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Location

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Date Posted

Central Utah

This is probably just a rooky question but I've noticed on all my secondary vine leaf nodes there is a small bud (it almost looks like it could be a flower coming out,...the only thing, there is one on every node. What are these?... and I'm assuming a need to cut them off. Thanks for the help.
I plan on burrying every secondary node but wanted to know if I should cut these off or burry them too.

6/26/2012 3:44:34 PM

Johnston, Iowa

Could you post a picture of this? I think it could only be either a flower or the beginning of a tertiary vine.

6/26/2012 3:59:10 PM

Central Utah

I submitted a pic to the diary but it might take a min for it to get on there. I think I might of found my answer... I thought the leaf node was just the junction where it comes off of the vine. It might just be new leafs growing...lol ooops
I watched the cooks video on burrying vines and he had them as well.... that must be the node itself....

6/26/2012 4:50:22 PM

East Jordan, MI

Shawn
At every leaf node on the entire plant, there is a leaf, a tendril, a new vine that will go to the side of the vine it is growing off of, a blossum, and two roots (one on top and one on the bottom).

From the main vine you want to let the vines grow (they are your sidevines) you need to let them grow.

Vines coming off of the side vines are the third stage growth or tertiaries. If you were to let these grow they would not only suck up the plants energy but become a tangled mass crossing over the side vines and need to be removed unless there is a gap to fill in.

Tendrils are commonly removed from all nodes (but not by all growers).

Flowers will be needed to pollinate your pumpkin so you can't remove all of them. I don't let them bloom in the patch becasue I use pesticides that will kill the bees and don't want to attract pests (cucumber beetles love the blossums and SVBs are attracted to yellow)

A handful of dirt placed on the node(or burying entire vine) will get the root on the top to grow, giving the vine twice as many possible roots. I generally bury up to the last 3 nodes from the tip as the vine grows.

Good Luck

6/27/2012 1:00:12 AM

Central Utah

Thanks for the explanation cntryboy, I'm sure next year I'll have alot better understanding of this.... Here is a picture of what I was talking about.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2012&grower=62719&action=L

6/27/2012 12:45:02 PM

Central Utah

Just got back from the patch looking things over. I see what you are talking about now cntryboy... Everytime I see something new on my plant I panic :)
I cut a bunch of tendrils off that was holding the plant up.

I notice on my main vine there are taps roots burrowing down into the ground and on the top side of the vine there is a little white bump that I'm assuming will be the other root. So one last question.... do I just burry the nodes on the secondary vines only or is it ok to burry them on the main as well?

6/27/2012 3:37:20 PM

President - GPC

DO both... it also helps keep the vines from rolling when the winds pick up

6/27/2012 3:47:59 PM

Sourthern Utah

looks like you are getting a lot of help,, shawn,, yes like wiz says,, tho i only bury node on the main vine,, ,, best of luck,, curt

6/28/2012 2:40:00 PM

Central Utah

Yup curt, tonz of help on here. Thanks to you and everyone else :) Thanks for the special blend of mycro curt,.... I burried some vines today.
I had alot of tendrils growing off of my secondarys... now I think I know the name of plant parts it makes more sence to understand what everyone is talking about alot better. Country boy send me a detailed pic of what the different parts are labeled with names.
My vine is growing 5 inches/day on one plant and 3 on the other.... My third plant got a late start but hasn't laid down yet. Fun stuff, I even had my first flower open up this morning.

6/28/2012 3:51:02 PM

Central Utah

Ooops I ment to say I had alot of tertiaries growing off of secondary that I cut off not tentrils ooops.. :)

6/28/2012 4:12:43 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

No silly questions Shawn... especially with beginners.

6/28/2012 5:14:55 PM