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Townshend, Vermont

looking at my grower diary, with my limited plant, should i remove the main past the pumpkin to get a few more pounds from this season? name is vine/townshend vermont. thanks for any help.

9/2/2009 12:37:09 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

With such a small plant, I would keep all the leaves you can. They aren't growing now, so they won't be taking anything away from the fruit. The leaves are what take in the sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air and water and nutrients from the soil to make carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are what make up the structure of the pumpkin. So keeping the leaves should help grow the pumpkn bigger.

9/2/2009 1:36:08 PM

Rhode Island

removing good vines and leaves, main or otherwise, will never get you more pounds, only less.

9/2/2009 1:42:49 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

My mainvine is still growing slow and steady. I like to have these new leaves on, as they look so much healthier than the older half of the plant.

9/2/2009 1:55:40 PM

[email protected]

Agree with Richard. No matter what you've read here, photosynthate (source) always flows to the nearest valid sink (pumpkin) if all else is equal.

9/2/2009 2:02:33 PM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

I have a AG pumpkin (growing for a Jack-o-lantern) in my front yard that kept wilting. It was rooting in a flowerbed but growing over grass. It didn't seem to have enough roots relative to the leaves (and I didn't feel like watering multiple times a day.) I cut off some vine/lvs on the opposite end of the plant from the fruit to relive the water stress. It stopped wilting and the fruit took off. It won't be nearly as big as the ones in my main patch, but at least its growing now.

However, unless water stress is an issue (which it wouldn't normally be in a well tended patch) I agree with the other comments.

9/2/2009 3:29:09 PM

Townshend, Vermont

thank you gentlemen, i'll be leaving it alone.

9/3/2009 12:29:29 AM

Rhode Island

dont touch it or you will go blind

9/3/2009 6:21:17 AM