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Hello guys,
I have a quick question. I know that I need to get this vine to lay down on the ground. How does my method look? It's the clothes hanger method. I just want to double check with you guys that it looks right and position correctly. Will this effectively lower the vine towards the ground or should I remove it? Any comments about anything relating to my pumpkin will be appreciated.

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6/3/2008 7:53:47 PM

Hollywood, MD

Looks fine. Just take it slow and easy. No need to rush - it is still very early for your plant and the vine will eventually lay down.

6/3/2008 8:56:59 PM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

As the vine grows it will get heavier until it finally lays down. The danger is that it can break from its own weight. This is not a common occurnce but it does happen. Your coat hanger will help to coax it down. As it gets longer you may want to provide some support from underneith to prevent it coming down too qickly and breaking off.
Broken mains are more common in cool weather.

6/3/2008 9:56:27 PM

San Jose [email protected]

I hate to be the one to differ, but I like to use bamboo sticks and support UNDER the vine, it is a good idea to have the one above as well so the wind doesnt try to blow your plant away, but go to your local HD or nursery and buy a small pack of bamboo sticks and make an X under your vine, sometimes you have to make an X over the top as well, when the vines want to go to the moon.

also you have lots of water on there it looks like, dont get carried away, better to water less often and deeper. with my weather lately (70) as a high i am watering once a week.

You will do fine, keep asking questions.

grow-em-big

6/3/2008 10:10:39 PM

I appreciate the help. Yes we have had a lot of rain today. I try to water less and deeper with my soaker hose. It has been about 85 here every day so I have been watering every day for 30 minutes in the morning with a soaker hose, but I agree it looks like I need to slow it down because the water is ponding. So I cut back to 15 minutes and we will see how that does. What do you think about that? I will try to add bamboo sticks I just haven't been able to find them. Do you eventually remove the bamboo sticks once the vine has gotten long and it will lay down after you remove them?

6/3/2008 10:39:25 PM

Colorado

those bamboo sticks work great as a x over the main vine tip(once the vine is on the ground) to keep the wind from blowing it sideways.I use them all season ,as the plant develops, to steer vines as you direct the plants side vines. when youve terminated the vines you can use one bamboo stake,electrical cable ties and a lot of dirt to support the end leaf on each vine. those end leafs get large and the wind will want to roll them if you dont support them well

6/4/2008 1:58:24 AM

San Jose [email protected]

i would not be watering every day, unless you are growing in sand AND if it is raining no need to water at all. try 15 min every other day. you want the roots to go deep, watering every day will not encourage that, they will live on top of the soil

6/4/2008 9:56:03 PM

Home Depot has bamboo stakes, 3 foot and 4 foot i think,
and they are cheap! at least they were last year when i bought about 5 packages! in the garden department.
whenever you use them, sharpen the end of the stake
like you would a pencil with a Stanley or similar box-cutter. takes 5 seconds. i feel that the sharper stake
will kill fewer small roots as it goes into the soil.
and, any fabric or whatever won't be such a pain to
stick it through. additionally, be sure to remove any, yes, (bamboo)leaf nodes that were once on the bamboo stake;
they can catch on your tender plant as you force the stake into the dirt---been there, done that. eric g

6/5/2008 4:57:24 PM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

I think Gary is right about the water.

6/5/2008 6:05:35 PM