ok guys

[jeanette]

when should i bury the vines, why, how deep, and how much of the vine?

as they roll their eyes and say "do i have to tell you everything"

[douglas]

I would start in as soon as they start moving across the ground but leave a foot or two from the end for training your vine.
Guide your vine in the direction you want it to go with bamboo sticks but don't bend your vine all at one time or it could snap.
Best time to bend vines is in the heat of the day where they are elastic enough from the heat.
Cover them enough so the male flowers can still poke through the soil and bloom.
You will start getting side runners soon from the leaf joints that stick up in the air on both sides, gently guide them when they start falling to the ground, when they reach two or three feet and cover them as well.
Your in for a treat Jeanette, they will drive you nuts when they come out from every place from your plant, phil knows what I mean
Your mane vine should start getting thicker after doing all this.
Let us know when you start seeing female pumpkins near the end of yer vine, they should be yellow the size of a pea with a small flower

[jeanette]

well i'm pleased to say that 'mr pumpkin pants is accually growing in the exact direction that i want him too,(he's such a good baby) he will be under a small tree, the perfect ammout of shade and sun i hope.. thanks doug!!

[douglas]

Your more than welcome Jeanette, phil will also have a few tid bits as well

[Pharmer Phil]

Ah I Love to hear Douglas Explain all this!
It's good to have someone else here Doug, to field some of these questions, You area punkin Pro
Jeanette, absolutely, bury your vines as they start to "run", I dig ahead, and make a shallow(about 4 inch) trench, in the direction I want my not so cooperative vines to grow..But You are way ahead, if you infact Pointed the plant, when you set it out.
All the main, with the exception of the tip, which douglas stated, is to be covered...UP TO NO LESS THAN 6 FT. from the Punpkin you are going to raise, And another 6 ft, after the pumpkin, all Main and second vines at this distance will need to be free, so as to be able to Rise with the GREAT PUMPKIN, else, the rapid groweh will Rip the vines from the Pumpkin, as It is trying to uproot the vines to grow!I don't know what method you used Douglas, But i placed 1 gallon milk jugs under the vines, starting 6 ft. out, this provided a lift, yet was not abrasive to the vines.
Oh, and I had no bamboo, so I cut up Laura's Plastic coat hangers, took the V-shaped corners and made some, staples, to push into the ground and hold the vines in place.
Douglas, to you prune your tendrils?
I do, they grow HUGE, and are capable of choking off the secondary vines, and it makes it much easier to get into the patch to inspect and measure!
Soon, your plant will produce several Male flowers, then, a female will appear, it will have a small Pumpkin, at the base of the flower.
Do Not be compelled to keep this pumpkin, unless it is AT LEAST twelve, and in my findings, fifteen feet from the "Stump" or base of the plant.

Until then, Remove the females, then save one or two...One, I am afraid will Have to go. Giant Pumpkins do their best, when They go solo.

Oh and Why...Jeanette, what you are going for here is One pumpkin, being feed by this MASSIVE Vine, and root and leaf system...the buried vines root, not just at evry leaf node, but actually set down some additional roots along the vine, nother reason, takes alot of heat and water stress from the plant, and Thirdly, les vine visible, less chance of a insect, Critter, or unfortunately...YOU doing it harm.
If Douglas can say, that he never heard the Very UGLY SNAP, of the main vine...he's got one up on Me, there are also those, Maybe just a lil closer with the weedeater accidents, the mower, the lawn dart

Ths is the time, when this is going to get really good, and Exciting

Don't you fret none jeanette, I would be asking Ol Jerry ifin he wants to bet a fifty on every pound over 500!!!

[douglas]

Phil, I been using sawed off pieces of 2x4's to prop my vines for shoulder room for the fruit and then pull it back as it grows.
Would be good to trim out a few seconaries out from around the pumpkin as it expands in size also.
I'm ready to rock phil!!! mine are starting to fall over to the ground and nothing but good dirt ahead of them

[Pharmer Phil]

same here Douglas, the 892 is on the ground, the 1097, is upright about to drop and the 603 Needham is Getting really Showy! Ok, better run see ifin I can get a pic ...

[douglas]

Jeanette, if you think you will have a female pumpkin out in a few days it would be wise to collect a few male flowers in the fridge and the pollin should keep a few days in case there is no males the day your pumpkin blooms.
As phil said, pinch the first small pumpkins off so your vine will be ready for the coming fruit.
I hope we can see some of your pics soon Jeanette?

[theresa]

I can see that if I tackle this next year, I'm gonna need alot of help! I got lost up there somewhere.

[Compost Pharmer]

Don't worry Tster. Both you and I can try next year. Most of my vines and leaves are drying up. Next year will be different. I plan on planting dem behind the garage so they will only get sun in the morning plus I am going to put in a misting system over dem and the entire garden. The punkins will have 30 feet to grow before getting afternoon sun. It should help a lot. It has been to hot and dry here this summer.

[nickinva]

this was very helpful to me as a beginner i hope one day i can pass on some pumpkin wisdom I hope to let my pumpkin grow until october i have a baby boy on the way

[Pharmer Phil]

Well congratulations Nick!
Your Pumpkin may be done growing by then, but it will definately still be around...Geez, I've seen some cute baby/Giant pumpkin pics!

[douglas]

Just keep it on the vine as the vine keeps it from rotting

[nickinva]

thanks