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Salem, OR

We have severe heat a few days ago and though I was good about shading my pumpkins I did not think about shading the plant tips. On one of my best plants (Wallace 1502) I have severe damage to the main tip. It is dry and shrivelilng up. I have two pumpkins set on the main vine, one up about 6 feet from the tip and another about 4 feet up from the tip. Can I do anything to save these pumpkins? The rest of the plant appears to have recovered from the heat, the only thing not coming back is the main tip. I've heard people say they train a secondary to be the primary, is it too late to do that? If not, how do I do it? Any help would be appeciated, I would hate to lose the pumpkins.

7/14/2007 12:33:54 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Last year I had this happen to one of my plants. I had a pollination 6" before the damage. It ended up a 733 lb. pumpkin. As long as you have your keeper on the main already, you won't need a main anymore, IMO.

7/14/2007 1:31:25 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

If you already have your chosen fruit going good I would just let one of the last secondaries grow into a new main. Once a good pumper is going the main would have slowed down anyway.

7/14/2007 4:47:26 PM

Cottage Grove, MN

And a pretty pumpkin it was, Doug!

7/14/2007 6:05:56 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Thanks Bob. If it wasn't for that lone female right before the burned of main, I would have had nothing last year. Grow 'em big(and orange)!

7/15/2007 1:35:57 AM