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Harrisville, Pa

I have dead end the secondaries. Why are the plants putting out vines on the secondaries? This has to be hurting pumpkin growth in my patch. Is it too much N? I have only been using fish and seaweed and nothing else. Fustrating.

7/19/2010 3:54:51 PM

British Columbia, Canada

Well, because the plant wants to grow. It doesn't have a brain and therefore it doesn't know your trying to grow a giant pumpkin. All it cares about is producing offspring for the generation. The only thing the plant is told to do is grow, therefore if you cut the secondarys the only place for it to grow is the vines off secondarys. You be the brain for the plant, just eliminate any possible areas where the plant might start growing.

-Jordan.

7/19/2010 4:33:26 PM

Upa Creek, MO

They are called tertiaries and all healthy plants produce them. Cut them unless you have any backspace to fill.

7/19/2010 5:37:59 PM

Upa Creek, MO

And that was advice Newman gave me, so thank him.

7/19/2010 6:35:03 PM

Harrisville, Pa

Sorry guys I thought I read when the plant starts growing the pumpkin the secondarys and tertiarias stop growing. In may case all these tertiaries amounted to one bucket on my front end loader past every two days(6 plants) for the past week. Also dispite good genetics and good soil none of my pumpkins are growing at a good pace. Biggest pumpkin is 47" at 15 days while earlier pumpkins are 66" at 20 days. Again sorry for asking.

7/20/2010 7:16:27 AM

Colorado Springs, Co ([email protected])

dont be sorry for asking, thats how we all learn!! your slow growth of pumpkins is most likely attributed to all the tiertery growth your spurting out. again, this is normal for plants to do. dead end, or pluck off all that 3rd growth unless like smallmouth said, you have any areas that need back filling. all that energy growing 3rd growth needs to be going to your pumpkin instead of vine growth. you should see a substantial improvement after stopping 3rd growth. also be carefull, dont do a ton of them in one day on one plant. could cause your pumpkin to pop shoveing all that energy into pumpkin at one time.

7/20/2010 1:30:07 PM

Fresno, CA

Is 47" really that bad for a 15 day measurement?

7/20/2010 7:13:28 PM

Harrisville, Pa

47" is not that bad if you want to 1200 pound pumpkin but it is not big enough if your goal is top 10 at Canfield.

7/21/2010 7:25:38 AM