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In the shade - PDX, OR

Hello - One of my plots is only 15 ft wide.
I was originally going to train the plant as a flag and run 15 foot secondaries on one side.

Now I'm thinking I should run the main down the middle and have 7.5 ft. secondaries on both sides.

I'd like to hear your opinions on what style to use.
Thanks, Ceis

2/10/2003 4:11:24 PM

canal winchester ohio

You could run your main straight & set fruit on the main while you train your secondaries in a zig-zag pattern. A vine zig-zaged in 7.5 ft would probably be about 11-12 ft long. If you do this you might want to take off every other secondary to help with air-flow as this will make the plant a little "tight", or just keep up on your fungicides & pesticides.......Paul

2/10/2003 4:27:39 PM

Key West, FL

I wouldn't run the plant flag style, paul has a good idea or you could just let them run straight and set the pumpkin a little further out. Ben

2/10/2003 5:50:58 PM

Commack, NY

how long is your patch ceis?

2/10/2003 6:00:11 PM

Bristol, ME (stunner906@roadrunner.com)

My third patch which I am undecided on what to grow as of yet is also 15 feet wide but it is 40 feet long. I am very interested as to what people recommend for a pattern as well.
Thank you in advance.

2/10/2003 7:08:37 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Scott -I have 35 feet to the fence.

The intention is to set the fruit at about 18 or 20 foot.

I didn't think about zig-zagging the secondaries.
Does this take a lot of extra time to train (carefully) and stake and bury?
Thanks.

2/10/2003 7:13:32 PM

canal winchester ohio

Ceis it really isn't that hard ( I done it last year). The only real trick is knowing how long each segment on the secondaries will be. But after a couple of secondaries you will know how long you will need. You trench the whole area for each secondary once it shoots off, trenching it out in a zig-zag pattern once you do a couple you will know appx. how long to make each segment in the zig-zag pattern. Using bamboo skewers ( my favorite for vine training) push the vine back toward the main stump allowing it to fall in the trench as it grows. When you are ready to go back in the other direction use a small dowel rod on the inside of the curve to prevent it from going back & then again using bamboo sticks direct the vine in the next direction repeating the process until you have reached the end. After the vine falls into the trech allow the male flowers to get about4-5" high before backfilling the trench in to bury the vine. Backfilling in to early can stunt the growth on the secondaries & male flowers..........Paul

2/10/2003 7:36:33 PM

Commack, NY

so im guessing you're only gonna grow one plant then? or a plant and a half?........set that sucker waaaay out there, at the bare minimum 18 feet. my original patch was 16 feet wide, and ihave no problem setting fruit out at 24 feet, or 26 feet.

scott

2/10/2003 9:22:37 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Thanks Paul and Scott.

The entire patch is a little over 1K sq ft. and I am going to squeeze in 2. Each plant will get about 550 sqft. My growing area is weird -shaped like an "L". I have to preserve some of the back yard for my son to run around in.

I was originally going to grow 1 plant and have 2 mains, but I want a little genetic diversity. Also I want to protect my chances. Just in case that one plant craps out.

Bill - Anything special to put in the 3rd patch?

2/11/2003 1:42:56 AM

Puyallup, WA

Erick,
Sounds to me like you should be looking for a larger patch and home!
Trust me...it's going to "kill" you to cut all that healthy growth off...week after week. You will live in constant fear of breaking a vine as you bend it. Basically, it makes growing a pumpkin less fun....been there....done that!!

2/11/2003 1:52:55 AM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Yeah - a little farm out in the country next to a dairy would be ideal. Too bad the budget dictates. (especially with the current economy)



Just have to do the best I can with what I got.

2/11/2003 2:25:08 PM

syracuse, ny

Boily has a heck of a fruit/plant growing alongside a fence---the 762 Neuville, the roundest, highest fruit ever!
check out his diary! my main patch is about 16-18 feet wide, and i run the main right down the middle--the longest i would LET the plant get to is 45 feet max., and this year i intend to trench like crazy, and cut off every other secondary---this might allow for some additional secondary length...just follow Boily's example along with all these other fine posts, and you'll grow a few monsters!!! 'pal

2/13/2003 8:28:00 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

I'm thinking about switching to plan B.
(following Boily's 845)

One plant, X-mas tree style.

2/14/2003 12:46:51 PM

Long Island,New York

Ceis....plant one on each long end and grow them towards each other. You will have to pull one of them when they meet but this gives you an option should the "chosen one" come down with a problem....nothing worse than having only one plant and finding out its a mutant in July........G

2/14/2003 1:15:28 PM

porterville, calif.

Erick I would do the same thing as LiPumpkin, That way if 1 does go bad then you have that backup already going. My daughter had a space about the same size as you do. We planted both going the same direction. It worked good. One plant did peter out on her. But she did get 1 good pumpkin.This was her first year growing them too. Greg

2/14/2003 3:22:43 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

I think this is one of the great things about growing AGs.
There are many choices and decisions that have to be made.

It parallels life in that you always have to live with your decisions.

I'm looking forward to July when it will be time for final fruit selection.

Hey - G thanks. Unfortunatley for me I have a hard time "ripping" out a plant. All of the 'what could have been' thoughts go through my mind.

Note to self - look for the farm in the country

2/14/2003 6:06:47 PM

Long Island,New York

Ha-Ha....get your wife to do it...lol...she wont hesitate a minute !!!.........just make sure she understands which one and only one !

2/14/2003 6:10:39 PM

Connecticut

Farmer scott
I was curious why if you only have room for one plant is it better to set the fruit out so far on the vine? I thought that the best place was 12-14 feet out. I to will only have room for one good plant and maybe another small one for germination and was curious about your responce. thanks

2/14/2003 9:50:32 PM

Montoursville, PA

My patch is about 25 X 55. Am going Christmas Tree starting two each going different directions. They will start about three feet off center of the patch and pass each other. The end of the patch doing that will be about 33 feet away. Later in the season the vines will be terminated or just let grow where ever they wish to go outside of patch boundary. I may terminate a few laterals if they get to close to one another. Next year I will start in two ends of the patch and grow towards the middle. This moves the mother load or honey pot giving some degree of crop rotation while growing the same crop.

2/14/2003 10:12:41 PM

New York

Taz,
the reason i set it way out is because i like to have alot of plant behind the fruit. when growing in a a narrow patch, there's not as much plant behind the pumpkin as there would be if your patch was say 30-35 feet wide. To compensate for that, i set them out pretty far. The only drawback is that if something happens, you dont have alot of room to make up for it with another fruit, which is what happened to me last year! LOL

scott

2/16/2003 9:45:51 AM

Amherst, WI

good advise, G. :)A pumpkin growers spouse in the patch could be a dangerous thing...

2/16/2003 10:31:18 AM

Usa

Hey, we women gardeners do pretty good. I can out grow just about anyone around here. I'm new to pumpkins but not to a lot of other plants.

3/3/2003 1:38:29 AM