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milford, CT,

I went out today and noticed a crack across (perpendicluar) the main vine. It is only about 10% through the vine. Basically the outer sheath has cracked. I'm tempted to leave it to heal..otherwise I figure on losing a week or 2 for pollinating by re-training a secondary. Any advice and past experiences would be helpful..Thanks Mark

6/25/2009 7:58:31 PM

Ohio

Milford, I just had one crack the same way about a week and a half ago, it wasn't nothing major but I didn't want to chance that maybe water might get in.
I'm not sure if this will work every time on a break, but I take white plumbers tape and wrapped it around the split a couple times making sure the crack is completely back together and tight.. Ill leave the tape on for roughly 4 or 5 days, after the days are up I take the tape off.

On the little split I had it completely healed (fused) itself back together.

Another thing I think is key when putting a split vine back together is that you have to catch it when it first breaks, when its still fresh,, and tape it back as quickly as possible,,,, tape the break semi tight to where the vines break wont separate. I think your chances are good that it will heal back together. Main thing I think right now is that you dont wont to get water in the break, keep it dry if you can.

Hope it works for you

6/25/2009 8:25:59 PM

milford, CT,

Thanks Brooks..I can't see inside the vine.Like I said it seems to only be the outer surface. I already repositioned it so the split is tight. Of course in Connecticut it is going to rain just about everyday for the next 5 days. I'll have to make a decision in the next day or 2 . I'll check in it's progress scarring up and decide when I see whether it works or not. Time is the problem with the prime pollination window in progress. Mark

6/25/2009 8:34:13 PM

Ohio

The year I grew that 1402 I had a 1 inch crack that went across the vine about a foot before the pumpkin,, the crack was so bad I could see down inside the vine. I thought I had no chance of growing a big one after I seen that crack. So I read on here about the white plumbers tape and tried it, and it worked better then I thought it would! If you was to grab that vine and try to snap it where the break was, I would almost bet it would have broke in a different area and not where it was cracked before.. putting it back together like that made it even more stronger.

6/25/2009 10:31:21 PM

[email protected]

It sounds superficial. If so, I'd try to grow it. Just make sure the vine is fixed securely so it cannot worsen.

6/26/2009 12:24:57 AM

milford, CT,

Despite my attempt...the crack worsened overnight..I'll retrain a secondary..Thanks for the help everyone ...Mark

6/26/2009 10:18:06 AM