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Georgia

My main vine is long enough (20+ feet) I should have about 15 secondaries, but only 3 are at all respectable. At all the other leaf nodes, The secondary will pop out a few male flowers but that's about it.

Any idea what's wrong? My growing space is a bit constrained. We had a wicked hot spell for a week or two. Could it be an over-fertilizing thing? The seed was from the 1112 Holland 06.

My plant is pretty well shot, but down here in the south I've got time to start over.

Thanks for any help!

6/16/2008 9:24:18 PM

Joliet, IL

hatch,
i have the same thing on one of my plants. maybe evey third one is somewhat strong but many are stunted and just do not want to grow. as you posted this, i just thought about something i am considering trying to make up some of the space. if it is not too late, maybe leave on some tertiaries on the strong secondaries and train some of them out and around to fill in some of the space. this will equal extra leaves and extra juices in the long run to the pumpkin. i am going to do this myself if more secondaries are weak.

6/16/2008 10:18:48 PM

Fairport,NY

Great Post!! I have been experiencing the same inconsisant growth with my secondaries as well? First 2 are great then the 3rd and 4 th are stunted and the 5 6 and 7 th seem to be growing fine? Hopefully someone can shed light on why this could be happening? Great idea Shazzy with the tertiaries.I'm going to do this as well.It will also help as I recieved some damage to my secondary leaves with hail tonight.

6/16/2008 10:49:45 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

I've had this happen in the past(too early to tell if I'll see it this year). I don't know what causes this. On one plant the secondaries didn't really fill in good until about 6 or 7' past the crown. On some plants I've 2 or 3 secondaries that are duds. One plant I grew in a spot with a lot of tree root competition, didn't produce any normal secondaries, if I recall correctly.

6/16/2008 11:11:18 PM

Rhode Island

i dont believe you can blame the weather although the weather may be the trigger.

we have a few plants that are slow to throw secondaries and also have plants that throw many.
excess heat for a couple of days combined with seed genetics may be the culprit?

just as some plants are known to be easy to wilt the heat may also effect side vine growth during hot spells as well

6/17/2008 5:46:35 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

I have one plant that is growing its own flag pattern. It won't throw any secondaries to the southwest. It was also the one that didn't like the heat wave we had and mottled many leaves in the heat. I thought the secondary problem might have been a chemical burn to the secondary tips but reading these posts it might just be the sun burned these tips early...they're there just not running. sorta like they don't want to come out in the sun...LOL

6/17/2008 6:58:42 AM

Fairport,NY

The excess heat theory would definately be a answer to my secondaries, the two sides actually would have been the ones that where first on seen during our 4-5 day hot spell in the 90's? The plant also is known to wilt alittle in the sun on warm days..hhmmmm

6/17/2008 7:16:54 AM

Coventry R.I.

It could also be a low count in phosphate,,,, add some ,, grandular I used,,, put under main vine,, also put down around base of plant,,,, mixed in soil,,, and water in. Happen to me last year ,, slow sec. they came back after that.

6/17/2008 3:11:32 PM

Georgia

You folks are fantastic. Pap, I'm halfway through Susan Warren's book now. Shazzy, I had thought of letting tertiaries go, but even then I won't go big.

So tomorrow two females bloom on the main vine, and then I rip in up and try an entirely different seed. No use wishing for cool weather down here, but I'll look into phosphate.

Thanks again y'all!

6/17/2008 10:16:21 PM

Columbus,ohio

Give it a little nitrogen awayu from the stump.

6/18/2008 2:07:51 AM

San Diego, Ca.

I agree with Frank about possibly having low phosphate. Almost every season I have problems with poor secondary growth in one of my growing spaces. Sometimes the secondaries start well only to stall after several feet long. Other times I can't get the secondaries to grow at all. Each time I have ran into this problem I have given the plant a good shot of superphosphate 46-0-0 and within a week or so the secondaries start growing the way they should. In my case, my plant will also give another indication...starting with the flowers closest to the stump never reaching maturity and then eventually turning yellow and falling off. If you have that sign I would say you have a real good chance at being deficient in phosphorous.

6/19/2008 1:05:10 AM

San Diego, Ca.

Oops, superphosphate is 0-46-0.

6/19/2008 1:06:54 AM

Georgia

Ok, it's a plan. Phosphate is on its way. Cool weather too (LOL). I pollinated the twins, that was sweet. The new plants have popped out of the ground so I'll wait on the day 10 measurements I guess. Thanks again!

6/19/2008 10:15:19 PM