From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Thunderbay,Ontario

My vine is about 3feet and I have never done this before can someone post a link to a pic so I can see how it is done.
Thanks
John

6/8/2011 11:01:39 AM

rural S.E. Michigan

Hi 983,

i have no handy link but it's quite straight forward. As the main grows out, you keep burying it. You would leave say the last 2-3 feet sticking out (the growing tip) and bury the rest back to the hole it started out of almost. Keep in mind that's the main, all the secondaries which are perpendicular to the main are also buried almost to the end where the growing tip is.
Each node or point where a new leave forms, a tap root will start growing down into the ground for nourishment- hence the burying.

Personally, I don't dig the idea of digging a trench for each secondary vine and the main vine....too much work. I instead keep a couple yard pile of good finished compost i haul from a local farm piled next to my patch. I simply take a spade shovel, scoop, and then cover up/ bury each leaf node.

I'm not anal about getting the whole vine buried, just where it counts at each node. This way, they get buried with fertilizer and I'm adding/improving the soil in my patch all summer long as i gradually use up yards of compost.

6/8/2011 11:18:43 AM

rural S.E. Michigan

note, i'm not saying bury the stump...i think that is a no no. keep the first few feet of the stump free and the last couple feet on growing ends.
IMO

6/8/2011 11:19:47 AM

rural S.E. Michigan

lol..last post, sorry.
So, if you ask me, it is not near time for you to bury yet.

6/8/2011 11:20:48 AM

Mass

thats all I used last year for burying because I tried no till. So I had nothing loose to work with. I used my own composted horse manure/leaves/coffee grounds etc. If ist isnt to fresh and hot it should be alright. Worked fine for me, just a lot of work hauling it in. with pails or wheelbarrows. I would take 5 gallon pails full and dump on vines as needed and fill in between with some. I will say it is much easier with nice tilled soil right there this year.

6/8/2011 11:37:39 AM

Mass

oopps wrong post.

6/8/2011 11:38:46 AM

Upa Creek, MO

One thing I can recommend is when you bury at each node (leaf junction), don’t bury the secondaries or leave room for them to grow out a couple inches first. I smothered a couple last year when they were pea sized.

6/8/2011 11:49:39 AM

Thunderbay,Ontario

Thanks for the info but still some close up pics would be nice to look at so I have an idea what I am doing..If anyone has a link to some good pics in there diary it would help me alot.
Thanks
John

6/8/2011 12:26:06 PM

rural S.E. Michigan

983, check these links out:
http://cliffsgiantpumpkin.blogspot.com/2010/07/raising-vine.html

http://denverpumpkins.com/2010_06_01_archive.html ---scroll down and see several images where ther is burying going on.

6/8/2011 2:53:04 PM

rural S.E. Michigan

Also, check out the thread under this one called "compost as mulch" for a different opinion than mine on the use of compost. I disagree but it is lcheckon saying so.....

6/8/2011 2:55:00 PM

3 acre corner in Whittaker,Mi USA ([email protected])

Burying the vines is also a good deterent for squash vine borers. They're nasty little suckers which burrow into your mainvine and lay their eggs and the larvae will eat their way out effectively destroying your vine.........just another good reason to bury them as they grow out when your ready to. Erik

6/8/2011 5:24:05 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I pre-rake trenches in front of the secondaries, direct them where I want, and cover. Works great and not alot of prep work...worth it!

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=110426

6/8/2011 6:26:45 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I bury the entire vine. The tap roots take hold and anchor the plant to the ground it helps keep the plant steady and away from any issue with wind. I've never worried about rot or anything else. I trench a small area apply myco and mound up the area with the native soil as well as compost. Then I water with a light application of molassas to feed mycrobes. After the fruit is set. I add peat moss over the vines and ground surrounding the entire plant. After each watering the nutrients in the pete moss makes its way to the tap roots and feeds it as well as controls weeds.

6/9/2011 6:14:32 PM