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Post by farmerjack41 on Jul 12, 2020 23:33:41 GMT -5
Have a blue hubbard squash plant that is going wild. One vine is probably 12 to 14 ft long, several more in the 10 ft range. Two have set and are going well. There are probably another dozen blossoms on the plant. Can I trim the ends off the existing vines, to put the growth into fruit growth. Have read a number of articles and about 8 out of 10 say it will be ok to do this. Has anyone done this before and did it effect the whole plant any?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 13, 2020 0:04:47 GMT -5
Though I don't grow hubbards, the butternuts I grow send roots into the ground, along those vines they send out, so you probably don't have to snip them, to help the fruit develop. It might just trigger it to send out more vines!
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Post by paquebot on Jul 13, 2020 9:41:35 GMT -5
Ditto on what pepperhead wrote. With a lot of vining plants, the root system is the same as the vines. They need that to find enough nutrients to produce large fruit. Hubbard, in particular, may have a root spread of 13' to 19' in all directions according to a study bu University of Nebraska. If lateral vines trimmed, main stem may reach over 50'.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 13, 2020 10:10:29 GMT -5
I also don't grow Hubbards but I have trimmed Patty Pan vines and Spaghetti Squash vines that were escaping the garden and taking over my lawn. One is a summer squash and the other is a winter squash and both produced plenty of squash.
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Post by paulf on Jul 13, 2020 14:08:00 GMT -5
Interesting thread about trimming vines. I have always just redirected a vine that invades a space where it is not wanted. I can really grow some great vines...it is the fruit of those vines that never do well. I think I need a longer growing season...except for zucchini, they always produce ten times what we eat and everyone has too much for us to give it away. And yes, I only plant two plants of zucchini, one gold and one dark green.
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stone
Pro Member
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Post by stone on Jul 13, 2020 14:23:49 GMT -5
I have always just redirected a vine that invades a space where it is not wanted. Me too. I've had too many bad experiences with unfortunate trimming choices in the garden, whether my own or other people that I help. If there's any other options beside cutting... I'm totally not cutting! My squash and gourd and watermelon and maxixie vines get lifted out of the path and sent back into the patch of vines they are attempting to escape from... and they produce plenty of fruit... Without opening the vines up to be invaded by pathogens... as happens with cutting.
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