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Grittyville, WA

I know there are reasons to do this, but I mean should I cut off my own foot to prevent stubbing my toe?

I know the top growers are doing it I just wish we knew what exactly it was costing. It's easy to blanket assume "its negligible" but I dont think we truly know if it's good, bad, or indifferent?

Perhaps someone with a plant that has run amok could pollinate two very similar blossoms on two very similar secondaries and then note the development of the pumpkins with or without the adjacent leaf being cut.

Due to natural variations the experiment would have to be repeated at least a few times, and the data scrutinized. Personally I'd leave that leaf until it's a problem and even then I'd bend it out of the way rather than cutting it. But I have no more knowledge than anyone else. Tree fruit growers might have a scientifically informed opinion. It's a question I'd like to understand better.

[Last edit: 06/06/26 2:35:54 PM]

6/6/2026 2:33:33 PM

Grittyville, WA

Ps my calculations (which are at least 50% speculative) give an approximate value of that leaf at about 20 lbs. But there are reasons why it could be much more or much less. It might even help gain lbs to cut it off under certain circumstances where the leaf could be diverting resources rather than contributing, but generally leaves contribute to growth, so this would not be the norm. An extreme heat event would be an example of where the plant might benefit from having less foliage. Generally shade cloth or misting would be more sensible ways placate the demands of the foliage.

Another factor could be hormones. I wont write a dissertation on plant hormones but the issue here is (either positive or negative direction) they could significant factor. If you start seeing the plant in terms of hormones it raises a lot of questions about what could affect cell division and final weights... Again, it's possible to dismiss one leaf as insignificant to the hormones, but even a small nudge in either direction could be dozens of lbs at the finish line.

Let me propose another experiment:

Cut a leaf off somewhere along the main but shade it as though the leaf was still there. Then see how the secondary at that node develops compared to the other secondaries.

I think it might develop better because of reduced auxins coming from the leaf. But it might develop slower because of slightly less photosynthates at that node.

Well I apologize for tweaking about this... I will do some experiments. And then use the results to grow a really big pumpkin someday!

[Last edit: 06/06/26 10:57:15 PM]

6/6/2026 2:41:58 PM

Ontario

I have heard that speculation before. Im definitely going to try and keep the leaf at the stem this year. Probably tie it off to a post to pull at away from the fruit with a wide band, as to not damage the leaf too much.

6/6/2026 7:03:25 PM

Western NY

For me, it depends on the orientation. The ones that are a pain are the ones that the leaf stalk come out under the stem and then curls up. Those get cut.

My favorites are the ones where the leaf stalk comes almost straight up, and the pumpkin stem perpendicular to that. Those I keep, and I treat that particular leaf as a prime candidate for foliar feeding when I do so. I'll let that leaf stay on just as long as I can throughout the season.

6/6/2026 9:48:03 PM

C N Y

I suppose that for the potential benefits of keeping it, yeah, merely denting-in the stalk near its base and tenderly bending/cradling it aside with crossed bamboos or even a flat rock and guide sticks would be beneficial. I call it The Protector Leaf and it has been kept or not, 'accordingly', over the years. Amongst all of us, one day, we'll have secondaries out-pacing the mains---eg
PS---LK, maybe this is a time to finally put BLACK material to use on as many leaves as a grower can manage.
I've yet to experiment (I don't have any black towels, etc. and WeedBlock may retain too MuCh heat) with my personal belief that
a black material, although perhaps absorbing more heat by default, will block that heat/radiation more than a white sheet that is the norm by simplicity alone. No argument for/against it, as I just dunno. Once my plants arise...Muh-hu-hu-hawh-hawh...Cough...Ahem.

6/7/2026 2:02:38 AM

Nova Scotia

We usually try to keep the leaf unless it's underneath or going to be a problem. Remember once harvested a giant with the leaf still attached before stem, it looked pretty cool.

6/7/2026 8:40:22 AM

Grittyville, WA

@ pumpkinpal, I know I'd rather wear white on a hot sunny day than black. Light absorbed = heat. Light reflected = heat avoided. I thought weighing pumpkins was the only time we needed physics, fortunately because I was never good at physics and now you're making me think about "particle physics". Ugh! Touché, I get what I deserve!

6/7/2026 11:45:02 AM

Lloydminster/AB

If you've ever just let pumpkins grow wild on a plant you'll understand that a 750 sq ft plant can grow about double the WR in pumpkins. Most of the leaves are not contributing much to fruit growth. Its about the pumpkin sink strength not the plant. One or two leaves aren't noticeable. I've lost a 100 leaves and never noticed anything. Last thing I want is a couple of leaves on a suspended vine causing damage to the most important connection on the plant. I slice.

6/7/2026 12:00:10 PM

Grittyville, WA

I do agree that the overall sink strength will greatly outweigh the contribution of one leaf or 100 leaves. Top level growers have mastered the plant's ability to move its resources, probably based mostly on temps and phosphorus. If resources are being moved efficiently then the affect of losing a few leaves wont be noticeable.

But I think there are still some unknowns regarding hormones. I think when the phosphorus and temps and overall plant energy are not perfect, then the pumpkin will benefit from the adjacent leaves. But again it would depend on doing some science. After running some experiments, a grower might conclude, "well, at 10 dap the pumpkins where the leaf was removed at 3 DAP were 15% smaller at 10 DAP than the pumpkins where the leaf was not removed". Or maybe the opposite would be true, theyd be 15% bigger.
... But abort 10% more often. Putting our assumptions aside and doing some science, I bet there would be some data that would make even the best growers say, "hmmm, well that's not what I was thinking".

It's possible that the foliage near the pumpkin could be detrimental (diverting calcium, for example? ...this is what causes aborts/ shrivelled ends/ dill lines??). Or, this foliage might have measurable benefits?
The hormones and brix boost from this nearest foliage might set a better growth trajectory?

Fyi in a baby pumpkin a 15% reduction in volume is a negligible size difference, it might be a half inch, barely noticeable. But then later at the scale that extra bit potentially becomes a 2600 lb pumpkin rather than a 2400 lb pumpkin.

[Last edit: 06/07/26 2:58:17 PM]

6/7/2026 2:42:40 PM

C N Y

I will look into it (Googled it already - My computer just LOOKS broken, now, lol) in that I am commenting on the fabric type and color based upon 'Would I want one or the other touching me or my pumpkin?' - Would a black fabric suspended ABOVE the fruit block more of the UV and infrared than a white one?'
There...is my defining moment, the distance above the fruit. No need to tell me I'm 100% incorrect about it, lol, as I already see that pending, BUTT, why are pavilions made with a solid, shingled roof, tents basically never white and even growers' shade structures not made with clear PVC?
I'll figure it out, once I have any fruits to measure my remaining sanity against,
(lol=lol)---eg
LK, YOU DO MAKE US THINK!!!
Ouch, Owww, brain pain...eg

6/8/2026 12:38:21 AM

Lloydminster/AB

LK, "some unknowns regarding hormones " is an understatement. I remove a split pumpkin last year. I left some of the vines disconnected in the process.the ones longer than 10' survived just fine but the male flowers were completely deformed. I put it down as hormone imbalance probably but was it the auxins or the cytokinin.

6/8/2026 1:28:15 AM