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In the shade - PDX, OR

All just wondering what part of the plant feeds the pumpkin the most? I know that it is best to set a pkin at least 10' out on the main. Is it the leaves between the pkin and the stump or is it the leaves after the pkin that feed it the best. A related question:
What direction do the sugars flow along the vine? Both directions?
thanks for the help. Ya'll grow 'em real BIG! - Ceis

9/29/2002 3:30:07 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Ceis, That's a great question. I would love to know where I could get a more detailed description of vine growth and fruit development in pumpkins. I always thought the the sugars would search out the storage bins (fruits) if only 1 fruit the entire plant would look to store there. I'm no expert on that but just seems like from what I've read the single fruit theoty points to this. As always there are exceptions to the rule where multiple primary vines are allowed they have grown multiple large fruit on each vine. Three main vines, three 500 # plus fruit. I believe that why most people go with the one main to keep it getting the fastest start without feeding the other mains. People have lost the stump and not only maintained the pumpkin but were actually growing if the tap root system was good. Since early leaves wilt and fall off during the season again another assumption is that the vine past the fruit is feeding back towards it. If anyone has any suggested reading on pumpkins/vine/fruit growth it would help me figure out what the actual final blow is in Gummy Stem Blight. I can see the vine clogging out from the stump but I believe it's the occlusion of the stem that aborts the fruit. so the feeeding from vine past the fruit doesn't work! hope we get some good input Ceis! Chuck

9/29/2002 8:02:40 AM

Herndon, VA

I believe that the majority comes from the plant between the fruit and the stump. The pumpkins on my 600 Desrosiers were growing 30 lbs/day with very little plant growth past the last pumpkin. At that point it was obvious which part of the plant was doing the work. When the original leaves started to die, pumpkin growth slowed. My .02 anyway. --Bruiser

10/1/2002 9:40:06 AM

Utah

I think the trend is going to smaller plants with the plant between the stump and the fruit as Bruiser said. but there have been and still are a bunch of heavy hitters that grow big plants with lots of plant on both sides of the pumpkin.
most noteably the current world record holder. She never terminates the main vine either.
so there you have it. the only thing i can think of to say it that both methods work well.

10/1/2002 10:22:44 AM