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Hyde Park, Utah USA

How long should one let the main vine grow beyond the pumpkin? All Secondaries are dead headed and the main is growing about 1 1/2 feet per day.

what is causing the small droplets of amber colored sap mostly coming from the top of the pumpkin in the general area of the stem. Is it important, is there anything I can do to prevent it?

8/19/2013 2:41:38 PM

Cincinnati,OH

At this point of the growth season I would terminate the main. New growth now won't return enough energy to the pumpkin to be worth it.

8/19/2013 6:19:44 PM

Stanwood, Washington

Some people think that the growing vine tip releases hormones that signal to the plant that it is still alive and keeps the pumpkin growing longer. I don't know if thats true or not but I know alot of growers who never terminate the main but curve it back around the edge of the patch taking all of the secondaries off.

The little secretions are nothing to wory about they aren't pretty but they won't hurt the pumpkin. I think the ones that do that usually end up going heavy.

8/20/2013 12:27:58 PM

Partlow,Va

I just cut the main 2 weeks ago on one and the plant ain't too happy right now. About half of the leaves have turned lighter green. We also have had some weather swings which didn't help and could very well have caused it. I had lost my only set fruit and decided to try it because all the new females on the main had already aborted.

I have 2 other plants. Both have late sets on them and I was going to ask this same question about cutting the main. I feel that Captain 97 is onto something in regards to the plant hormones.
Do you think that if you terminate the main sooner(close to the set fruit)than later would be better if you were to cut it? (thinking of trying one plant next year)
I have a 20 day fruit set at 11' and the main is 28' right now and healthy. I have terminated 1/2 the secondaries at this point. On this plant, I am going to prune all new secondaries that appear on the main and let it go. I may gamble and cut the other but for today I'll leave it go

8/22/2013 5:10:35 PM