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Since the roots obviously grow out a long distance from the vine, is it more effective to fertilize away from the vine? How do you judge how far the roots will have grown?

Thanks

11/3/2022 8:04:54 PM

Syracuse, NY

In the meantime, until growers are even more in front of a computer and less out in the patch,
you can type

roots extend

into the Site Search window on the Home Page here and
you'll have a least a few hours' worth of reading all about it.

I'd have said at LEAST to the edge of where the plant has grown to and I saw
'in all directions' in one post and also PLUS 3 feet or more to not walk on the
edge roots and so on and so on; I will be buying SO MANY walking boards for '23!
A (4 X 8)-foot piece of 5/8" cut into 6 pieces of 16" X 4' and lengthwise to utilize
the grain's stiffness and reduce flexation - make sense, y'all?
I am envious of ones whom till right up to the edge of the plant and they
are weed-free on that day, but it is a matter of what a grower wants at that point
and is to be super-avoided if possible - A glyphosate weed killer on a calm day would be
better, beyond the vine tips, IMHO.

I'm usually full of ideas, and today is not any different, lol;

Y'all:
What about a VISUAL CORE SAMPLE taken from various distances and depths around the plant?
A Plexiglas tube(s), sharpened as though a knife but circular and 'slammered' into the soil to about
a foot or MORE and when brought up and viewed, if any one or we know what to look for, there COULD be
visible roots in the tube. ANYone could have ANY amended soil at ANY point to sample from.
Cripes, they do it in ice all around the world and know sharply when the asteroid hit the earth.
This one of ours would have to be a good 6" across...for now, though, 'Site Search', lol---eg

11/5/2022 4:12:42 AM

Torrance, Ca.

When the plant is small I water in a 5' circle around the plant. As soon as the main has laid down and the plant is 4' or 5' out I start watering the back 500 sg ft because I know the roots are growing faster then the plant I can see above ground. Not long after that, I'm watering the whole patch evenly to get ready for pollination.
I also water much less before pollination because I want the roots to search for water. After pollination its game on and the watering is a couple times a day for the next 60 to 70 days.

11/5/2022 10:04:44 AM

Grittyville, WA

You can dig around and find out, I think its reasonable to expect roots at the stump to be the same length as the vines, although they can grow even faster than the vines if as well. I'm not sure where the fertilizer should be placed, that gets complicated. But some farmers put some fertilizer close to their young plants they bury it "in furrow" (where it will be close to the roots) phosphorus might be a good one to add in close. This is to save money and give the correct fertilizer at the correct development stage.

I will be trying putting potassium farther out, and good nitrogen and calcium closer in.

11/9/2022 3:10:22 PM