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Grittyville, WA

I have read that that pumpkins frequently still make 20+ lb daily gains without a stump. I am wondering though if the weight gains taper down faster in this situation or if they follow a normal diminishment. I have never read about losing the stump very early but I also want to know what the outcome would be for losing the stump prior to dap 40. Thanks for sharing your observations. Trying to achieve a more complete understanding of how these plants work...

9/29/2019 5:29:25 AM

Grittyville, WA

rephrase: I have never heard of a really good outcome when the stump is lost early. Curious--Whats the largest pumpkin achieved entirely on a secondary root system...?

9/29/2019 5:45:14 AM

Australia eastcoastcitrus@hotmail.com

hi lost a stump and vine right up toabout 6 side vines back from the fruit when it was about the size of a basketball and it grew to 638 kgs vine grew with the fruit if thats any help

9/29/2019 7:33:41 AM

Morgantown, WV

I took a stump this year and my gains dropped by a lot. That said, it also depends on how bad the stump is and what's going on inside it. I will work harder to save them earlier in the future, but will still take them off if necessary.

9/29/2019 8:12:41 AM

South of Buffalo

Ive know of a few that blew out early over the years and were well over 1500# including one that has yet to be weighed this year. The stump gets it started but the sides keep it going. If the sides are well established you may not even notice a loss in gains. Its really about the soil.

9/29/2019 1:26:52 PM

Grittyville, WA

Jeffp- I am wondering if an established plant contains a reservoir of nutrients and to what extent the plant eats itself in these situations. Whether the gains continue or drop off may have to do with the nutrient reserve in the plant tissue. I had a plant that had high nitrogen in the tissue test... If there is a few hundred pounds of plant and the mobile nutrient levels in the plant are high then the plant would only need water and a little calcium perhaps because the nutrient shortage from losing the stump would be made up for by a 'bank accont' reserve within the plant... Thanks for the replies.

9/29/2019 2:24:30 PM

Grittyville, WA

dale-- Sounds like the secondary roots can be an impressive substitute. That plant did have a few well rooted nodes that managed to take on the job of the stump I guess. That must have been from the soil not reserves in the plant.

9/29/2019 2:35:37 PM

Bloomfield, Iowa

Ask Don Young. He grew a 1641 lbr about 3 years ago. Lost everything in front of the pumpkin early. Back fed with a single vine past
pumpkin.

9/29/2019 3:57:08 PM

Australia eastcoastcitrus@hotmail.com

i think its good if your stump doesnt rot off but when you pick the pumpkin and pull the stump and older areas of the plant there is very little new root activity in those areas when i fertilize its mainly around all the newer growth areas as that is where all the root activity is i think different climates and soils etc give different results would like to know if the new root activity continues around the stump area in an area where the plant and pumpkin grow for a much longer time than we get here my guess is it wouldnt the new roots would probably still be around the perimeters of the plant

9/29/2019 4:05:18 PM

South of Buffalo

I would think that if the sides are well established then there wouldn't be a huge nutrient drop if the stump blows. The roots from the sides are doing the same thing as the stump roots. I think of the plant like a pump if you get it all working together, stump and sides then your getting big gains, but if teh stump blows out then the sides will push in a manner consistent with how well they are established which goes back to the soil.

9/29/2019 4:58:23 PM

Muddy Waters

My 1177 lost the stump at 600 lbs & grew to 1177 lbs

9/29/2019 5:09:18 PM

Grittyville, WA

A pump seems to be good model for what the plant does... The extra root activity in the newer portions would be consistent with what Steve Daletas has said about watering/ where they may need more water. Thanks for helping my undestanding!

9/29/2019 11:25:02 PM