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N.e. Ct.

Ok this may seem extreem.
What would happen if u cut all the leafs off the vines that are between the pumpkin and the stump, except leave the tips.
And then you leave all the leafs on after the pumpkin but u don't let any of the vines root after the pumpkin.
This would force the large majority of the nutrients from the rooted portion and most of the sugars from the leafy side to pass by the fruit.
Would the pumpkin take a bigger portion of the plant juces and get even bigger???
Take a look at the picture I drew in my diary

4/2/2011 9:18:36 PM

Middle TN

I always thought of the leaves and roots as a 50/50 partnership in providing nutrients for the fruit. That could be totally wrong, that was just my line of thinking :)

4/2/2011 9:46:05 PM

Muddy Waters

All the leaves you cut off are creating the juices that feed the kin, less leaves less juice,Try it see what happens.I think the vines would rot without the leaves.,

4/2/2011 10:01:36 PM

'fly----keep an eye on BP next few days and when it is announced that the Niagara Convention is to be available soon on DVD, BUY IT!!! there is a segment on there for an hour by Joe Ailts that describes, depicts and details the processes of plant transpiration which is everything we have never known conclusively and about 15 other details centered-around just what you asked about. i taped it, i
created the DVDs. i cannot comment further, just yet, but whatever the cost, it'll be VERY worth it.

4/2/2011 11:41:49 PM

N.e. Ct.

Tammy I would agree with you about 50/50 thats why my sketch trys to show a 50/50 balance between root and leaf there just not on top of each other. By pruning this way it seems like you would force the juices from each side of the plant to travel to the other side. If there was a pumpkin waiting at the intersecting point, what I called the HOT ZONE in my sketch, it might take a bigger percentage of the total fluids and nutrients.
Maybe not just an idea.

Handy There are still juices from the leafs just not on top of the roots, they have to travel. Which is what I want, the juices to travel by the fruit. In the hopes that it will take more and grow bigger.
I don't see a rot issue with the vines that have no leafs.
In fact I beleave the oppisit would happen. Less shade, more air, dryer that means no rot to me.

4/2/2011 11:47:01 PM

N.e. Ct.

Nature always takes the path of least resistance, Efficency is survival. Which is why the pumpkin plant can sprout roots under each leaf. although I don't know the percentage I beleave the majority of fluids and nutrients just go up and down between the leaf and root be cause that is the most efficent. If can make it do something different it might benefit the end goal.

4/3/2011 12:06:05 AM

Muddy Waters

worth a try I guess,I always say ,think outside of the box.Will the root under leaf still progress with no leaf???Wind blows over leaf causing siphon effect to pull water from roots!No leaf,no siphon???? just asking??

4/3/2011 9:16:56 AM

SE Minnesota

I believe you need something like photosynthesis for the processes you are talking about...no leaves no photosynthesis

4/3/2011 9:39:39 AM

Rapid City, SD

alrightythen

4/3/2011 12:35:43 PM

Muddy Waters

Theres leafs on 2nd half of plant they will have photosynthesis

4/3/2011 1:32:40 PM

Bloomington, IN

Here’s the problem as I see it. The unrooted section of plant will likely spend a lot of time flagging because it will transpire more water than can be replaced through that one section of main vine. Also, in my experience, when a side vine loses all of its leaves it starts rotting as the plant simply expunges it like a useless limb, so that means you would not have any side vines before the pumpkin, and you would have just that section of main vine supporting all the unrooted areas of plant. I don't see how it could work.

4/3/2011 3:01:58 PM

N.e. Ct.

Handy I beleave the roots can survive. The unrooted area can be secured with extra stakes. siphoning is really only an issue when you get a broken vine.

bigbuck88 As handy has said there will be leave just not right over the roots.

cholo you could be be right about the flaging to what extent I don't know. I'm not saying cut 100% of the leafs, leave the tips in tact with a veiw leaves. according to Joze(could have name wrong)the tip are where the hormones are made that tell the plant to keep making roots

4/3/2011 8:33:59 PM

N.e. Ct.

As I said earlier my beleave is that the majoity of the fluids just go up and down not sideways, except at the vine tips where there are no roots. My goal is to get more fluids moveing in the direction of the fruit. My sketch is the exteem removeing all leafs and roots. After reading the comments I'm thinking a slower prossess is in order. same idea maybe every other leaf or just around the pum
pkin say have way from the pumkin to the edge of the plant.
not really sure.

4/3/2011 8:47:16 PM

Muddy Waters

Try it but not on your 1161 or 1810.lol

4/3/2011 9:19:27 PM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

Last year my plant got hit by a hail storm that shattered the leaves to nothing. I cut every leaf off because they were screwed any way. This was in August. That pumpkin never grew one bit after that, but it did keep the stem alive until weigh off Oct.1

Phat Joe

4/4/2011 5:16:00 AM

N.e. Ct.

joe if you cut every, I mean 100%, I can understand that. That is not what I am suggesting. it is interesting about the stem. How long was it beteewn storm and the end??

4/4/2011 7:57:35 AM

Muddy Waters

I would like to see your experiment work I really encourage thinking outside of the box.The shock of cutting all at 1 time will either stop fruit or make it split.Just guessing!!

4/4/2011 1:54:30 PM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

Firefly(Team Pumpkin)- I would say it was about a month befor the stem turned mushy after the hail. But I don't know if it was done growing naturally anyway. Pumpkin was planted April 18th. I should have got another month out of it you figure 150 days growing time!!

Phat Joe

4/16/2011 6:23:07 AM