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Iowa

I was wondering if there was rule of thumb on the distance out to set your long gourds. The longest gourd i ever grew was about 22 feet front the stump. This year the plan is not to allow a gourd to set before at least 18 feet. Eveyone knows pumpkins should be set 15-20 feet out ....but i have never heard a number put on a long gourd!
Marc

8/7/2008 11:09:05 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

That's a good question Marc. Never paid much attention to distance other than waiting till the females got to the top of the trellis to make managing them easier. 1'st LG sets around 12' out have begun to peter out here, but later sets are going strong. Good luck!

8/9/2008 8:21:41 PM

eastern Ontario

Marc I don't think anyone has the answer to your question but it is worth looking at.Since most LGs are on side vines would you count maim plus secondary ? tertiary ? distance to the gourd.I think so.

If we made up a little questionnaire next winter and got distance out for the top,say 20,LGs on the LG site,then averaged the values,we would have a good figure to shoot for.

Personally I pollinate then where ever I find them and hope for the best.I wouldn't dare pass up any early females because there is no certainty for good later ones.
Cheers-AE

8/9/2008 9:06:46 PM

Iowa

Yeah....maybe it really dont matter.....BUT maybe it does! I find it intresting that at this point no one really has a answer. When i say 18 feet out I'm talking out the main to the secondary that has the gourd growing from it....but that's just me!

I'd love to see more people add ther thoughts to this....I'm also quit suprised no one else has asked this question!

Marc

8/9/2008 11:21:52 PM

Sparta, NC

Most of mine are about 12-15 ft. from the stump.

8/10/2008 7:26:44 AM

eastern Ontario

Petey--just checked where my 3 best LGs are located,they are 17,17 and 16 feet from the stump,3 different plants.

This is not necessarily the vine distance,it is just where they are hanging,along the trellis,distance from the stump.

At about 17.5 feet I run out of trellis so I think you are onto an important point.

8/10/2008 8:30:03 AM

Sparta, NC

How much plant do you have? total sq ft?

8/10/2008 8:37:35 AM

eastern Ontario

I have a single plant per 4' wide trellis.

10' x 4' vertically then 8' x 4' horizontally on top,so the main can run 18',to the end of the top.

On a plant this year I have the vines spilling down the end of the trellis to the ground.So I could say the plant is 10 + 8 + 10 =28 feet long.It still has the 32 sq ft of support on top though.

8/10/2008 5:31:20 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Mine is 16 feet on the main vine. First time I have had one on the main. It should be 100 inches tomorrow.

8/10/2008 6:46:59 PM

Iowa

I'm very close to what Alan has......4 feet wide, 9-10 feet up and 12 feet across. As i said my longest was all the way to the end of my trellis!

It looks as if i'll be looking stongly at that 15-20 foot range next year.

Good job Marty....100" is a good one.....see you Thursday!

8/10/2008 11:08:17 PM

Going Green

I am totally not the person to ask but I asked my mentor who got me started and he says that in giant watermelon, muskmelon and Long Gourds he prefers closer to the stem than futher! He has grown 215 Watermelon, 39.5 Muskmelon and 98.7 Lng Gourd in the last two years!

I know a lot of pumpkin people will disdagree but I throw it out for discussion! This is his opinion folks! No scientific proof provided!

8/13/2008 9:38:27 PM

eastern Ontario

I think we can discuss till the cows come home where we perfer to have them but in reality I perfer to pollinate them where I find them and then cull out the laggards later.

8/15/2008 8:23:19 PM