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East Jordan, MI

A very good question, that will help others, so I am posting here.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=182008

The reason to cut the leaf off at the pumpkin is to keep it from scarring the pumpkin. A tiny inperceptable scratch now will be as big as your head on a 1000 lbr.

Cutting at the top might keep the wind from moving the stalk as much eliminating some of the possibility of damage, but not all of it. Additionally, without a leaf on that stalk it will mst likely wither and eventually rot. You don't want any dead material on your plant inviting disease to come munch on it.

If you cut the leaf correctly you will not damage the vine very much at all (the leaf is hollow) so the only damage is the ring of the leaf stalk. Don't leave a pocket to collect water. Spray some peroxide on it (I use 6%) and dust it with a fungicide or sulfur and it will be fine.

Good luck.

6/27/2012 12:37:17 AM