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Ct

Hi, I have 2 female flowers that I located on two of my plants over the weekend.One female is about 4 feet from the main stalk and the other sits at about 7'. Are these to close to the main stalk? Should I pinch them off or pollinate them?

7/14/2008 8:31:13 AM

New Hampshire, USA

pollinate for practice, and then i would definitely pinch the one off at 4 feet. jim

7/14/2008 8:37:22 AM

Ct

Being I am new at all of this, I have to ask, why are fruits that are close to the main stalk undesireable?? What is the ideal distance?

7/14/2008 8:39:57 AM

New Hampshire, USA

10-12 feet

7/14/2008 9:03:53 AM

Westford, MA

You want the fruit out a ways, so you've got a big engine to feed it. Also when the fruit starts to get BIG it'll be lifting the vine off the ground. If it gets REALLY BIG it may lift the stump with it.

7/14/2008 10:04:51 AM

Ct

so even one at 6 or 7 feet I should cut off as well??

7/14/2008 11:04:42 AM

Rocky-r@stny.rr.com

If you are a new grower, set em all! Play around and have fun learning this year, then go for broke and farther next season. If you want to truely go for a monster, then wait for females on the main 10ft and past.

I was going through my old hand written diaries from the 90's when i grew and we used to set everything and try to create "sinks" of plant energy. Then after setting so many, we would cut them off one day at a time to start pushing the plants energy into fewer "sinks" of energy, until everything was supposedly going to the last remaining fruit. Now we go for broke and set 1 or 2, then make choices in the first 15-20 days to get down to one fruit.

I did laugh out loud when I read that I had set 16 females on a plant, and then couldnt understand how I couldnt grow a 1000 pounder. Every year is a learning experience and you learn from your (and others) mistakes.

7/14/2008 11:22:46 AM

Ct

Thanks everyone. I have another question about positioning the fruit. Am I supposed to turn the fruit and vine so it is at a right angle to the main vine?

7/14/2008 12:48:29 PM

Somers, CT

Lis, where are you in CT? There are growers all over the state that can help if you need it.

7/14/2008 2:53:23 PM

Ct

I'm on the western part of the state

7/15/2008 8:14:01 AM

Ct

I checked the female this morning and it looks as if I am a bit late, not sure. The flower looks like it fully bloomed earlier, as it was no longer open and the petals were a bit wilted, although the fruit does look a bit bigger than it did before she bloomed. Anyway, I pollinated it just for practice.

7/15/2008 8:17:26 AM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

try to train the vine away from the fruit, as close to 90 deg as possible

7/15/2008 7:30:00 PM

Ct

Is there a set time of day when the females typically open up? I seemed to have missed the first female opening up. Not sure if it was at night or early morning. Trying to get this down pat so I don't miss the next two females that I just located.

7/17/2008 9:56:07 AM

Bloomington, IN

There is no set time for when they will open up, but 7 to 8 A.M. is usually prime time for pollinating. You want to have them pollinated within 4 to 5 hours of them opening, though the earlier the better.

7/17/2008 10:11:00 AM