From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ct

Hello, I keep reading about "terminating vines" at this stage in the game. Can someone help me to understand the details?

8/17/2015 10:52:20 AM

Germany

As soon as the pumpkin grows, you want the plant to grow a pumpkin. In order to optimize fruit growth you need to
(1) establish a big and strong plant
(2) guide the output of the leaves (sugars etc.) towards the fruit
(3) minimize the loss of products towards salad growth
(4) keep the plant healthy and productive for many more weeks

You can do this by:
(1) growing a plant in a decent pattern (for example X-mas tree) with main vine and secondary vines, but not wasting any energy on the growth of tertiaries (because the leaves on the main and secondary vines usually cover the plant area completely, hence you won´t gain any photosynthesis surface by growing additional leaves and vines there, but you can of course use some tertiaries to fill gaps in the plant pattern)

(2/3) terminating some (secondary) vine tips as the fruit starts to grow, because you want the juice to flow into the fruit, not into excessive salad production. You will, of course, let some secondaries continue to grow in order to fill the patch space available with some additional productive leaves

(4) keeping a limited number of vine tips alive (growing) until September. The still growing vine tip makes the plant feel alive and healthy.

8/17/2015 11:27:33 AM

Germany

Summary: Depending on the current stage of plant development, you will have to terminate the one or the other vine sooner or later.

8/17/2015 11:28:26 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Great answer, Jorg

8/17/2015 1:04:53 PM

Manitoba

Yes, lots of good info as to what is going on within the plant. I liked your #4 item, Pump.

8/17/2015 7:53:05 PM

Ct

Ok, in my case I have a very nice pumpkin growing, put on lots of weight in July but has slowed down some but now seems to be adding a few more pounds lately. The vine itself never really got massive. Only about 20 feet from stump to end and seems to be a shortage of side vines for some reason there are only 9 on one side and 3 on the other. Regardless, kin is all white and skin still soft so anything I can do to push at this point!

8/24/2015 4:56:10 PM