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Fairport,NY

Wondering what early methods everyone uses to prepare the vine to laydown properly? I'm starting to apply slight pressure to the opposite side of the plant in the directing I want the main to fall early on by moving a piece of styrofaom up against it with a block of wood daily small movments

5/12/2010 6:36:31 PM

Midwest

I raise up the soil underneath the main vine until it makes contact. Probably because I don't trust putting pressure on the vine.

5/12/2010 9:30:48 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Plant plant with a bit of an angle, the way leaf #2 is going and let gravity convince it to fall. Maybe a helping hint of a bit of staking... if it gets really big, then yeah, using some styrofoam 'wedge blocks' that can be removed as it goes over. My 1100 Hester last year kept going back up at the slightest look at it wrong to about 4'... some are just born to climb.

5/12/2010 10:59:09 PM

Deer Park WA

Lay off of the nitrogen when the plant is trying to lay down, we use styrofoam blocks at the base to help keep them from kinking... The little plant is very fragile at this stage so be sure to have wind protection arond her.

5/12/2010 11:37:29 PM

Rhode Island

we mound up some soil (at a graded level downword) under the main to help ease her down.

we also place a criss cross set of small bamboo stakes a short distance from the tip with sight pressure forcing the main down ( make sure this is done once the air temp is warm) and also a set holding the vine down against the bank of soil we built under the main,

5/13/2010 7:35:59 AM

Joliet, IL

you can loosen the soil a bit around the mini stump on the side you want it to lean and once the second true leaf stalk hits the ground as a stabilizer you can keep digging out a little more room like a mini trench for the second true leaf stalk to lie in. both of these will help tilt the overall plant in the right direction a little more so the angle of the newly forming main is at a lower towards the ground. then i do like pap says. be careful and never put any pressure right next to new vine tip with bamboo. its very supple and i have snapped one at an early stage before with very little pressure.

5/13/2010 10:30:21 AM

Rhode Island

yep ya gotta know how to work the angles thats for sure. eventually though you can only dig so deep and then the knife comes out.down the road one or two leaves and stalks gotta go.

5/13/2010 6:57:19 PM

canal winchester ohio

A little wine & some Barry White will get'er to lay down for ya.
Seriously, I would do the same as pap. 5-6 days with the bamboo sticks very slowly & it'll be fine. I would cradle under it as well with the bamboo sticks to avoid a sudden fall & snap.

5/13/2010 7:45:49 PM