From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ankeny, Iowa

Hello,
My pumpkin is growing pretty well despite it's poor position on the vine. But I'm wondering if it will grow better if I try to move it a little to releive some stem stress. The only problem is the pumpkin is probably around 250 pounds and I can't lift it because it out weighs me by about 130 pounds LOL. I can only wiggle it slightly. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how I could move my pumpkin or if I should just leave it alone? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Junior

8/9/2008 7:57:06 PM

Colorado Springs.Co

Wow, you just left yourself open bigtime. But if it isn't a threat to snap the vine why sweat it. I have a wedge shaped section of styofoam between the pumpkin and vine to keep them apart as things grow. good idea? I don't know but I check things daily to see if another approuch is needed.

8/9/2008 8:17:21 PM

Kalamazoo, MI ([email protected])

We have stakes driven into the ground and pantyhose looped around the main, tied to the stakes, pulling the main vine gently away from the pumpkins. We didn't get enough of an s-curve in the vines this year. We adjust the vines a small bit at a time when necessary, only enough to keep them from touching the pumpkins. We have styrofoam under the main to keep the weight of the vine off of the stem.

I wouldn't try to move your pumpkin because when it weighs so much it's very hard to make minute adjustments. That's what it comes down to, moving it a quarter inch a day. You don't want to snap the stem off of the fruit.

How is your pumpkin positioned, exactly? Last year we had a setup just like shaker is describing, and we didn't have any problems due to the styrofoam touching the pumpkin. Unless your fruit is almost on the main I would be wary of large adjustments.

Kel

8/9/2008 10:11:09 PM

WNC Usa

At that size I would not mess with it

8/9/2008 10:57:53 PM

Ohio

Well, you could carefully dig up and adjust the vine after the fruit.

8/10/2008 6:39:56 AM

Rhode Island

we have moved fruit much larger.
you need a couple more people to help you. you need to cut additional main vine and side vine tap roots around the stem end of the fruit.
you can move the fruit to the left or right and also i suggest pulling the fruit back away from the main a bit (carefully and a little at a time)-checking stress on the vines each time before moving or you can smap a vine or two.

next year pay more attention to the pumpkins position when its young and you wont have this problem

8/10/2008 7:32:33 AM