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Harrisville, Pa

My best plant has 3 pumpkins set. The (1) 10 day 28" 15 day 47" and my (2) is 27". Both pumpkins have long stems. The first is long pumpkin and the second is more softball shape. What should I do? 1) should I cull the 1? 2) should I cull 2? 3) Should I wait another five days and then decide? I am think about doing 1 or 3. What do you all think I should do?

7/15/2010 9:39:57 AM

Harrisville, Pa

Sorry I see I didn't say (2) pumpkin was 10 days for the 27".

7/15/2010 9:55:59 AM

Massillon, Ohio

I always keep the first one unless something is dreadfully wrong with it!

7/15/2010 10:59:50 AM

Joliet, IL

i am with christy. i go with number one if all things are equal. the longer you wait the less juices to number one. go with your gut intinct. with the second one getting bigger each day and starting to chug too, i wouldn't wait too long. if you are going to get heavy rains, maybe leave the shock aborber of the other one on until things settle down. when you do make the culling decision, cut a third of the way through the stem on day, then another third the next day and cull completely on the third day especially in this heat to avoid a huge surge all at once. and oh yea, if you have any finally adjustments of getting your number one to a nice 90 degree angle off the main, do it now before making the cull just to ensure no stem splitting or cracking while making adjustments.

7/15/2010 11:33:19 AM

Joliet, IL

and oh yea, all this advice came from al eaton himself back in the day when i was still green like a squash.

7/15/2010 11:35:15 AM

Harrisville, Pa

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feed back. I will cut a third tonight of the (2) and then after that I will cut the third one off.

7/15/2010 6:51:34 PM