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San Diego

The secondaries on my plant are doing great...on one side of the plant. The other side of the plant is struggling to produce secondaries. What can cause this?

The plant is 34 days old and a few inches from being ten feet long. The longest secondary is 5 feet. If I had secondaries on the other side that were 5 feet, I would have a good triangle, but they won't come out. Such a stupid problem to have...

7/3/2015 8:59:12 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

That's just how they go sometimes. I have one like that this year. If I get a gap due to a lack of secondaries I will train one or more tertiary vines to fill up the space.

7/3/2015 10:17:18 PM

San Diego

Ugh...
Why do I get the most unique problems...
I might set a world record for the most retarded and rare problems ever to occur in one season. I have four months to go.

7/3/2015 10:33:38 PM

Muddy Waters

Are you rototilling your soil? if so how far out?

7/3/2015 10:53:58 PM

San Diego

I am not rototilling at all. I know better than that!

While I am at it, I have another question for anyone who cares to answer. I just found aphids on one of my leaves, but none of the others. I sprayed them, but do I have to cut this leaf off?

7/3/2015 11:23:41 PM

valparaiso, in

Maybe the tips on the short side got burnt? Do they look shriveled up, or have white specs on the edges?

7/4/2015 12:06:01 AM

San Diego

There is nothing wrong with them besides the fact that they like being short.

I did notice some flowers turn brown though. I was thinking it could only be phosphorus, but it was at 350 ppm. That is crazy high. The other side is fine though, so that cant be it. I think it is just the plant.

7/4/2015 12:25:52 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Are we having fun yet?!:)

7/4/2015 12:34:12 AM

Somebody, sometime phosphorous levels are high but unavailable to the plant. Also, there are genetics involved here in the seed that tell the story of plant growth. My son's plant is doing a similar growth pattern. I don't think what you are describing is necessarily a problem. I do add in small quantities of composted manure especially Lamma and sheep. What is the weather like right now? Sun, wind and water all affect the growth of the plant.

7/8/2015 9:08:00 PM

San Diego

I realize that. The phosphorus can't be tied up as far as I know because it is doing all the tying. Lol

As far as I know at least...

7/8/2015 9:33:26 PM

San Diego

I went for chelated micronutrients instead and they started popping out. I figured it was the pH...

7/8/2015 9:41:27 PM

San Diego

Just a little update. Although I blamed it on micronutrients in the post above, I no longer think that is the problem. I have been giving the plants a steady supply of feedings just in case my pH might be blocking micronutrient uptake, but the last few secondaries are stunted again. One of them got out to three feet and stopped, while the one after it keeps going. My leaves are green and healthy and there is no yellowing. The main vine is growing a foot a day and there is a female that showed up at about 13 feet.

Genetics can be the only problem, right?

7/10/2015 12:35:53 AM

Central Illinois

I have short slow growing secondaries its not abnormal for some plants to do this, I am saving them to see what they do late in the year

7/10/2015 7:49:06 AM

Easthampton, MA

I too have a couple of runty secondaries. :) They just seem to barely grow with very short node spacing. I figure I'll keep them and just keep burying them to add to the rooting.

I wouldn't worry since I would expect that total growth is equal and the other secondaries are likely growing faster than they normally would. (a bit of a guess however)

Remember that we are growing genetic freaks, so some abnormalities in some plants shouldn't be surprising. :)

7/10/2015 2:49:26 PM

San Diego

That's irritating. I hope the plant can support the fruit, because it's almost time for me to pollinate.

Thanks for the help.

7/10/2015 3:48:21 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Watching that weather down there this year somebody, I'm excited to see what comes from you guys.

Doesn't get any better then this year weather wise.

7/10/2015 4:36:09 PM

San Diego

Of course the weather is good. That is because I didn't have enough time for preparation and don't feel very confident about this year. Just wait until next season when I get all excited about what I might produce. The weather will not be good.

7/11/2015 12:20:36 AM