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Central Utah

My AG have been in the garden for probably a month now but my plant is not growing out accros the ground. They have around 10 leaves on them with only about a inch of space between the leave nodes. The main vine seems to be getting alot thicker but the whole plant is just a short and stauky. Any thoughts? I'll try and start a diary so I can post some pics
Thanks

6/9/2012 4:08:55 PM

Rhode Island

sounds like your in a bit of trouble. you might try pruning off some of the multitude of leaf nodes, then try and locate a main vine ---or any vine for that matter.
if you find one ? keep it staked down and dont let any sides or leaf nodes develope until the vine gets three or so ft long ?
i kinda think your screwed though.
pap

6/9/2012 4:40:45 PM

Central Utah

I think I know which one is the main vine I'll get some pics on here as soon as I can...I have two plants that are doing the exact same thing.....any ideas as to what causes this .... I'm sure its probably something I did or didn' do where this is my first year... :(

6/9/2012 4:46:47 PM

Central Utah

When I prune off the leaves should I put something on the wound or leave it open?

6/9/2012 4:48:49 PM

Belgium Europe

why would you prune leaves?

6/9/2012 4:54:57 PM

Belgium Europe

Oops..sorry..didn't see Pap's post..

6/9/2012 4:56:07 PM

Germany

Two plants doing exactly the same thing? Then it cannot be the genetics, I suppose. What´s your soil temperature? My back-up plants in pots in the greenhouse started growing long internodals (i.e., a real main vine) pretty much immediately (after the 2nd true leaf or so), whereas my plants in the patch seemed to wait a while, grew short internodals between the first four true leaves or so, and then started to run (or to jump...depends on the plant). The ones in the greenhouse, with longer main vines, developed a thinner stump, whereas the plants on the patch started with the development of a thicker stump in the first days. There might be various reasons for that different behavior (space available for unlimited root growth?, enough minerals available?), but I suspect soil temperature could be one of the most important variables in that equation.
I agree with Pap that you need to prune some leaves, as too many leaves so close to each other and so close to the stump might be a bit of a problem, but I wouldn´t prune them right now, I would try to use them as boosters during the next few days (means I would try to use all the leaf area available for foliar feeding...especially with nitrogen.

6/9/2012 5:41:01 PM

Sourthern Utah

shawnc,, i'm going to be in cedar city the 22nd this month coming back on the 23rd,, e-mail me ur ph numbers,, and i will swing thru salina on the way home, thats a saturday,, see if i can help,, in any way,, curt

6/9/2012 6:09:55 PM

Sourthern Utah

shawnc,, oops ,,, curtlave@hotmail.com

6/9/2012 7:24:52 PM

Central Utah

Pumpking, not really sure what the soil temp is. I have my plants spaced out abou 20 ft. or so. The weather here has been crazy... we get a few days of extreme heat and then the crazy wind and cold front roll in.
curtlave, I would really appreciate that. Thanks for everyones help and advice.
Every five days I've been drenching the soil with fish fertilizer 5.1.1 and then a little shot of miricle grow 20-20-20. I'm going to try and find some seaweed and try that out...
What is the easiest way to post pics on here?

6/9/2012 10:43:15 PM

East Jordan, MI

It could be many things but sounds like it could be lack of N (or some other nutrient defeciency). If soil temp is too cold the N isn't available to the plant. Temps could be another, if it is not staying above 45 or so at night they will kind of just sit there. Next on the list is possiblity that the roots have been burned by the salts in the fert you are using -- depending on how much you've used, or drowned by trying to give it more water than it needs. If it is still green and growing at all it may come out if it when it warms up.

What size are the leaves?
Are they lime green or a darker green?
How wet is the soil?
Did you do a soil test?
Are there any experienced growers near you?

Best way to post pics is upload to your computer, then click growers diaries on hom page, click submit your own diary on upper right of page, browse to picture, then type what you want in block, and hit submit. It takes a while for the pics to get posted becasue they manually approve them to meake sure people dont psot bad stuff -- this is a family site.

6/10/2012 10:35:32 AM

Central Utah

My leaves are dark green... Soil is a clay based type and I only give a little water in the evening. My soil test came back preaty good .... the only thing that was off was the ph was 7.5. Today it looks like they might start growing. The tip of the main vine is on a horizontal angle finally instead of stickng straigt up in the air. The biggest leaves are about 8" diamater. The "first true leaves" on both plants have been damaged by cold, bugs, heat or something.... there is just a empty stem there now.
I'll try and get some pics on here

6/10/2012 8:03:44 PM

Westford, MA

Hope you're not watering EVERY night.
The roots won't get a chance to spread out in search of water. Also if it is every night and you're watering on or close to the trunk, you may be drowning it.

Good Luck

6/11/2012 11:56:37 AM

Central Utah

Yup i was klancy.... man do I have alot to learn. Should i water everyother day? I have been watering the groung beneath the whole plant. My son just went out to take a pic and I'll get it on here as soon as I can. Thanks for the help

6/11/2012 4:22:58 PM

Sourthern Utah

shawnc send me an e-mail,,, so i can get ahold of you when i'm down that way,, curtlave@hotmail.com

6/11/2012 6:25:51 PM

Minnesota

shawn, I water twice a day every day and would do 3 times a day if my timer allowed, point is you need to find what works best for you.

6/11/2012 7:12:05 PM

Central Utah

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2012&grower=62719&action=L
Well I finally got a chance to get a couple of pics on here... Kind a of bad pics but I'll post more as I go along. Sorry curt, my address is shawnc@redmondminerals.com
Thanks for your help.

6/11/2012 10:20:24 PM

Sourthern Utah

shawnc,, ur e-maill didnt take ,,, call me ,, curt ,, at 435-659-8132.. my cell ph.. so we can connect,,

6/12/2012 11:25:35 PM

Westford, MA

These plants CAN handle a lot of water when they have grown out.

Looks like your plant is still really compact.
My 2Cents is when they are young and that small, you don't want to water everyday, you'll just rot the roots and they won't spread out.
Feel the soil a couple inches down, if it's wet leave it alone.
Once the plant vines out, and you've got some full size leaves, then up the water as your soil requires.

Good Luck

6/13/2012 11:21:01 AM

Westford, MA

You may want to water hard and deep, then not for a couple days. That way your roots will go deep in search of moisture.

If you're watering a little everynight the moisture and the roots will stay near the surface, and be more prone to drying out.
I also wouldn't water directly on the trunk.
Water a foot or so away from the trunk, again this will encourage the roots to spread out into all of those wonderful($) amendments you've put in.

6/13/2012 11:28:15 AM

Central Utah

Thanks everybody for the help. Klancy, they seem really compact. The stump is probably a inch in diamater but only a inch or so between every spot a leave comes off of the vine. I'm not sure which ones are the sucker's...I'll have to study my book again.
Maybe thats part of my problem... I've been pooring it on the leaves and lettting it run down towards the stump area. I'll try to spread the water out a little farther.

6/13/2012 2:51:16 PM