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Minnesota

I'm almost sure I have a flatvine. The main vine, instead of growing were it was suppose to, it has started to grow off to the side and the main vine is flat, I used some sticks and I am straightening it out. Question is, will the plant still grow a pumpkin on the main vine if I can get it to grow the way I want it to grow. Is it no big deal, just a flat vine, I know nothing about it.

6/14/2009 11:03:14 PM

Rochester, MN

Hi Richard,
I just answered this in an internal note as to what I do...
I usually let them go 8-10 feet to see if it doesn't split into 2 MVs or stop. If this doesn't happen, my next step is to cut off 1/2 of the vine and just let 1 normal MV continue on. If it continues to Flat vine, then go to a secondary.

I'm not sure I agree with the overwatering(some people say it works)...but that is just my opinion.

Anyways, good luck. You can still grow a huge pumpkin on it.

6/14/2009 11:21:43 PM

Minnesota

Thanks. Overwatering? does that mean you can water it alot and it will straighten out. It kind of looks like, you know that twizzlers licorice, it is about 6 pieces of licorice stuck together, side by side, almost certain its a flat vine.

6/14/2009 11:35:46 PM

Minnesota

If it does continue, can I still grow a pumpkin on it if it s flat.

6/14/2009 11:37:07 PM

Huntsburg,Ohio

yes you will still be able to grow a pumpkin on it. I am startin tohave the same problem with one of my six plants to.

6/14/2009 11:45:14 PM

Minnesota

Good,my question now is alot of water some believe helps straighten out the flatness.?

6/15/2009 12:19:21 AM

Puyallup, WA

Jack LaRue has had some luck with overwatering when the plants are small. It's worked less than 50% of the time for me.

6/15/2009 1:05:54 AM

Salisbury, MA.

Richard, if you have a flat-vine, save yourself much time and headache, just pull it. The chances of getting a real good one from a flatvine is about zero.

6/15/2009 1:06:48 PM

Minnesota

I'm right back where I started, some say you can grow one, some no. I'm not pulling my 1568 plant.

6/15/2009 4:25:36 PM

Putnam Ct.

I have a flatvine that split into two mains on one of my plants, I am going to try to prune in a (y) pattern culling inside secondarys. I hope to set 1 on each main, probably wont go to heavy , but what the heck,,,

6/15/2009 9:26:30 PM

Minnesota

I'm not giving up on it yet.

6/15/2009 10:21:35 PM

Minnesota

Now that I look at it, it was growing fine, then a kink, then flat. I'm praying for devine intervention to fix it.

6/15/2009 11:08:07 PM

Bemidji Minnesota

Will flat vines still root and set fruit? I have not had to deal with them.

If they do root and set fruit, maybe there is some benefit to it even if more work to deal with?

Like having a far more massive vascular system?

If they do not root however it is all moot. I say a picture of one once that looked like a big green phalic object with just about 100 tiny leaves and tendrils growing off of it. I doubt it had anywhere it could root or set fruit in the first place.

But say one was just a double vine. Still growing, rooting, getting huge leaves, just more of them, and putting out secondary vines?

Maybe get a fruit set on it 10-15' out, use the pitchfor pruing method to reduce stem stress, then just let the more normal secondary vine grow to the size you would have wanted a non-double vine to be?

6/16/2009 9:55:13 PM

Minnesota

Today it looks like it is growing the way it should. There is a pict in my diary, I don't know if it will stay that way but for now it looks like it should.

6/16/2009 11:12:44 PM

Colorado

richard its still a flatvine on your last picture.Look for leaves and tendrils coming off in pairs or threes on one side of the vine.Dont pull the plant-plenty of big pumpkins grown on flat/ribbon vines.Prune the tip of the vine of its smallest growth and use a normal side vine as your main.

6/17/2009 2:38:10 AM

Minnesota

I'm praying it does'nt do that, it does look like its not a flat vine now, I don't know what it will look like today, but yesterday it looked like any other main vine.

6/17/2009 4:27:27 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Richard....check out Seven Dog Charlie in the WiZ's Diary......I did exactly what Cojoe has explained....and have turned the 991 Urena back to a normal plant by training a main. Your tip is still a flat vine...quick work can turn it back around......give it a try....

6/17/2009 8:58:54 AM