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Coaxing Pumpkin and Melon Vines to grow away from the Garden
Hey there, So in my garden, Ive planted my Melons and Pumpkins on the Edges of it, and I wanted to know if there is any way to coax the Vines to grow A Certain Way, as I don't want them Overtaking the Rest of the Garden
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- applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
LOL relax, they won't grow THAT quickly in an hour or two
OK -- couple of ways : If you put up anything for them to climb on, they will. I usually grow melons on a vertical trellis made of nylon netting or wire fencing and put the fruits in slings. I have had small pumpkins climb the garden fence and supported them that way too, but bigger melons and pumpkins will need sturdy metal trellis and sling that will accommodate the fruits as they grow -- I've never tried with hollow stemmed/vined pepo or maxima pumpkins but have been successful with solid stemmed larger gourds and moschata squash.
Melon vines with solid stems are pretty easy to move around. Pumpkin vines are hollow and will kink if forced or carelessly handled. Pumpkins have bristly spiny vines and you will need gloves. Both will grab on to anything and everything with tendrils.
You have to move the unattached flexible GROWING TIPS OF THE VINE a little bit every day or every other day (carefully uncoiling tendrils where they grabbed). I HAVE clipped the tendrils and/or what they had grabbed and redirected entire pumpkin vines -- again a little at a time because they will kink. You can only move a tiny bit (if any) near the base, more and more as you go out further. So start from the base.
OK -- couple of ways : If you put up anything for them to climb on, they will. I usually grow melons on a vertical trellis made of nylon netting or wire fencing and put the fruits in slings. I have had small pumpkins climb the garden fence and supported them that way too, but bigger melons and pumpkins will need sturdy metal trellis and sling that will accommodate the fruits as they grow -- I've never tried with hollow stemmed/vined pepo or maxima pumpkins but have been successful with solid stemmed larger gourds and moschata squash.
Melon vines with solid stems are pretty easy to move around. Pumpkin vines are hollow and will kink if forced or carelessly handled. Pumpkins have bristly spiny vines and you will need gloves. Both will grab on to anything and everything with tendrils.
You have to move the unattached flexible GROWING TIPS OF THE VINE a little bit every day or every other day (carefully uncoiling tendrils where they grabbed). I HAVE clipped the tendrils and/or what they had grabbed and redirected entire pumpkin vines -- again a little at a time because they will kink. You can only move a tiny bit (if any) near the base, more and more as you go out further. So start from the base.
- applestar
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Oh yeah, it was easier to move them around when I mulched their growing space with big sheets of paper. I use packing Kraft paper that Amazon uses. They had nothing to grab onto except the dried grass and weeds I put on top if the paper, and while the papers were still intact, the vines slid easily on them when the papers were dry on the surface.