondaries. I've got two pumpkins 5dap now, and I'm trying to decide which to keep. I've got one on a secondary that is still growing and one on a secondary that got terminated at about 6 ft from the main. The one on the terminated secondary seems to be doing a little better. I'm thinking I should keep the one on the secondary that is still growing though. Late in the season in Minnesota, so want to make a decision soon. They are growing pretty decently, both the size of a large cantelope 5dap. Any advice would be greatly appreicated.

8/3/2020 11:20:38 PM

Grittyville, WA

Thats a hard call. Either option sounds good. I vote leave them both. Terminating the vine gives a temporary boost but sometimes the plants send the energy farther out. They all tend to grow rather well and about the same until about 10 DAP. After that, they get unique character and will possibly swap their growth rates.
Hopefully there is no wrong answer.

8/4/2020 3:00:04 AM

Syracuse, NY

i would keep both, let the growing vine grow to its boundary or 15-17 feet max. and terminate that, burying all leaf nodes on each of the pumpkined vines, removing all of the males, females and tertiary buds to focus growing efforts and see which grows faster after the time of the growing secondary's termination by a week or even two - give them time; beyond that, it'd be all about best position and shape, color, etc...if they're that big at 5 DAP, then, lucky you, lol---it'd be sad to have only one right now and if anything were to happen > i saw MY 'pet deer' tonight as well, whilst i was bagging feems and collecting males, lol---glad she snorted or i'd have been REALLY surprised---eg

8/4/2020 3:17:44 AM

Syracuse, NY

wow - it took me 17 minutes to say stuff, edit, muse and hit 'Post Reply', lol---hi, Brandon!
and good luck, MN - eg

8/4/2020 3:19:58 AM