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[email protected]

Okay folks.. This goes around and around. What do you do this late in the season when you still have a week and a half til weigh off and there is 5 or more inches of rain coming tomorrow? Do you cut every other secondary? Cut the fruit off and hope she has grown enough? Leave it and let er ride? Something else (besides prayer, already doing that?)

9/29/2010 6:12:45 PM

Johnston, R.I.

I am picking one for Topsfield tomorrow and hoping the other makes a week......Time will tell....

9/29/2010 7:37:35 PM

ordinary,VA

Rock i was told to cut an inch off every secondary vine when heavy rain was coming my way..but the amount of rain the weather "experts" are calling for here another 10inches of rain possible, not sure if that would help...this late in the season Im not sure what i would do...Im praying for you as well..good luck buddy

9/29/2010 8:35:35 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Ed, sorry for the rookie question, but how does cutting the secondaries help? Is it preventative almost like bleeding the plant because there is a lot of rain coming?

9/29/2010 8:47:22 PM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

Smallmouth, theory is by cutting the ends of secondaries it lets access water run out the ends and not all into the pumpkin, thereby reducing the chances of splitting.

9/29/2010 9:48:37 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Thanks Mark!. That is what I thought.

Best of luck Rock on the decision and the weigh off. I would cut some secondaries if getting that much rain and having the weigh off only 10 days away. If you can't do it, just find some guy named Mick and he will!

Luke

9/29/2010 10:18:07 PM

Honesdale Pa USA

I would let it ride at this point of the game. Its an old pumpkin and not growing much at this point,if it were younger it would be more likely to split.Thats what I'm going to do with my pumpkin for Doylestown.But if your sure its at the 1K mark than you may want to do some pruning! Either way you gotta shred that #$%@ monkey for good! Hows the 1066 rockwell sound, I cant have you and Ned leapfrog me in the same year! Good luck my postal brother.

9/29/2010 10:45:00 PM

[email protected]

I prefer the 1085 ROckwell, but that is me, Im selfish.. lol

9/29/2010 11:11:42 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Clipping secondaries, late in the season, would also limit water uptake (from the roots that you cut off w/the secondaries) after heavy rains. So maybe more than just the tips, if yer real nervous? Assuming "access" is "excess", that might help also!!! A wize man once said..."If you ain't blowin 'em'... LOL you prbly know the rest!!! LOL Peace, Wayne

9/30/2010 12:56:54 AM

Honesdale, Pennsylvania

Let her go Rock... any extra weight is good. Gotta love the rain. Rain makes corn.. corn makes whisky.. I can't tell from the photos but the Possum said it could be a squash.

9/30/2010 9:57:27 AM

The bottom of New Jersey

Glad to hear some of you might be making it to the Doylestown weigh-off, I know Jim's been working his butt off to promote it! I don't have any big ones still going, so I'm not really sure what I would do with all this rain. I would probably just cut the ends off of some secondaries and hope for the best. Depends on how big it is and how nervous I am, as Wayne said! Good luck!

9/30/2010 10:45:15 AM

Western PA

If it is only putting on a pound or two a day, I can't see any problems with letting it ride.

I just cut one from the vine this morning to take to a local grain farm to get weighed. I did not see one drop of water come out of the vine, like you would normally see with a young pumpkin. They just are not taking in the water this late in the season, like they did when they were younger.
I do understand you being very nervous though!!
Just my opinion.

9/30/2010 11:38:18 AM

Midwest

trim some of the stem at the vine/stem?

9/30/2010 1:25:39 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

My biggest was cracking at the blossom even though it had dropped to 2.4/ day. It has been cut from the vine ever since returning from Cooperstown on Sunday evening. The vine is in a milk jug.. a milk jug that I had to widen the opening to 4 inches diameter to get the vine plugged into. I'm not sacrificing 950 or 1,000 pounds all together just so I can hit 1,050 pounds! Hope to see you at Doyelstown.

Andy, congrats on the Howard dill award and Ned, congrats on that beast of a squash!

9/30/2010 1:40:44 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I hope everyone on the east coast has their patches well above the floodplain. Dave Sunlin and I learned the hard way last year how a heavy rain can ruin your season.

9/30/2010 4:22:46 PM

[email protected]

thanks for all the advice, I cut every other secondary off and as of this morning she seems to be holding up fine. Caught a skunk yesterday in the pouring rain, that was fun getting rid of him!

I agree, this late in the game it probably isnt taking up much water like it had a month ago or more, but losing my first potential 1000 pounder would break my heart if I didnt do something to protect it.

Best of luck tomorrow to all going to contests.

10/1/2010 7:16:53 AM

ordinary,VA

Rock I'm pulling for buddy hope you get that 1000 pounder !!!

10/1/2010 3:04:13 PM