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Bemidji Minnesota

Should I put some Styrofoam under my vine?

I am growing in a Pitchfork formation now, after cutting of the main after the pumpkin.

The main itself is cleared of roots and leaves 2 nodes back from the stem.

Should I be putting styrofoam blacks under it to help it rise? Or can the stem pick up and hold this distance of vine on its own?

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=117014

8/15/2009 6:39:17 PM

Buffalo, New York

might as well put some foam under there, it cant hurt.

8/15/2009 10:18:44 PM

[email protected]

That vine doesn't look critical now but as the pumpkin expands that could change. Why not? If nothing else it'll be cleaner & many rot pathogen are soil borne.

8/16/2009 9:45:38 AM

Bemidji Minnesota

Well, that settles it for me. What is a good way to keep it from sliding out with wind? nail it down? Or just wedge enough in under it that the vine holds it down?

8/17/2009 12:16:02 AM

Bethlehem CT

I cut out a little notch for the vine to rest in, the styrofoam will stand up on it's own if it has the weigh of the vine resting on it. As the pumpkin grows you just move them down further on the vine to keep the pressure on them.

8/17/2009 7:38:06 AM

Bemidji Minnesota

Ran into an issue with the styrofoam, today it looked like more pressure was on the foam, and sure enough, it was much harder to get it out than it was to put it in yesterday.

I think that the stem may be pushing downward. Can that happen?

8/18/2009 7:28:10 PM