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Columbus, OH

I need to get rid of some vines and am not sure where to start. Which vines? How and where and when to cut? (or do I even cut them?) I'm overwhelmed right now!!! (but already looking forward to next year!!)

-rob

8/11/2005 11:21:25 PM

Livonia Michigan

i have learned that a plant can have up to 4 main vines. each of these capable of producing a monster pumpkin each. each of these main vines will also produce another vine off of these called secondaries. you can grow on the secondaries too. some people only grow on the mains & usually prune the secondaries to about 6-8 feet. im new too, i made the mistake this year trying to grow multiple pumpkins on a single vine cutting off the other mains. i could have had many more pumpkins but ill get it right next year. hope this helps

9/17/2005 4:18:11 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Rob, although AG's can have more than 1 main (I guess)...most of the better growers deal with a single main and the secondaries that grow off of it. If you look thru the how to section on the main page you can probably find pruning techniques. These patterns of pruning depend on the size and shape of your growing area. The most common pattern is called "Christmas Tree". One main with secondaries coming off of both sides. Lots of growers completely remove every other secondary on both sides to allow better access to the vines for weeding, etc. The length of these secondaries will depend on how much room you have. Termination of the secondaries between 10 to 20 feet is fairly common. No tertiary vines are allowed to grow. Reading thru some of the past year diaries helped me to understand this a lot better. Hope this helps. Peace Wayne

9/17/2005 8:36:09 PM