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Subject:  Fruit set on modified flag

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Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey I'm finally getting to ask a question on setting fruit. I'm growing the main vine across the diagonal of a small 15x15 patch. The longest secondaries are gonna be at stump and tapering down to the turn and staying short until the end of the vine where they will be long again. which means at about 12 feet out the secondaries feeding a fruit there will be getting shorter and shorter. Am I better off to set one real early to have good secondary support or go with the main to 12 to 15 foot and have short secondary support.

6/30/2002 10:26:54 PM

gordon

Utah

you have a 15 x 15 patch with the main running diagonal
from corner to corner right ? after that ....
i'm having a hard time visualizing your plan(s)?
are the secondaries just on one side of the main or both ?
are they perpendicular to the main? or parallel to the
edge of the patch ?
can you restate what you are trying to do ? or sketch something and post it ?
Generally I think people who have grown smaller plants
do better setting a pumpkin so that the majority of
the plant is between the pumpkin and the stump vs
stump, some plant, pumpkin and then more plant.
In other words farther out on the main. but i'd pollinate
what you can ... fruit set later might not take due to
heat. or they might not have a good stem lenght or position, etc...

7/1/2002 1:50:31 PM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Gordon, sent ya a picture of the mod-flag. Any suggestions would help. Chuck

7/1/2002 9:09:01 PM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

_______________
/
----------- /
---------- / | Not a great diagram but you can see
--------- / | The secondaries are shorter at the
-------- / | turn. Starting to think short Xmas tree
------- / | | would have been better.
------ / | | |
----- / | | |
---- / | | | |
--- / | | | |
-- / | | | | |
(------------
__________________

7/2/2002 8:05:44 AM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

did't post the way I wanted. But think you can get the idea. I already started terminating the vines on the turn side but might let them start growing and go with the tree a fruit set at 15 to 18 feet won't have any secondary length.

7/2/2002 8:09:18 AM

gordon

Utah

I understand your plan now. the picture helps !
to enlighten the others. look at the above diagram
the stump is at the top right and runs to the bottom
left then turns and runs across the bottom.
the horizontal sencondaries come of the main while it
is on the diagonal the vertical secondaries come of the
main from the bottom.

He would like the secondaries near the fruit he sets
to be longer, but if the fruit is set where the main
turns all the secondaries there will be short.
right ? ! so now re-read the first post.

7/2/2002 10:17:38 AM

gordon

Utah

In my opinion i would stick with what i said above
and try to set the fruit farther out. if you want
longer secondaries near the fruit you can always
let them grow and make room for them by letting them
run where there is space left in the patch and shortening
the future secondaries. but i wouldn't trim any existing
plant to make room for them. I think with a small plant
it is important to have you plant reach it's alloted
space as quickly as possible, set a fruit and let it grow.

7/2/2002 10:27:23 AM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

You know Gordon I thought about it all winter and it seemed to work on paper until I saw what was happening in the garden, I will improvise like you said and try to get one set as soon as possible and grow the plant around the pumpkin..Kinda strange but think with this size patch it's the best ya can do. Can't pick and chose a site gotta hope you pick the right set. Chuck

7/2/2002 10:59:18 AM

gordon

Utah

I think everybody has a plan and then ends up working
with what the plant gives them... for some it's just
worse than others.
i'd pollinate as many as just in case.
a couple of years ago i had a plant that ended up with
just one pumpkin at the very end of the first secondary.
it ended up being 365 lbs- not bad for a 300 ft sq plant
that i had basically given up on.

7/2/2002 5:04:00 PM

Total Posts: 9 Current Server Time: 8/21/2025 3:26:24 PM
 
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