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Massachusetts

Whelp. The sound you hate to hear. What a mistake. Started another seed tonight. I will get it into the patch hopefully first true leaf stage in the next week or so. I do not grow competitively. Do you think I can still make 500 lbs? Man this stings really bad. Never snapped a main before. Going to be about 6+ weeks behind I would say now. Or should I just plant some vegetables and pack it in?

5/28/2022 8:02:44 AM

Plainville, Connecticut 06062

You did not say how long your main is you have two choices besides germinating another seed which would be the longest route for you. If you have a good secondary prior to the break and fairly close you can train that secondary as your new main that has worked for many growers including me. Cut the main right near the secondary and go along your way growing the same plant. It will set you back maybe a week or a little more but that would be your quickest way out of this. Sometimes you can save your main also depending how bad the snap is as many main vines will heal over the break and you Continue on but the healing process does take awhile. A snap the long way and not a circular snap will heal quicker and be the better choice but if the snap is circular taking out more then 50 percent of the connection to the main, I would make your closest secondary your new main. I have done that at least three times and the plant and pumpkins all grew normal! GOODLUCK!

5/28/2022 8:28:07 AM

Massachusetts

Thank you for the reply. I would say the main is 2 feet long. I have maybe 2 secondary buds behind the break. It is a circular break about half way through and a little horizontal splits. Thank you for the encouragement. I will leave the plant see if it keeps growing or hopefully I can get a secondary to bud and take off to replace it.

5/28/2022 9:05:07 AM

Salem Ohio

Eric, just slowly day by day turn that secondary vine forward the direction your main would have ran. The secondary will now be you main vine and the tertiaries that grow off of it will now be your secondaries.

5/28/2022 9:16:01 AM

Hadley Ny

Eric, My first year growing I lost my first planting to frost in late May. I restarted seeds and they were up June 1st. I did grow a 500 lber with a July 21st pollination and I have a very short grow season here in the Adirondacks. A secondary for a main is the right answer and keep the seed you start for backup Good Luck

5/28/2022 9:42:19 AM

Syracuse, NY

I would not even wait to see what'll happen - everyone's advice has been great and giving the main a chance is taking the best chance from the new main-to-be.
I had snapped the last 3 feet off of my 1317 Clementz with no chance of keeping it; Nice sec right before it and it got all the initiative to now become the main. I figured to experiment a little then and although a paltry 412.5 ended up on the new main and a 388 or so was on the NEXT-back secondary, I've always done what I did and it is the next best thing to having had better luck to begin with. Oh, and good luck! - eg

5/28/2022 2:05:24 PM

Colorado

Cut it at the break so that all the juice will go to the secondaries.

5/28/2022 2:29:56 PM

Grittyville, WA

Interesting. Have to agree with cojoe the partly broken end would be more of a sink than a source, unless there is a fully developed leaf or two which could awkwardly remain, preferably in a way that didnt shade the chosen secondary too much. Either way it should bounce back.

5/28/2022 3:07:08 PM

Jericho Vermont

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=259532

Eric check out this main vine that a rabbit chewed through and look further in my diary to see how the plant healed itself. Sulfur and a roof over it to keep it dry and it may amaze you.

5/28/2022 3:32:42 PM

Syracuse, NY

Funny, there, VTJohn @ first I thought you were talking to me, lol. Here is the furthest-along pic of that damaged vine:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=263372
Nice pumpkin in the end as well! eric g

5/28/2022 3:58:49 PM

Nova Scotia

Grew some here several years back over 700 lbs. with late July pollinations. I remember a 775 and 600 lb. plus one on the the same plant! Still plenty of time. Good luck!

5/28/2022 6:08:49 PM

2106 was grown on a side vine. It had more main before the side vine was used. Mobey Mike 2016 diary

5/28/2022 7:26:30 PM

Brooktondale, New York

Sorry for your loss. I am sure it was your heartbreaking you heard not the vine. I always feel bad when mistakes or injuries happen to any of our plants. I ripped off a cot from my daughter's Sunflower sprout, I felt like I had just killed her chance. In her sweet little four year old voice looked up and said " don't worry they are just plants". Grounding information for a father to here. Nonetheless our efforts represent much more. To each in their own way. On a positive note you got some great advice from knowledgeable growers. Best of luck on the new main. Unfortunately I am rather unpredictable, I might not have had enough wisdom to ask for help before I ripped it out, set it on fire and dance around with sage to ward off evil pumpkin spirits.

5/29/2022 12:40:58 AM

Bethlehem CT

Big E you will be OK, I would not even feel too bad, You will not be that far behind if you grow a new main. Heck I have even cut the main on oversized potted plants because I was trying to keep the plant under control until I found a spot in the patch for it. If you ever happen to snap a main again. You can splint it together and the vine will graft itself back together. You would just have to make sure the two ends are touching and that they are sealed up to keep in the moisture. Honestly though, this early in the season I don't even know if I would bother to graft them together.

5/29/2022 10:11:05 AM

Sharon, MA

Last year Ron Wallaces 2200 pounder was grown on a secondary vine.

5/29/2022 9:10:01 PM

Massachusetts

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I will see if can get a secondary to go. See if i can train it to be my new main. Let’s see what we can do

5/30/2022 8:13:47 PM