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Woburn, Ma

This is my second year for trying to grow an A.G. although I have grown many other pumpkin varieties for several years. This AG stayed in it's pot much longer than I intended because of the cold nights outside. My other pummpkin plants look fine but this does not look like any of the others in the diaries. I just planted it outside yesterday but shouldn't it being growing up instead of growing the way it is. I have a back up that has it's first true leaf and is starting it's second. Should I replace this plant. Thanks for any help.... Blaine
http://home.comcast.net/~bbbsr/images/ag.jpg

5/15/2005 2:39:00 PM

Massillon, Ohio

it looks fine but you should've buried the long 'stem' up to the first green leaves (cots). thats why it looks funky

5/15/2005 3:58:43 PM

Woburn, Ma

Thanks! I feel a lot better now. I was really concerned about the way it looked

5/16/2005 10:03:39 AM

Montoursville, PA

When in the face, of natural wind and weather use a lot, of sticks, to prop that baby up until it hits ground and gets the vine set into the soil.

Someone mentioned shim sticks, for this purpose. Anything that gives support, to buffeting winds is fine.

5/16/2005 12:12:43 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Blaine, you can also give any future plants more light when indoors. This will reduce the leggy plants into short stocky plants

5/16/2005 12:42:45 PM

Somers, CT

To add: Seeds that germinate from the sun stretch to get closer to the source. The cots will end up like yours and tend to break in the wind. I use the standard 4' flourescent double bulb with the two hanging chains on my workbench. If you keep the light very low, 6"-7" from the top of the pots you will get short plants. Like Doc stated, once the main starts to grow watch out that the main does not snap. They tend to grow at a 45 and pull the rest of the plant down. Use the cheap tomato sticks in an "X" to guide the vine slowly back to earth. "SNAP" means try again next year. See you at Topsfield.

5/16/2005 2:47:34 PM

Woburn, Ma

Once again, thanks to everyone for the help. Naturally, it couldn't happen to one of my other pumpkin plants because then I would just say "No big deal" and plant one of my back ups. It has to happen to something that already requires a great deal of care even when everything starts off fine. I could just replace that one also with a back up that looks just fine. Now I'm not sure what I want to do but at least I will know better next year.

5/16/2005 6:31:52 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Blaine...Is that my 208# you e-mailed me about? Eh, it's fine, you just gotta bury 'em deep like tomato plants when they're leggy like that....probably like everyone else has said in the above posts that I didn't read yet :0)
Kyle aka: "Southern"

5/16/2005 11:13:41 PM

Woburn, Ma

Hi Southern, No.. This comes from seeds bought at a Fair but the 208 is very similar in being leggy. I now know how to make sure it doesn't happen next year but just don't know whether to replace these two. It is something that had never happened before when starting my seeds indoors with: Connecticuts,Jack O'Lantern...ect...

5/17/2005 9:25:50 AM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Blaine - You should be OK with the starts you have.

Just bury the stems up to the cots. They should root in.


Check out "How To Plant Seedlings To Encourage Maximum Root Growth" in the "How To" section.

the link: http://bigpumpkins.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=65

5/17/2005 8:09:39 PM