2014 The GC Pumpkin growing and carving challenge

Secondary roots: Is there such thing as too many? Looking at Steve's I was thinking why not cover most of the vines to get lots of secondary roots going? Must be a strategy to it.

 

Plant comes out of the ground and vines away, this is the main vine.

Sideshoots come off the main vine and grow away, these are the secondaries.

Sideshoots can then grow off the secondaries, these are tertiary vines..

The general idea depending on plot size and shape is to have the main vine grow off into the distance in a straight line, the secondaries then are trained out pitch fork fashion either side of the main vine and these should mostly fill the whole plot eventually, so the end result is that tertiary vines are pruned off, unless they are required to fill an area they are growing from with a couple more leaves.

Now, from each node on the main vine and the secondary vines, roots will form and grow into the soil providing the vine is in contact with the soil, I have read that some growers dig little trenches then bury the whole vine to facilitate extra root growth, I just carefully pile up soil under each node to give the same effect.

NOTE: Don't be tempted to dig soil up from where the plant is growing to place under nodes, a pumpkin plants roots are extensive and grow to just beneath the surface of the soil and extend a metre or more beyond the plants growing space!

The more secondary vines you have, the more secondary roots that follow and these all take up nutrients for the growing fruit.

Just remember to not allow secondary rooting for 4 or 5 feet either side of where your fruit is growing, because as your fruit grows mahoosive, the vine will naturally want to lift from the ground, if the vine is rooted it will snap!

In the photo below you can just about see that I have piled soil along the main vine right to left but stopped a few feet from the end as I am expecting fruits to come from there.





Steve...

 

I might have managed to grow a pumpkin for the first time - I say might 'cos its growing from a plant from the market unhelpfully labeled F1 - Pumpkin but Im not so sure..

--
I think its a marrow... or even a rouge courgette..

 

It does look like Courgette colouring, I've not heard of a rouge courgette before?

Steve...

 

Brilliant Steve,now that's how to grow a proper Pumpkin

However this is the Loli way...Remember I haven't got the space and need to keep it off the ground for fear of the chooks murdering it..I've got lots of tiny fruits forming but am reluctant to remove them until I know they've 'taken'...I'm trying to smooth the path here

Here goes...



....You may be surprised to know I've never won a Giant Pumpkin competition in my life
(Ey and I'm not likely to I can hear from the gallery)
Surely I ought to win a prize for trying

 

A cunning line of attic I mean attack, reaching those lofty heights, just to get your plants closer to the sun!

Steve...

 

There's method in my madness Steve

 

Nice one loli you might be onto something there

 

A hiding to nothing eh?

yours is coming on Richard
Is that one of those 'energy' drinks?

 

Nice one Richard Mines the size of an egg now

 

You never know as long as you could support the weight of the pumpkin you could get one off it

Yes it's a energy drink was the only thing to hand for size reference but now your onto my secrete growth stimulater lol

Thanks zigs they soon start putting the weight on one they get going mine has doubled it's weight in 5 days

 

One of mines taking over half the plot,its crawled in the sweetcorn and making it way over the otherside i think its a big max one

 

It's certainly on a mission Joolz - nice one,
Jenny

 

Wow Joolz that's amazing