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Mill Bay, British Columbia

I noticed from alot of diaries, that many growers have not yet terminated all secondaries on some or all plants.

Are growers now letting additional leaf growth past the usual 30-45 days after pollination when secondaries have traditionally all been terminated?

For me, this year with a very slow start in our Province, coupled with losing a plant, I have allowed a few secondaries to continue to meander and fill in the extra land on 1 plant and the pumpkin is growing well and at 46 days.

Curious to hear from other growers that are letting additional growth continue (not including the main).

Thanks/Glenn

8/23/2011 3:41:50 PM

San Diego

this year I let 1 trietery grow off of a secondary close to the pumpkin. I have a small patch of 400 sq ft, and most of the plant by the main and stump is gone. So it is filling in the area nicely, pumpkin at day 51. I haven't noticed any growth loss on the pumpkin compared to before the vine started growing. I figure having some new healthy leaves has to help pumpkin growth at the very end of the growth cycle. All other parts of plant were terminated long time ago.

8/23/2011 4:36:55 PM

Frankfort Ohio

i have just now stopped all of mine every time growth slowed down i cut a few growth picked back up that and considering my longest side vine at pollination time was 2ft i needed to let mine grow

8/23/2011 4:41:54 PM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

I have always done it your way. It's awfully hard to resist those nice new green leaves. I could'nt bear to cut them off when you start to see the old leaves wither!!!

8/23/2011 6:17:33 PM

Honesdale Pa USA

Supposed to prevent foaming stump. Seems to work, I let a couple of secondaries go on my best plants. As the ground dried up and the growth slowed on the vine I terminated accordingly.

8/23/2011 8:16:08 PM

Deer Park, WI

I have advocated the value of allowing vine tips to perpetuate into late season for a number of reasons. One of those reasons does have to do with foamers, although I wouldnt be so bold to claim it prevents a foaming stump. Rather, an actively growing plant will allocate water in the vasculature to more than just a pumpkin, possibly reducing the stress near the crown area.

Vine tips also produce hormones that signal to the entire plant that it is in an active growth stage, possibly delaying the process of plant senescence. To become more informed on this topic and validation for the theories I am espousing here, please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_senescence

8/24/2011 3:03:39 PM