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Lakewood, CO

A plant that "takes off" and grows like crazy shows vegetative vigor, but does it also, in most cases, show fruiting vigor? Would one "hack" that plant or keep it?

Thanks,
Betsy

4/17/2012 11:25:24 AM

Germany

Greetings, when reading your post this picture from the 2010 diary of LomgmontPete came to my mind:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=146812

Look at the plant and look at the fruit he grew off that plant. A plant with good vegetative vigor could show great fruiting vigor as well. As to "...in most cases...?", it will be hard to analyze almost all cases of plants with pronounced vegetative vigor to find a representative correlation between plant growth and fruit growth, but IMHO a large plant should be much more likely to cope with X-treme fruit growth than an underdeveloped plant. It´s probably important to have the right nutrients for plant growth and for fruit growth available at the right time in order to take maximum advantage of both vigorous features. Good luck!

4/17/2012 11:52:40 AM

Rhode Island

why in the world would you pull a plant that grows very well?
the only time you would pull a plant is later on if problems with the plant or pumpkin came into play.
betsy i cant figure out any logic to your question.

4/18/2012 10:55:31 AM

Lakewood, CO

Basically it comes down to a limited space issue. I've grown a lot of plants over the years in the vegetable garden, perennials and in the greenhouse industry. Occassionally you run into a plant that grows like crazy, but produces nothing. One would assume it's too much nitrogen, but the environments were too controlled for that kind of thing to happen, or neighboring plants did fine - and went on to flower and produce. I've often suspected it was a "freak" genetic thing - which occassionally you see in greenhouse & garden environments.

No stranger to eliminating a plant that doesn't perform correctly. I was just wondering if this is a common occurance w/ AG's?

Betsy

4/18/2012 8:09:18 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

It happens occasionally Betsy. My most vigorous plant last year produced my smallest fruit and this is not the first time in my ten years of growing. Conversely, I've also had some pretty puny looking plants produce my largest fruit of the year.

4/18/2012 9:51:15 PM

Tinykinville

vigor is no garantee either way of bigger or smaller fruit that ive noticed, but given choice ill go with more vigorous. one thing to note though is that if soil is lacking or certain area is lacking some nutrients, a more vigorous plant may do better at finding nutrients if its roots are more vigorous as well.

4/18/2012 10:16:04 PM

Colorado

Hi Betsy,vigor is usually a good thing.You can get a freak thats out of balance vegetatively and wont set fruit/or it will grow a state record. You wont know if you yank it

4/19/2012 12:33:28 PM

Bethlehem CT

Vigor is definitely a good thing.

4/23/2012 8:30:03 AM

Michigan,up North

My 2 vigorest plants that i thought id grow mosters kin on grew the smallest kins,the 1723 that never look good from the get go grew the biggest kin,hmm the secondairys grew ever other one ,had to fill in with 3rd growth,i think havein limit sun affect the plant ,the leaves were never dark green like the others .have five pine trees blockin sun there.post pics of the trees tomaroo.i read on here were a guy had hail storm stessed hes plant and he grew a pb off it,alot to think about .if you stress your plant you get a bigger kin ? i read to get hotter peppers over water to streess the plant.genetics in the seed to tell the kin to go big.i notice the leaves next to the trees are huge from not geting anough sun.next year iam going to grow in the spot that get all the sun,butt put these black trampoline covers i have to block the sun ,to get the whole plants leaves extra big .then take the covers offs when i set the pumpkin ,then i have extra power with the bigger leaves .just a thought.

9/9/2012 11:35:51 PM