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Denver, CO

Can somebody explain to me why it is common practice to remove tertiary vines?

Is it to avoid overcrowding?

The reason I ask is, I am growing in a very small and awkwardly-shaped space (urban environment). I am trying to train a secondary through a fence and around the corner of the house. Once it gets there, it will have some space (so overcrowding won't be an issue). Should I let the tertiaries grow out there to fill the space?

Thanks in advance

6/25/2011 11:10:07 AM

El Paso TX.

I believe the main reason people remove the tertiaries is they believe it drains more energy from the plant that could be going to the fruit and the leaves on the main and secondaries will usually get larger if there are fewer other leaves competing for the space -- I usually let some of them grow here since in our heat the first leaves on the plant are usually dying out by then due to the weeks of wilting in the heat and recovering in the evenings so getting more new leaves helps keep the plant going and it helps to fill in the space left by the dying leaves - so the decision is what is best for your situation -- If as you say you are limited in space and can get more plant going by letting some of the tertiaries grow then I'd do it.

6/25/2011 12:20:40 PM

Colorado

if you dont prune the majority of tertiaries youll end up with a two story tangle of vegetation.ag plants are so aggressive that the tertiaries will take off once the sidevines are terminated.You end up with a inefficent plant thats shading itself and wont have as much resources for the fruit.also powdery mildew and aphids will find a good home

6/27/2011 5:13:04 PM

Portland, Or.

pruning the terts allows the plant to grow more efficiently.

I take these off as well as the emerging male blossoms at this time of the year.
Make sure you have enough developing males over the next week so that you have pollen.

6/27/2011 8:24:45 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Andrew, if yer using terts to fill in open spaces...okay, if just lettin em grow to have more leaves...not okay. Several folks (from diary searches from the past couple years) have allowed terts to grow to fill in open spaces!!! Read, grow, and learn...I guess? Peace, Wayne

6/28/2011 3:06:17 AM

Denver, CO

Thanks all...good stuff.

6/28/2011 10:14:10 AM

43.841677 , -79.086692

last year (my first year) I didnt snap them off. I ended up pulling out literally hundreds of pounds of extra vine growth and pumpkins from under the canopy on each plant. I wonder how I would have done if some of that wasted energy was redirected to my fruit.

7/2/2011 5:43:56 PM