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Portland, Oregon

How do you distinguish between a second primary vine and a secondary coming off the main vine?

The reason I ask is because I read GP2 and the treatment is different depending on the classification. According to that book, a plant can produce several primary vines and he thinks what happens on one primary has little effect on the other primaries so you can grow multiple large pumpkins. But he also seems to believe, as do most people on this bulletin board, that what happens on secondaries has an effect on pumpkins further on down the main vine.

Practically speaking, I know I'm supposed to prune all tertiary vines. But if a secondary is really another primary then vines coming off of it are secondaries rather than tertiaries and should be kept. Also, if a backup pumpkin is really on a second primary rather than a secondary of the main vine, it shouldn't have a negative effect on the main pumpkin - if he Langevin right and I am reading him correctly.

So, is there a rule of thumb for distinguishing between the two? IE, if the vine is coming off the main vine within 18 inches of the stump it is really another primary? Or do you just have to judge from growth habit? I do have a vine coming off what I consider the main that is growing almost as fast as the main.

Thanks.

7/18/2009 11:51:41 PM

Rhode Island

jeff

when you refer to a secondary primary to me i take that to mean you have snapped the main and have trained a secondary just before the break to be the new main?
if so there is not much difference once the secondary becomes the primary and what would have been third stage growth now becomes your secondary.

usually a new plant will throw (if allowed to do so) two primary vines. a true main is the first to develope. then, shortly after a back main will develope directly behing in the opposite direction of the main. most of us will either train this back main as we would a secondary or just lop it off.
in past years we used to grow the back main out in the opposite direction of the main thus developing a second plant off the back of the stump.
some growers have had very good success at this but it takes parience because of the time it takes to grow that back main plant.
it can be done, especially if you have a hard to get seed and want to create a couple good crosses.

we are learning something new about plant patterns and stratagies every year.

7/19/2009 6:43:48 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

And a few seem to delight in tossing that second main and making you think it's a first secondary, then seem to FAVOR that one versus what you think should be the main
(had one last year and at least two this year doing this)

What I have learned, despite your best plans, the vine does what it wants! You can coax it, but it will do it's own thing in the end like a living thing will.

7/19/2009 8:26:54 AM

Portland, Oregon

It starts about 6" or so down the main vine. I think I'll just keep it and treat it like a secondary. It doesn't sound like that will hurt my main pumpkin on the main vine and it makes things simpler. I'm a little concerned that lopping off its tertiary vines will affect the size of my backup pumpkin though. Thanks for the tips.

7/20/2009 12:53:25 AM