Home What's New Message Board
BigPumpkins.com
Select Destination Site Search

Message Board

 
New Growers Forum

Subject:  tendrils

New Growers Forum      Return to Board List

From

Location

Message

Date Posted

owen o

Knopp, Germany

should i cut them off? if so, how close to the vine?

7/9/2002 1:35:44 PM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Owen, You can cut them off if you want. I've been using them to turn/twist the vine on my S turns to position the female to the outside. A little tougher to do with it being flat. Some people use them to tie up there flowers and if you let nature do its job it will find the odd weed under the canopy and strangled it!!! Ain't nature great.

7/9/2002 2:16:21 PM

owen o

Knopp, Germany

alexsdad, thanks for the response. they always seem to be grabbing the leaves and other secondaries, thats why i was wondering....owen

7/10/2002 1:00:22 AM

Stan

Puyallup, WA

Geneva doesn't always cut them off, Joel usually does. It does make for a tidier patch with them cut off, but it is alot of work when each plant covers a thousand square feet!
If you accept the theory that you want every function of the plant to produce either leaves or pumpkins, then you cut off all tertiary vines, all unneeded males and females, and all tendrils. It is best to do this while these plant parts are in the forming stage at the tip of the vine.

7/10/2002 1:31:58 AM

owen o

Knopp, Germany

Stan, thanks for the input. I guess that there really is more then one way to skin a cat, or grow a pumpkin :-)...owen

7/10/2002 2:50:54 AM

floh

Cologne / Germany

I saw the tendrils easily grow 4' per day at the end of all vines if you let them go. That must take a lot of energy from the plant that could be invested better once fruits have set. If you wind-protect your patch they are of no use. I cut them off.

7/10/2002 4:40:41 AM

Darby2

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Brings to mind that Elvis love song.. "Love me Tendril" LOL

I leave them on. Incidently, the plant tropism that tendrils use to twine around objects is called thigmotropism. There...I remember my botany after more than 45 years!

Dave


7/10/2002 7:34:01 AM

floh

Cologne / Germany

Right Dave, I also remember that. But the tendrils need a physical object to touch, then start curling and climb over it. Like gourds in a trellis, they depend on that feature. The only possible object my patch is a stick or the next vine and I don´t want them to go there.
Another theory is that much tendril activity slows down root growth. Since I´m cutting all tendrils, even more roots appeared on top. Again it´s all about testing and watching...

7/10/2002 8:05:28 AM

thefunnydad

Mineral Virginia

So is it ok to just go in and cut all the tendrils out at once?

7/12/2002 10:14:53 PM

Stan

Puyallup, WA

I did! A lot of work!!

7/13/2002 12:01:58 AM

Mrrr

Northern Ohio

do you ot anything on the "stump" of the tentrils after you have cut them or anything on the vines you prune?
Mrrr

7/15/2002 9:08:26 PM

CEIS

In the shade - PDX, OR

Hey Mrrr - As a precaution against disease a lot of the guys use captan or a sulfur powder. You don't have to though.

Keep reading the posts & use the 'site search' for things you are curious about. Check out the 'how to' section. There is great info here. Also check out a few of the grower diaries. You should be able to pick up a lot of info.

7/16/2002 12:07:40 AM

Total Posts: 12 Current Server Time: 8/21/2025 3:25:20 PM
 
New Growers Forum      Return to Board List
  Note: Sign In is required to reply or post messages.
 
Top of Page

Questions or comments? Send mail to Ken AT bigpumpkins.com.
Copyright © 1999-2025 BigPumpkins.com. All rights reserved.