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Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

My lone plant has a main vine of about 5.5 ft., and the longest(first) secondaries are bout 3.5 ft. The main is growing about 6" a day for the last 3 days.
Is this a good time to start burying the vines?
When burying, would you recommend burying only at the nodes, or the vine between the nodes as well?
If I bury now, I'll have to be careful not to cover the young male flowers.
Or is it better to bury after fruit pollination?

Doug

7/4/2004 9:58:59 PM

Western Pa.

I no longer bury the main vine,but occasionally throw a shovel or two of dirt in a few places if high winds are expected. You can dig a trench in front of your secondaries, and bury them as they grow.You will want to not cover the secondaries in the area where you will set fruit, or may have to move the main vine for pumpkin positioning(until afterward). I bury all of the secondary vines, planning on keeping fruit only on the main. You will still have males and tertiaries popping through the vines you cover. You also want to keep up with pruning, or the plant will soon be out of control!

7/5/2004 7:32:18 AM

Cologne / Germany

Hi Doug, read this:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=79003
and you know that burying vines should be done pretty early.
Burying will provide roots and vine stability. It´s my first year of burying pretty much and pretty early and it already paid off during the stormy weather we had.
The node points are essential, the plant will do most of its rooting there. Secondaries should be covered completely at least to keep them down in the wind. Try not to cover any flowers with soil.
Just my personal opinion and experience.

7/6/2004 8:10:00 AM

Cologne / Germany

Forgot to say: unrooted or poorly rooted secondaries get their energy not from themselves but from your main vine. There should be other things a main vine has to feed :)

7/7/2004 10:47:31 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Thanks for the comments!
Once the soil dries out, I'll have to bury the secondaries, and maybe a feew feet of the main.

Doug

7/7/2004 12:46:55 PM