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Eastern Pennsylvania

I am spending more time on vine positioning prior to the females opening than I have in past years. It seems to be backfiring as the more bend I get in the vine the less the stem wants to grow out and upward and the more it just grows straight towards the bend I put in the vine. All I can figure is I am twisting the vine somehow. Some of the leaf stalks end up curled under the main also. I must be disorienting the plant. Any suggestions to avoid this? I am getting really annoyed at this point. Should I wait until bloom and for a longer vine ahead of the flower before such drastic molding of the vine pattern?? thanks

7/3/2013 6:51:11 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I'd wait before doing anything drastic. The only thing I usually do as far as vine positioning is training the main vine away from the pollinated pumpkin. By doing this the pumpkin can be more easily trained away from the vine. Trust me when I say that stem stress can be avoided early on but its a slow steady process. Be careful when training any vine you dont wanna snap the vine. Better to do it during the heat of the day when the vine is more flexable.

7/3/2013 7:36:14 PM

Cincinnati,OH

yeah, if I try to put too much bend too fast the vine twists and the pumpkin tries to roll over to the other side

7/3/2013 7:39:51 PM

Ohio

Jim, try propping up the main before and after the pumpkin( couple nodes each way). If this dont make sense in doing this then Im not totally understanding what your saying, but I think I do. Usually them twists usually work them selves out as the vine grows out, if I have a really bad leaf that grows twisted and keeps the vines up I just cut the leaf off.

7/3/2013 9:51:43 PM

Germany

In such cases I don´t worry too much, if the stem of the fruit is too close to the main vine, then the main was terminated after 1 or 2 weeks and one of the last secondaries was allowed to continue as a new main. That said, my two biggest pumpkins grew on plants with the main terminated right at the fruit position.

7/4/2013 12:58:56 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Jim, I did the same thing this year and got the same results as you. As I swung the main vine the opposite way, away from the pumpkin, the vine seemed to lift up and the pumpkin wanted to go straight up and over the other way.

I just moved the vine back, will pollinate and swing the vine away later when and if I figure it is set and a keeper.

I'll post a picture in my diary tomorrow and you will see if it is the same thing happening to you.

Glenn

7/4/2013 1:41:53 AM

Johnston, R.I.

Jim..You could always try something a little different on one plant. I wait till I know which set is the keeper, cut the main right after the stem, and turn the last two sides on either side forward like a pitch fork. You could also use just last side turned forward and let third growth grow of it like Christmas tree on either side. Fills in the space, all plant is behind pumpkin, much easier on stem stress. I know many people frown on this idea, but it something to think about..

7/4/2013 5:18:05 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Thanks all. The thing is that this year I really was trying to keep my mains as I am generally at main vine terminator at the pumpkin. I may have pinched most tertiaries on the last sec vines if I go with earlier pollinations at this point. I will take brooks advice on the current pollinations and Glenn's for the latter. I'm kinda worried to still be pollinating at this point to be quite honest. Not that I lost many but I've been 1.5 weeks behind all year.

7/4/2013 11:04:12 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Jim, here is that link;

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=202365

Like you, I terminate about 50% of the time at the pumpkin and grow out tertiaries on the last secondaries on both sides.

This year, a squirrel decided for me to terminate on one plant and I am hoping to run the main vine past the pumpkin on the other plant.

Good luck Jim, are you doing a diary this year? I'll watch...

7/4/2013 6:16:06 PM