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San Jose

Hi All,
I am growing my first Giant Pumpkin and I am concerned that as the pumpkin grows it's main vine seems to be pulling downward towards the ground. I've tried moving the pumpkin towards the vine to give it more slack as well as prop the pumkin upwards on one end to reduce the bending. Is this a normal thing? Any suggestions?

7/30/2011 7:28:09 PM

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

On the bottom of the vine at each leaf node is a root growing straight down in the ground. Cut 2 or 3 of the closest roots on each side of the pumpkin. This frees the vine to raise up with the pumpkin stem as it grows.

7/30/2011 8:59:47 PM

San Jose

Thank you Mark!

7/30/2011 9:04:03 PM

Midwest

Oh, maybe you shouldn't move the kin toward the main. If the main and kin are touching, the shoulders of the kin may push the main out and put stress on the stem. Try to keep the butt-end (blossom-end) and the stem as close to parallel with each other, sometimes the shape of kin prevents you from that, but as the kin grows you don't want the kin to not put excess stress on the stem toward the main or away from the main. Well, I didn't say that real clear so I hope you know what I mean.

7/31/2011 12:02:45 AM

Midwest

Correction "to not put excess stress" I meant, "to put excess stress".

7/31/2011 12:03:46 AM

San Jose

Thanks everyone!

7/31/2011 2:23:29 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Check other posts on adding an "S" in your main vine to provide the slack that you will need when the pumpkin starts growing.

8/2/2011 8:03:54 PM

Muddy Waters

If you have to move a secondary (if mandatory)You can uproot vines with a pitchfork & do very little damage,then rebury & water will set plant back a little,but if you have no other recourse it works!you can do the MV also.The S in the Vine when about 8 feet is best.

8/2/2011 8:09:42 PM