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Ellwood City, PA, USA

It is late enough in the season that I will not break any records, so my mission is now to just grow two large pumpkins on the one vine that I have. I have a pumpkin set on a secondary and one recently set on the main. I figured that I would just stick with these 2 until...

I found a bloom yesterday that was the biggest I have ever seen. Big 5 lober, on a secondary.

I don't want to carry three, so I would prefer to get back to two.

The one on the main vine is small and growing slowly. If this new pumpkin starts showing nice growth, should I cull the 1 on the main and stick to two on secondaries, or just go with my original plan?

Choices.....

Thanks for the input.

7/14/2011 9:31:39 AM

Massachusetts

Make sure everything is set before you give anything the knife. I have been told that secondary fruit start out fast but end slow. Hope that helps. Keep track of daily growth and see which two are growing the fastest. Of course a fruit on day 7 is going to be smaller than i fruit on day 12 but look at the fruit at day 12 measurments and see how big it was on day 7.

7/14/2011 10:00:10 AM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

My concern was that the one on the main would probably be the one to cull, of you make direct comparisons about their early start. I was wondering about the long-term.

Makes sense that the one on the main would probably end up larger, all things being equal.

7/14/2011 10:36:39 AM

South Hero, VT

I had a secondary fruit that was growing faster than a fruit on the main vine last year. I mistakenly cut the secondary vine in a downpour, thinking it was a tertiary.

The fruit on the main vine took off like a rocket, and taped @525 pounds at season's end, in spite of my neglect.

Keep the fruit on the main vine.

7/14/2011 11:17:06 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

When I culled this season I had some decisions to make early on. I had a nice round pumpkin that looked great and was ribbed quite well. nice looking. I thought I was good with it @ 10 feet from the main vine I pollinated it and life was good. Other pumpkins where impressive but not like the first pollinated. I waited 4 days and noticed number 1 pumpkin was dull and made no growth. I shortly found out that the pumpkin aborted. Number 2 pumpkin looked good and began to show some good signs. Number 3 was slow to grow but looked good. Number 2 pumpkin was 12 feet out on the main and seemed to take away from number 3. I slowly cut a small amount of vine from the 3rd pumpkin. THEN CULLED IT COMPLETLY...The set fruit began to really grow well showing that I had made a good choice. I really thought about it for a while and decided that I'd go with a pumpkin thats pollinated a bit later and was longer. Good thing because the fruit is looking good and growing. Although the rain has been bad last night I hope all will be well. It helps to really think about things before you start to cull. Vine placement, shape and overall health are the biggest.

As far as breaking any records the only record that I get concerned with is my own personal best. You can still grow a great pumpkin on a side vine although the main has shown to grow the biggest. I really believe that the pumpkin is a drain and it draws energy from all parts of the plant. Good luck and I hope you do well this year.

7/14/2011 11:49:29 AM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

Completely agree Kenny. I don't plan on breaking any "records", other than my own. I was just saying that in jest, in my original post.

My concern was going with 2 on side vines and none on the main. What would be the likelihood of missing out on something really nice if I culled the one on the main, because it showed slower, early development?

Just looking for some opinions, as I have a hard time convincing myself that I should ever cull one on the main, unless there was some sort of physical problem.

7/14/2011 12:11:24 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

This decision got made for me. My largest pumpkin developed a softspot. The two remaining are very close together, so I will end up with the one on the main.

Went from 3 to 1. As long as I don't lose the remaining one, all will be fine.

7/18/2011 7:49:47 AM