Burying pumpkin vines

SPierce · Thu Jun 28, 2012 2:02 pm

Curious question, as I thought of this earlier today. Can pumpkin vines be buried in soil and/or compost provided the leaves are left to take in the sunlight? Stupid idea- good idea?

I have some seaweed compost I bought, and my original useage plans for them has changed. My big max pumpkin plant is doing well, but is still small, and growing a pumpkin> I think it could probably use all the help it can get, and read on a pumpkin-care site that burying the vines can be of use- not only against SVBs but in nutrient intake in general, so I thought it would ask others to see if it even makes a difference, and if anyone has tried it.

barnhardt9999 · Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:07 pm

I had SVB's this year and had to lop off 3 of 6 branches on my pumpkin. 2 branches were not effected. A third branch had 3 SVB's. At each place I was able to remove the SVB and bury the spot effected. Three weeks later that branch is longer, healthier and has more pumkins (3) than the 2 branched that did not get SVB's.

I am going to go home and bury one of the other unaffected branches to see how it turns out. If I can remember I'll update in a few weeks.

SPierce · Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:28 pm

barnhardt9999 wrote:I had SVB's this year and had to lop off 3 of 6 branches on my pumpkin. 2 branches were not effected. A third branch had 3 SVB's. At each place I was able to remove the SVB and bury the spot effected. Three weeks later that branch is longer, healthier and has more pumkins (3) than the 2 branched that did not get SVB's.

I am going to go home and bury one of the other unaffected branches to see how it turns out. If I can remember I'll update in a few weeks.

AH! I'm glad you were able to get rid of them! Let me know how it goes for you, as I would be curious!

Does anyone know if they get more nurtrients when theyre buried, or..?

gixxerific · Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:29 pm

Can't remember ever hearing about this.

SPierce · Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:38 pm

gixxerific wrote:Can't remember ever hearing about this.

The only reason I ended up thinking of it, really, was because of researching the little secondary roots that the vines send out to take up nutrients; it made me wonder that if I bury the vines with those roots on them, whether or not it would grow better!

gixxerific · Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:49 pm

Again not saying I haven't heard of it but I can't remember ever hearing it.

At least with pumpkins.

Now I know about Sweet potatoes doing this, growing roots even tubers at the stems rooted section. Comercial growers like to use plastic for a mulch thinking that all those rooted stems will take away from the main crop using too much energy producing tiny tubers all along the stem.

Not sure with Pumpkins but will stay tuned to this thread, you can never know enough about gardening.

rainbowgardener · Fri Jun 29, 2012 8:42 am

I don't grow pumpkins, but that is exactly what I am doing with my zucchinis this year, burying as much of the stem as I can to try to foil the SVB's. It's too early yet to know if it is working, the SVB's don't usually hit quite this early.

SPierce · Sat Jun 30, 2012 8:33 am

Well, I'm going to bury the vine this afternoon; here's hoping it helps/makes a difference

Was thankfully able to stop the excessive yellowing and dying of the leaves I was getting on it, and that killed my pumpkin plants last year, but taking the straw mulch I had put down around it away from the plant. There must have been something in there that affected it, really! Interesting.

As is, the lack of rain and finally getting some sunlight probably helped, too!

The pumpkin has grown to about the size of a softball!

It probably wont' make it all the way through, as something had chewed off the bloom section at the bottom so I have a feeling it might rot- but this is just about the furthest I've ever gotten with one, so I'm excited!

TheWaterbug · Sat Jun 30, 2012 12:21 pm

SPierce wrote: read on a pumpkin-care site that burying the vines can be of use- not only against SVBs but in nutrient intake in general, so I thought it would ask others to see if it even makes a difference, and if anyone has tried it.

Apparently this is [url=https://www.pumpkinfanatic.com/growing-pumpkin/burying-vines/]standard[/url] gardening [url=https://www.bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=303996]practice[/url] in the [url=https://www.utahpumpkingrowers.com/howto.html]competitive[/url], crazy [url=https://home.roadrunner.com/~srinz/pkintips.html]giant[/url] Atlantic [url=https://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/vmix_9b25746a-8671-11df-9b76-001cc4c002e0.html]pumpkin[/url] growing [url=https://pumpkinnook.com/howto/vines.htm#cover]world[/url]. I've never done this myself with my "normal" pumpkins, but I'm going to try it this year with my two Atlantic Giant vines, just to see what happens.

SPierce · Sat Jun 30, 2012 12:25 pm

TheWaterbug wrote:
SPierce wrote: read on a pumpkin-care site that burying the vines can be of use- not only against SVBs but in nutrient intake in general, so I thought it would ask others to see if it even makes a difference, and if anyone has tried it.

Apparently this is [url=https://www.pumpkinfanatic.com/growing-pumpkin/burying-vines/]standard[/url] gardening [url=https://www.bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=303996]practice[/url] in the [url=https://www.utahpumpkingrowers.com/howto.html]competitive[/url], crazy [url=https://home.roadrunner.com/~srinz/pkintips.html]giant[/url] Atlantic [url=https://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/vmix_9b25746a-8671-11df-9b76-001cc4c002e0.html]pumpkin[/url] growing [url=https://pumpkinnook.com/howto/vines.htm#cover]world[/url]. I've never done this myself with my "normal" pumpkins, but I'm going to try it this year with my two Atlantic Giant vines, just to see what happens.

Mine's a big max ;D Let me know how yours does, as I'd be curious to see if it works for us normal folk too!