Nelson News!

Ok here is another article on gardening. This one is on pumpkins. I know there are alot of things I did wrong this year but I didn't really think much when I did it. I just wanted to plant something. Next year will look alot better. I hope you learn as much as I did.
Runners and Side Shoots
Runners, or secondary vines, will proliferate all along the main vine. These should be encouraged. But, you also should manage their growth. Along with proper pruning, you should train the vines to grow out and away from the main vine. Also train them away from the fruit. You do not want the fruit to grow over the runners and cut them off. You also want to be able to get to the fruit to take growth measures, make slight adjustments to position to avoid stem stress, and spray for insects as need be.
Train them straight out from the vine or curl them around obstacles. Avoid crossing the runners as this creates overcrowding and allows for better access to the plant for maintenance.
Tertiary vines are off the secondary vines. We recommend pruning these. to promote growth to the fruit, versus plant growth.
Secondary Roots
Secondary roots potentially can develop on the vine at the base of each leaf stem . Encourage this as much as possible. The secondary roots can add enormous weight to your fruit. A second benefit of secondary roots is that it anchors the plant in the ground along the entire vine system and allows the plant to better withstand windstorms. Keep secondary roots from growing only near your fruit, as this causes the vine to be anchored to the ground and unable to move with the growth of your fruit. This can cause stem stress.
Pruning
You want your plant to develop a strong support system for the best growth of your fruit. At the same time you do not want them to grow rampant all over your field or lawn. And, you do not want them to overlap each other to any major extent. Proper spacing of the plants is the first step in this process. Training the vines to grow in the direction you intend for it is another. After they grow you will want to prune the vines to stop their growth at a certain point. Not only will pruning allow better management of your crop, but it will also encourage the plant to devote it's energies towards fruit growth.
Main vines should be pruned when it reaches ten to fifteen feet beyond the last fruit you are leaving on the plant.
Secondary vines(or runners) should be trimmed when they reach ten to twelve feet from the main vine.
Trimming a vine is simple. Cut the vine at the end and bury the end by placing a shovelful or two of soil over the cut end. Burying the vine is recommended, but not essential. It will minimize moisture loss while the cut is fresh and minimize the possibility of disease entering through the wound.
After pruning the vines, you will likely experience a proliferation of new vines. There will be new runners off the main vine and new runners on the runners. This is the same as when you trim a bush or hedge row. The result is a bushier , healthier plant. Pruning is good for any and all plants. In the case of pumpkins continue to pinch off any new growth beyond the limits recommended above, although I will allow some small additional growth largely because it is almost impossible to keep up. After a while, the plant will turn it's energy towards fruit growth. A little extra potassium and a little less nitrogen will further encourage the fruit growth as opposed to vine and leaf growth.
If you don't trim the vines, you have not harmed the overall health of your plant. But, you are not doing anything to enhance fruit growth which after all is the endgame. In addition, your patch will look unruly which may or may not bother you.....your call. I once let a giant pumpkin vine grow as long as it could just to experiment and to see how long it could grow. I gave up at thirty feet. What I found was the end of the vine was being starved. It's support system could not keep up and the fruit on it at ten feet was sucking up most of the nutrients. I am sure if I had no fruit on the vine and had more actively pursued secondary root growth, I could have coaxed it much further. Sanity finally returned and I terminated the end to force the plant's energy to the fruit. If anyone knows the record length for a vine, please let me know.
For more information, see Pruning Rules for Giant Pumpkin Growing which contains some great pruning methods from well know giant pumpkin growers.
Covering Vines with Soil
Yes, cover your vines with soil. This will promote secondary root growth if you leave the soil moist. Covering the vines can also cut down on th insect damage. The disadvantage to this method is you do not know what is going on below the surface. But, the advantage far exceeds the risk.
Some growers recommend soil from the surrounding area. When I have the time, I like to mix well composted materials, including my favorite "black gold" (leaf mulch from our town's recycling center) and some garden soil. Bottom line here is every grower had their own formula.
This is one of the more time consuming activities and definitely little fun. But, the payback in secondary root growth and therefore bigger pumpkins is well worth the effort.
Disease and Pests
Your vine does have at least one mortal enemy. The dreaded(and I am serious) Vine Borer is perhaps the biggest worry to pumpkin growers and can end a promising season in a real hurry. For information on this and other insects surf on over to Those Pesky Bugs.
The vine of a pumpkin plant are not susceptible to many diseases. The leaves however are far more susceptible. Any diseases that can harm the vine part of the plant will destroy the leaves first. Plant disease information can be found at Diseases and Bacterias.